1. Missing or Poor Alternative Text

WCAG: 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A)
Frequency: Found on nearly every site audited

Problem

Images without alt attributes, or with unhelpful alt text like alt="image" or alt="IMG_4521.jpg".

Before (Failing)

<!-- No alt attribute — screen reader announces the filename -->
<img src="team-photo-2024.jpg">

<!-- Useless alt text -->
<img src="chart.png" alt="image">
<img src="hero-banner.jpg" alt="banner">

<!-- Alt text that repeats adjacent text -->
<h2>Meet Our Team</h2>
<img src="team.jpg" alt="Meet Our Team">

After (Passing)

<!-- Informative image: describe what the image communicates -->
<img src="team-photo-2024.jpg"
     alt="The engineering team celebrating the product launch, gathered in the office with confetti">

<!-- Chart: describe the data, not the visual -->
<img src="chart.png"
     alt="Bar chart showing monthly revenue: January $45K, February $52K, March $61K, trending upward">

<!-- Decorative image: empty alt so screen readers skip it -->
<img src="decorative-divider.svg" alt="">

<!-- Adjacent text already describes the image -->
<h2>Meet Our Team</h2>
<img src="team.jpg" alt="">  <!-- Empty because the heading already says it -->

Decision Tree for Alt Text

Is the image purely decorative (border, spacer, background)?
  → Yes: alt=""
  → No: Does adjacent text already describe the image?
    → Yes: alt=""
    → No: Does the image convey information?
      → Yes: Describe the information, not the image appearance
             "Revenue chart showing 15% growth" not "colorful bar chart"
      → No: Is it a functional image (button, link)?
        → Yes: Describe the action: alt="Search" alt="Close dialog"
        → No: Describe the content briefly

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