Images as links

TODO: This content should be reviewed and restructured.

For linked images, the alt attribute (the alternative text) will be the link text.

• If the alt attribute describes the image: the link text will be the description of the image, which is unlikely to clearly communicate the link purpose.
• If there is no alt attribute: the link text will be the image file name.
• If there is an Empty alt attribute: the link will have no link text and will be announced as “link”.

So the proper way to use an image as a link is to describe the link destination in the alt text. If the image links to a post about the Accessibility Team’s handbook, add the alternative text “Accessibility Team Handbook”.

It is not necessary to ever use the word ‘link’ in your alt text; that will already be announced by the screen reader.