Alt Text and Image Descriptions
Join me on my accessibility learning journey! I’m always trying to do better and make my digital content more inclusive. One area where I know I can do better is alt text and image descriptions.
Alt text is a description of a digital image. This comes in handy not only for visually impaired screen reader users, but for other audience members as well. For example, in places with slow wifi, only the alt text may load for an image.
Image descriptions can be entered directly into the text of a post on LinkedIn, but the content is the same as alt text. They can help folks with cognitive disabilities by explicitly stating the purpose of an image, removing subjectivity and interpretation. They can also be less for stressful on the eyes for people who get migraines.
It took a couple of days of going back to every one of my blog posts, but all of the images on my website now have alt text! Moving forward, I will incorporate alt text as I publish rather than go back and catch up retroactively. I will also include image descriptions in my LinkedIn posts.
Once again, accessibility helps EVERYONE, not just people with disabilities. I know I can always improve, and wanted to share my journey as a way to hold myself accountable.
To learn more about digital accessibility, follow Bela Gaytan, M.Ed., Sabrina Pinto, and Julie Johnson, M. ED, ATS for a start. I've learned a lot from their posts.
