# Providing text alternatives for the `area` elements of image maps

ID: H24

Technology: html

Type: Technique

## When to Use

HTML documents that contain `area` elements.

## Description

The objective of this technique is to provide text alternatives that serve the same purpose as the selectable regions of an image map. An image map is an image divided into selectable regions defined by `area` elements. Each area is a link to another Web page or another part of the current Web page. The `alt` attribute of each `area` element serves the same purpose as the selectable area of the image.

## Examples

This example uses the `alt` attribute of the `area` element to provide text that describes the purpose of the image map areas.

    <img src="welcome.gif" usemap="#map1"
         alt="Areas in the library. Select an area for more information on that area.">
    <map id="map1" name="map1">
      <area shape="rect" coords="0,0,30,30" href="reference.html" alt="Reference">
      <area shape="rect" coords="34,34,100,100" href="media.html" alt="Audio visual lab">
    </map>

## Tests

### Procedure

For each `area` element in an image map:

1. Check that the `area` element has an `alt` attribute.
2. Check that the text alternative specified by the `alt` attribute serves the same purpose as the part of image map image referenced by the `area` element of the image map.

### Expected Results

- The above checks are true.

## Related Techniques

- G91
- H30

## Resources

- HTML - Image maps.
- HTML - Requirements for providing text to act as an alternative for images.