Are animated GIFs on your website considered accessible content?

Most animated GIFs should not be used because they fail the WCAG 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A) Guideline:

“Moving, blinking, scrolling: For any moving, blinking or scrolling information that (1) starts automatically, (2) lasts more than five seconds, and (3) is presented in parallel with other content, there is a mechanism for the user to pause, stop, or hide it unless the movement, blinking, or scrolling is part of an activity where it is essential…”

TEST TOOL: If you are considering using an animated GIF, use the University of Maryland’s Photosensitive Epilepsy Analysis Tool to test that the animation won’t trigger seizures in folks who are sensitive to them.

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY TESTING & REMEDIATION SERVICES: Mary Gillen is an experienced Website Accessibility Compliance Auditor and Remediator. She can test your website to determine if it meets accessibility standards:

WCAG 2.1: 312 checkpoints covering A, AA and AAA W3 accessibility guidelines
Section 508: 15 US federal guidelines covered by 59 accessibility checkpoints

Find out more about Mary Gillen’s Accessibility Testing & Remediation Services: Websites, PDFs, Office Docs & Videos

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