img with alt set to ASCII art smiley Screen reader compatibility

HTML WCAG
Nov 26, 2024

Expected Result: causes problems in some screen readers

Actual Result: causes problems in 60 screen reader / browser combinations

For expected failures, the results show which AT combos the failures affect. Results are recorded from the user's viewpoint, so describe the user impact of authoring errors.

WCAG Failure: F72

Code used for this test:


		<img src='img16x16.png' alt=':-)'>
	

Change History

Last updated: November 26, 2024

  • Bad NVDA with Chrome Causes problems in NVDA 2024.4
  • Bad NVDA with IE Causes problems from NVDA 2014.1 to NVDA 2019.2
  • Better NVDA with FF Better - caused problems in NVDA 2022.2, but now OK in NVDA 2024.4
  • Bad JAWS with Chrome Causes problems from JAWS 2018.1811.2 to JAWS 2024.2409.2
  • Bad JAWS with IE Causes problems from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2019.1912.1
  • Bad JAWS with FF Causes problems from JAWS 13.0.852 to JAWS 2024.2409.2
  • Good VoiceOver macOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver macOS 10.9 to VoiceOver macOS 14.6
  • Good VoiceOver iOS Stable - OK from VoiceOver iOS 7.1 to VoiceOver iOS 17.7
  • Bad WindowEyes with IE Causes problems from WindowEyes 8.4 to WindowEyes 9.2
  • Bad Dolphin with IE Causes problems in Dolphin SR 15.05
  • Good SaToGo with IE OK in SaToGo 3.4.96.0
Screen readerBrowserModeNotesWhat the user hears
Fail NVDA 2024.4Chrome 131 Reading Translates some smileys to words, but role voiced as 'Unlabelled graphic'. Unlabelled graphic, smiley face
OK NVDA 2024.4FF 128 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Graphic, smiley face
OK NVDA 2024.4Edge 131 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Graphic, smiley face
OK NVDA 2023.3Chrome 120 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Graphic, smiley face
OK NVDA 2023.3FF 115 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Graphic, smiley face
OK NVDA 2023.3Edge 120 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Graphic, smiley face
Fail NVDA 2022.2Chrome 105 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2022.2FF 102 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2022.2Edge 105 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2021.2Chrome 94 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2021.2FF 91 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2021.2Edge 94 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2020.2Chrome 86 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2020.2FF 78 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2020.2Edge 92 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2019.2Chrome 79 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2019.2FF 68 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2019.2IE11 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2018.4Chrome 73 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2018.4FF 60 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2018.4IE11 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2017.3FF 60 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2017.3IE11 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2016.2FF 48 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2016.2IE11 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2015.2FF 40 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2015.2IE11 Reading Reads "graphic", with no indication what the graphic is. Graphic
Fail NVDA 2014.1FF 28 Reading Reads "colon", with no indication what this means. Colon
Fail NVDA 2014.1IE11 Reading No indication what graphic is. Graphic
Fail JAWS 2024.2409.2Chrome 131 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, unlabeled graphic.
Fail JAWS 2024.2409.2FF 128 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2024.2409.2Edge 131 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2023.2311.34Chrome 120 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2023.2311.34FF 115 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2023.2311.34Edge 120 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25Chrome 105 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25FF 102 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2022.2207.25Edge 105 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12Chrome 94 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12FF 91 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2021.2107.12Edge 94 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24Chrome 86 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24FF 78 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2020.2008.24Edge 92 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1Chrome 79 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1FF 68 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2019.1912.1IE11 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Colon dash right-paren, graphic.
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2Chrome 73 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2FF 60 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 2018.1811.2IE11 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 18.0.5038FF 52 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 18.0.5038IE11 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 17.0.2619FF 48 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 17.0.2619IE11 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 16.0.4350FF 40 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 16.0.4350IE11 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Graphic colon dash right-paren.
Fail JAWS 15.0.9023FF 29 Reading No indication graphic is there. Blank
Fail JAWS 15.0.9023IE11 Reading No indication graphic is there. Blank
Fail JAWS 14.0.9002FF 29 Reading No indication graphic is there. Blank
Fail JAWS 14.0.9002IE11 Reading No indication graphic is there. Blank
Fail JAWS 13.0.852FF 29 Reading No indication graphic is there. Blank
Fail JAWS 13.0.852IE11 Reading No indication graphic is there. Blank
Fail WindowEyes 9.2IE11 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Dash right paren
Fail WindowEyes 8.4IE11 Reading Meaningless punctuation read. Dash right paren
OK VoiceOver macOS 14.6Safari 17.6 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 13.6Safari 16.6 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 12.5Safari 15.6 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 11.5Safari 15.0 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.15Safari 14.1 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.14Safari 13.0 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.13Safari 12.1 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.12Safari 10.1.2 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.11Safari 9.1.2 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.10Safari 8.0.6 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver macOS 10.9Safari 7.0.3 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 17.7Safari iOS 17.7TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 16.6Safari iOS 16.6TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 15.6Safari iOS 15.6TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 14.7Safari iOS 14.7TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 13.3Safari iOS 13.3TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 12.4Safari iOS 12.4TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 11.4Safari iOS 11.4TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 10.3Safari iOS 10.3TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 9.1Safari iOS 9.1TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 8.4Safari iOS 8.4TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
OK VoiceOver iOS 7.1Safari iOS 7.1TouchTranslates some smileys to words. Smiley, image
Fail Dolphin SR 15.05IE11 Reading Complete silence on image - no indication of what it is.
OK SaToGo 3.4.96.0IE11 Reading Translates some smileys to words. Smile

SortSite rules: AccHtmlImgAltAsciiArt

Test notes

All tests were carried out with screen reader factory settings. JAWS in particular has a wide variety of settings controlling exactly what gets spoken.

Screen readers allow users to interact in different modes, and can produce very different results in each mode. The modes used in these tests are:

  • Reading Content read using the “read next” command in a screen reader
  • Tabbing Content read using the “tab” key in a screen reader
  • Heading Content read using the “next heading” key in a screen reader
  • Touch Content read when touching an area of screen on a mobile device

In the “What the user hears” column:

  • Commas represent short pauses in screen reader voicing
  • Full Stops represent places where voicing stops, and the “read next” or “tab” or “next heading” command is pressed again
  • Ellipsis … represent a long pause in voicing
  • (Brackets) represent voicing that requires a keystroke to hear