F13 · c02: Alt text omits color-only distinction

Rule: Failure of Success Criterion 1.1.1 due to not providing equivalent text alternatives (color omitted from alt)

Corpus WCAG 2.2Applies to WCAG 2.0, 2.1, 2.2Level AAutomatable: partial

Summary: providing alt text that omits information conveyed only by color

Why it fails: Users who cannot perceive color cannot tell which bars indicate warning or OK because the alt text describes shape but not the color encoding.

Failure technique

https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Techniques/failures/F13

Understanding

Quickref

Intentional failure — audit this region

F13 · c02

Bar heights are identical; status is conveyed only by bar color (alt omits color):

<p>Bar heights are identical; status is conveyed only by bar color (alt omits color):</p>
<img src="/assets/color-chart.png" alt="Four vertical bars of equal height" width="200" height="80">

Expected audit result

1.1.1: fail — Specimen demonstrates an alternate F13 failure of 1.1.1 where alt text omits color meaning.
1.4.1: fail — Specimen demonstrates an alternate F13 failure of 1.1.1 where alt text omits color meaning.

Manual check: Confirm bar meaning depends on color and the alt text does not convey that information.