Re: Unicode characters used as images

While I was looking at a different issue with a colleague, we were discussing the failure documentation for F26: Failure of Success Criterion 1.3.3 due to using a graphical symbol alone to convey information.

https://www.w3.org/TR/2016/NOTE-WCAG20-TECHS-20161007/F26

This seems to describe the situation in this thread pretty well, though I am not clear on why it is defined as a failure of 1.3.3, since there are no instructions mentioned in F26.

The advice given is to use an image instead of a glyph, and use alt on the image, if I am interpreting it correctly.

Best,
Madeleine

Madeleine Rothberg
Senior Subject Matter Expert
617-300-2492

From: Ms J <ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>
Date: Monday, February 5, 2024 at 9:04 AM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Unicode characters used as images
Thanks Jan, that is helpful. I didn't think of the multiplication symbol as an 'emoji' - I was thinking of it as a text character, so this clarification is useful!

Thanks

Sarah



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________________________________
From: Ms J <ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 1:24:29 PM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Unicode characters used as images

Ah fab, thank you Patrick - I thought of the parallel with ASCII art but I didn't know that failed 1.1.1 as I've not actually seen that on a website but I see unicode characters used incorrectly quite frequently so it's good to know text can fail non-text content when it's used in a non-text context.

Thanks!

Sarah

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From: Ms J <ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 1:13:26 PM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Re: Unicode characters used as images

Sorry for following up immediately, I just wanted to clarify that I didn't consider 1.1.1 because it is literally text content, but that does feel like a loophole has they are using it as non-text content: for its physical characteristics and not its semantic text meaning

Thanks

Sarah

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________________________________
From: Ms J <ms.jflz.woop@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, February 5, 2024 12:53:59 PM
To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Subject: Unicode characters used as images

Hello

If I had a shopping list and each item had a 'cross' next to it to indicate it was completed but the unicode 'heavy multiplication x' character was used for the cross, is this a failure of any sc?

They're basically using a text character like an image because they're using it for its physical characteristics, but they're not marking it up as an image (for example with an aria img role) and giving it an alt. It's read with JAWS as 'heavy multiplication x'.

My thoughts are - could it fail name, role, value because it's used as an image but doesnt have that role?
Could it fail info and relationships because it coveys information visually but not programmatically? (But then thats like saying images with unclear alts should fail 1.3.1)
I don't think it fails sensory characteristics because there's no corresponding instructions that refer to it by its appearance

Thanks

Sarah

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