Server-Side Image Map / Clear.gif Alt: Hack or Valid Technique?

If something like this has already been discussed, please forgive me. 

Under checkpoint 1.2 "Provide redundant text links for each active region of an image map" do you think that the following ALT technique would be sufficient to qualify as "redundant text links"?:

Under an image map, placing a transparent gif image for each link in the image with a descriptive ALT and linked. 

Simplified example:

<a href="link1.htm"><img src="clear.gif" alt="Link 1 Desc"></a>
<a href="link2.htm"><img src="clear.gif" alt="Link 2 Desc"></a>
<a href="link3.htm"><img src="clear.gif" alt="Link 3 Desc"></a>

When graphics enabled, browser would render image map. When graphics disabled, browser would render ALT text in transparent images.

Cheers

Bill Shackleton

(bill@eramp.com)