This is practical accessibility guidance for first-pass triage. It is not legal advice, a formal audit, WCAG certification, or a conformance guarantee.

What this means

An image does not have an alt attribute.

Why it matters

Users who cannot see the image may miss important content or hear an unhelpful file name. Missing alt does not always mean the image needs descriptive text; decorative images can use alt="".

How to fix it

  • Decide whether the image is informative, functional, decorative, or redundant.
  • Add meaningful alt text for informative images.
  • Use alt="" only for truly decorative images.
  • For linked images, describe the link destination or action.

What automated checks can detect

A checker can detect img elements without an alt attribute.

What still needs manual review

Good alt text depends on context. A content editor should compare the image, nearby heading, caption, and link destination before choosing wording.

Automation cannot know whether the image is decorative or write the right alternative text for the surrounding content.

Canadian context

For Canadian organizations, this is a practical triage signal to fix before qualified review. It is not legal advice or a conformance decision.

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