Easy Guide to Craft Effective Alt Text for Better Digital Accessibilit

This digital world requires content which is easily accessible to all the users along with people with impairments. It is not to fulfill legal obligations but a social commitment for inclusivity. Another important aspect of digital accessibility is the usage of alt text for image content. Alt text, or alternative text, is essential for making visual content understandable to individuals with visual impairments who rely on screen readers. Crafting effective alt text can significantly enhance the accessibility and user experience of your digital content.

Alt text writing is a detailed description in writing that appears in the place of images when someone is using it with a screen reader or if the screen fails to load. It helps visually challenged people to understand the context of the image. Also, it has a read aloud feature by screen readers and can also be displayed as a tooltip when users approach an image.

This guide tells the principles of creating meaningful and effective alt text, offering practical tips to make sure your images are accessible to all users.

Why Alt Text Matters?

1. Accessibility Compliance: Alt text is a fundamental requirement under various accessibility standards and laws, WCAG and ADA. Proper use of alt text helps ensure your website or application complies with these regulations.

2. Improved User Experience: Effective alt text enhances the overall user experience for people with visual impairments by providing a better understanding of the content.  It gives all users equal access to information, regardless of their abilities.

3. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Alt text writing can also contribute to SEO. Search engines use this alt text to understand the content of an image, which can help improve your website’s search engine rankings.

Principles of Crafting Effective Alt Text

1. Be Descriptive and Specific: The idea of Alt text is to provide a clear and concise description of the image’s content and function. Describe what the image depicts, focusing on the key elements that convey the image’s purpose. For example, instead of saying “noun,” say “an adjective with its current situation.”

2. Consider the Context: The purpose of an image alt text writing is to offer clear context. If the image supports a specific point or provides additional information, the alt text should reflect that context. For example, if an image illustrates a concept discussed in the text, the alt text should describe the image in relation to that concept.

3. Keep It Concise: The alt text must be concise, around 125 characters, as this is the maximum length that screen readers will efficiently read. Focus only on conveying essential information.

4. Avoid Redundancy: If an image contains text or is used as a button, avoid repeating information already provided in the surrounding text. For instance, if a button image says “Submit,” the alt text can simply be “Submit” rather than repeating “Submit button.”

5. Use Alt Text for Functional Images: For images that serve a functional purpose, the alt text should describe the action or function of the image. For example, a shopping cart icon might have alt text like “Add to cart.”

6. Avoid Using “Image of” or “Picture of” Phrase: Screen readers already identify that the content is an image, so there’s no need to include phrases like “image of” or “picture of” in the alt text. Instead, dive straight into the description.

Examples of Effective Alt Text

1. Image of a Product: 

• Image: A high-resolution photo of a red leather handbag with gold hardware.

• Alt Text: “Red leather handbag with gold hardware and a detachable shoulder strap.”

2. Image of a Chart:

• Image: A bar chart showing the quarterly sales figures for the year 2024.

• Alt Text: “Bar chart displaying quarterly sales figures for 2024, with peaks in Q2 and Q4.”

3. Image of a Person:

• Image: A woman in a blue dress speaking at a conference.

• Alt Text: “Woman in a blue dress speaking at a podium at a conference.”

4. Decorative Image:

• Image: A decorative background pattern with abstract shapes.

• Alt Text: (Empty: `alt=””`)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Overloading Alt Text with Keywords: While SEO is important, avoid stuffing Alt Text with keywords or phrases that are not relevant to the image. The initial goal of alt text is to describe the image accurately for users, not to manipulate search engine rankings.

2. Providing Insufficient Information: Avoid vague or overly generic alt text. For instance, saying “photo” or “image” does not provide any useful information to users relying on screen readers.

3. Using Text-Heavy Images: If an image contains significant text, consider providing an image alt text writing anywhere on the page. Ensure that the alt text summarizes or conveys the essential information from the image.

Tools and Resources

1. Alt Text Generators: Tools like Microsoft’s Azure Computer Vision or Google’s Cloud Vision API can assist in generating alt text. However, these tools should be used as aids rather than replacements for human judgment and context.

2. Accessibility Checkers: Utilize web accessibility checkers and validators to review your alt text and overall site accessibility. Tools like WAVE or Axe can help identify potential issues and areas for improvement.

3. Guidelines and Best Practices: Familiarize yourself with the latest guidelines and best practices from organizations such as the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

Wrap-Up

Crafting effective alt text is a vital component of creating an inclusive and accessible digital experience. The benefit of following the principles of clear, concise and relevant description is that it ensures that your content is easily accessible to all, including disabled people or those who depend on screen readers. Ensuring accessibility is not just a single or one-time thing but a constant commitment to make the digital world more inclusive. By implementing these best practices, you contribute to a more equitable online environment, enhancing user experience and compliance with accessibility standards.