Alternative Text
Images need some sort of alternative text for individuals who have visual impairments, including color-blindness. Adding alternative text to an image is easy to do and likely less time consuming than removing the images and reformatting your document. Alt-text should be limited to about 100 characters, so you don’t need to write a novel. Different images will require different approaches. For example:
- If the image is purely decorative and adds no value to the content, then simply write “decorative.” Some applications give you the option to check a box if the image is decorative.
- If the image provides a visual illustration of a process, diagram, or model that supplements the existing text explanation, then something as simple as “illustration of the [process]” or “screenshot of adding alt-text to an image” may be all that is necessary!
- If the image is of a table, convert it to an actual table. If you use it, you will need to write out all that information in a long description.