Eloquent Alt Texts

[jesse_the_k]

ljwrites does a much better job explaining this!

https://lj-writes.dreamwidth.org/2019/03/02/alt-text.html

lightgetsin relies on image descriptions, and her thoughts are crucial

https://lightgetsin.dreamwidth.org/308442.html

For sighted people, images can communicate a lot in a short time. On the web, tho, images come with a cost: bandwidth. Folks who don’t or can’t view your image can still get your message when you use image descriptions. "alt text" is the HTML tool to hold your image descriptions.

Web Accessibility In Mind — WebAIM — is an outstanding resource for ensuring that all users can appreciate your web content.

Spend twenty minutes at WebAIM to gain a confidence in applying the principles of alt texts. Their tl;dr about the content of alt texts:

Be accurate and equivalent in presenting the same content and function of the image.

Be succinct. This means the correct content (if there is content) and function (if there is a function) of the image should be presented as succinctly as is appropriate. Typically no more than a few words are necessary, though rarely a short sentence or two may be appropriate.

NOT be redundant or provide the same information as text within the context of the image.

NOT use the phrases "image of ..." or "graphic of ..." to describe the image. It is usually apparent to the user that it is an image. And if the image is conveying content, it is typically not necessary that the user know that it is an image that is conveying the content, as opposed to text. If the fact that an image is a photograph or illustration, etc. is important content, it may be useful to include this in alternative text.

https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext

Curious about all the access issue on your web page? Use their accessibility checker:

http://wave.webaim.org

Comments

[satsuma]

I think the link you meant to post is https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/ ? Yours turned up a this page does not exist error for me

THANK YOU

[jesse_the_k]

(who proofs the proofreader? Her d-roll.)

[wendelah1]

Thank you for the link. It looks very useful. My descriptions are iffy.

[esteefee]

really useful, thanks. I try to be good about alt text but I need a primer.

Much thanks!

[brainwane]

Thank you so much for this and the links! I read them, and did the exercise in https://denise.dreamwidth.org/71796.html . Now I feel much better prepared to add proper alt text!