Introduction to Alt Text and Accessibility

Introduction

This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide on alternative text (alt text) and its importance for accessibility. Alt text is crucial for helping visually impaired users understand the content of images on the web. This guide will walk you through the various aspects of writing effective alt text, following best practices, and utilizing tools to enhance accessibility.

Step 1: Understand What Alt Text Is

• Alt text is a written description of an image that conveys its content and function.
• It is primarily used by screen readers to assist visually impaired users.
• Alt text should provide enough information to understand the image without seeing it.

Step 2: Familiarize Yourself with WCAG Recommendations

• The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide standards for ensuring web content is accessible.
• Key recommendations include:
  • Every image should have appropriate alt text.
  • The alt text should be concise but descriptive enough to convey the image's purpose.

Step 3: Recognize When Alt Text Is Necessary

• Avoid using alt text for purely decorative images; in such cases, use an empty alt attribute (alt="").
• Always use alt text for functional images (e.g., buttons or links) and informative images (e.g., charts, graphs).

Step 4: Write Effective Alt Text

• Keep it concise (generally 125 characters or fewer).
• Focus on the image's content and context. Ask yourself:
  • What is the image depicting?
  • Why is this image relevant to the content?
• Example of effective alt text:
  • For a photo of a dog running in a park, say: "Golden retriever playing fetch in a sunny park."

Step 5: Differentiate Between Captions and Alt Text

• Captions are visible text that accompanies an image, usually providing additional context.
• Alt text is not visible on the page but is read by screen readers.

Step 6: Consider Context and Emotion

• The context of the image greatly influences the alt text. Describe how the image relates to the surrounding content.
• Conveying emotion can be important. For example, instead of just saying "person smiling," you could say, "young woman smiling joyfully with friends at a picnic."

Step 7: Use Tools to Check Alt Text

• Utilize accessibility tools to ensure alt text is present and effective:
  • Tota11y: A web tool that helps visualize accessibility issues.
  • Accessibility Insights: This tool provides a comprehensive audit of web accessibility.
  • Microsoft Office: Built-in accessibility checker for documents and presentations.

Step 8: Learn Through Practice

• Engage in breakout activities or practice sessions to refine your alt text writing skills.
• Describe images with varying contexts to strengthen your understanding of how context changes the alt text needed.

Conclusion

Effective alt text is essential for making web content accessible to everyone. By understanding its purpose, following WCAG guidelines, writing contextually relevant descriptions, and utilizing various tools, you can significantly enhance the accessibility of your content. Consider practicing these skills regularly and stay updated on accessibility standards to create an inclusive online experience.