In the Loop

Written in collaboration with Laura Fathauer in AccessMU.

What is Alternative Text?

Alternative Text (Alt text) is a non-visual way to describe the meaning of an image by using text. It should be used across all communication channels: email, social media, presentations, documents, websites, course materials, etc. Alt text helps people who are blind or have vision impairments, sensory processing disorders, or even learning disabilities. Making our images accessible means providing alternative ways to access the information. 

Please provide a brief (under 100 characters) description of all images.

Why Do We Need Alt Text?

Alternative text provides several services:

• Screen readers use alternative text to convey the image to the user.
• In cases where an image is not loaded into a web page or email, the alternate text will display instead. Some users choose not to display images in the web browser and prefer to read the alternative text.
• Search engines use alternative text to assist in search results.

Best Practices

• Be specific and concise. Describe what is happening in the image in as few words as necessary to explain why the image is there.
• For accuracy, subject experts should assist in writing alt text for educational images.
• The accepted practice for images varies depending on the use of the image.
  • If an image is in Canvas for educational purposes, a description of the image is required.
• Charts and graphs are examples of images that need detailed explanations so that sight-impaired users can access the data. 
• Images for an Art History course might also need longer explanations. Text descriptions should be in the captions for these images or included in the page content.
• Some images, such as decorations or graphics, don’t contribute to the page’s content. These images can be more generally described or marked as decorative images.

What to Avoid

• Don’t use the file name as the alternate text, such as “spot-the-dog.jpg”
• Avoid using “image of” or “picture of” within the alternate text. A screen reader will automatically say “image of” before reading the text.
• For images that also act as links, do not include  “click here” or “link to” in the alternative text. The screen reader will automatically say “link” before reading the description. The alt text should describe the purpose of the link, not the visual representation (for example, “search” instead of “magnifying glass”).
• Avoid putting an image of an entire flyer in an email as the only information. Make sure to include the who, what, when, where, and why in the body as text.
• Search engines use alternate text to help provide meaningful search results. Don’t try to boost your SEO by cramming in keywords that don’t describe the image.

Alt Text Examples

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Want More?

Looking to learn even more about writing Alt Text? 

Here is a great article, Alt Text: What to Write, from the Neilsen Norman Group.