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( Perceivable / WCAG 1.1.1 )

Decorative image is not hidden from assistive technology

This check maps to Non-text Content. Use the guidance below to confirm the issue, understand who it affects and ship a fix.

Minor Level A WCAG 1.1.1 — Non-text Content

What’s wrong

An image that’s purely decorative, a background flourish, a spacer, a repeated icon next to visible text, still gets announced to screen reader users because it isn’t hidden.

Why it matters

Every decorative image a screen reader announces is noise the user has to sit through before reaching the actual content. It adds up fast on image-heavy pages.

How to fix it

Give decorative images an empty alt="" (never omit alt entirely), or aria-hidden="true" if it’s not an <img>.

Before
<img src="/divider-swirl.svg">
After
<img src="/divider-swirl.svg" alt="">

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