Crafting Inclusive Content with Alt Text

In today’s digital world, where visual elements play a vital role in providing users with information, inclusivity is an important factor and alt-text is the unsung hero of accessibility. In this article, we delve into the significance of alt-text, its benefits for the visually impaired, and how incorporating it thoughtfully can transform the way your business can connect and communicate online.

What is alt-text?

Alt-text, short for “alternative text,” is a descriptive text added to images on websites or in documents. It’s used to convey the content and context of an image to people who are visually impaired or using assistive technologies.

How alt text helps the visually impaired.

Alt-text helps the visually impaired by providing a textual description of images. Screen readers or other assistive technologies can read aloud or present this text to users, allowing them to understand the content of the image and its role on the page.

Using alt-text on websites and blogs

Using alt-text on websites involves adding descriptive text to images within the HTML code. This ensures that when a screen reader encounters an image, it can provide a meaningful description to the user. However, adding alt-text to images in articles on platforms like Medium is a simple process. You just need to insert the alt-text below each image you include in your article, very much like inserting a caption. You can see this in the example below.

A woman and man looking at a website on a computer.

Using alt-text on social media.

Using alt-text on social media is also important for making images accessible to a broader audience. When you add alt-text to images you post, people using screen readers can also understand the content you’re sharing. Do you struggle with social media content? AnyTask.com freelancers can help plan and create your content for you.

A woman sat at a desk looking at her Instagram feed on her phone.

Benefits of using accurate alt-text.

Benefits of using accurate alt-text include increased accessibility, better user experience for people with visual impairments, improved SEO (search engines can index alt-text), and broader audience engagement.

How to write good alt-text. To write good alt-text, keep it concise, specific, and descriptive. Focus on conveying the image’s content, function, and context. Avoid being overly verbose or including unnecessary details.

In conclusion, incorporating alt-text into your images can significantly enhance your brand’s inclusivity and accessibility. By making your content usable for all users, including those with visual impairments, you create a more positive and inclusive brand image.