What is an Alternative Text?
Alternative text, commonly known as “Alt Text,” “Alt Attributes,” “Alt Descriptions,” or “Alt Tags,” is a fundamental principle of accessibility support. Alt text provides descriptive information about images, ensuring that students, staff, and faculty with visual impairments receive the same content as those who can see the picture.
Writing effective alt-text is more of an art than a strict formula, as there is no single way to craft it perfectly. This guide will highlight key concepts and offer practical guidance on writing clear, meaningful alt-text for accessibility.
Importance of Alternative Text and Where to Apply It
Alternative text (alt-text) plays a crucial role in digital accessibility by explaining why an image is relevant to the content. Screen reading software reads alt-text aloud, allowing users with visual impairments to understand the context and purpose of the image.
Most digital content and websites support alt-text, ensuring that descriptions remain intact when exported to HTML or PDF. To maintain accessibility, always provide clear and meaningful alt-text for the following elements:
- Shapes
- Pictures
- Charts
- Diagrams
- SmartArt
- Clip Art
- Tables
- Screenshots
- All Other Objects
Adding Alternative Text to Images in a Word Document
- Add the image to the document.
- Right-click the image in the Word document and select “Format Picture”.
- In the “Alt Text” pane, enter the description in the Description box.
To View and Listen to a Video Tutorial:
To enhance your understanding, you can watch and listen to a step-by-step video tutorial. This will provide a visual and auditory guide to help you follow along easily.