Alternative Text
Writing appropriate alternative text (or alt text) for an image depends on context and function. For Orbis, this requires the help of the SME or instructor in most cases. For a comprehensive explanation and great examples of how to write appropriate and useful alt text, read WebAIM’s
article Alternative Text. For tutorials on how to add alt text in Word or PowerPoint, view the
Orbis Self-Paced Training and Quick Video Tutorials or visit the
Microsoft website.
For the Orbis process on how to address missing or needed alt text, please read on.
Image Purpose
There are three common uses of images in our partners' courses:
- Decorative: an image related to the content that is used to add visual interest (for example, the banner image for a course).
- Instructional: an image used to teach a concept such as identifying different types of skin conditions or cell cultures.
- Assessment: an image used in a quiz or an exam to test a student’s ability to identify the content or purpose of the image.
Note: in general, Orbis courses do not include functional images that are not part of the course template. A functional image is one that serves as a button or link.
What to Do
If you have enough information and are confident that you can write an accurate or correct alt text in the appropriate context, go for it! If not, be prepared to use your knowledge of proper alt text writing to guide your SME to what you need.
The SME or instructor is the expert on the content the image is used to convey. While the ELD, QA, ID, or ELPA may help you ponder what the alt text could be (if you have all the information), these are not the appropriate people to provide the content for an alt text. The appropriate step is to contact the SME or instructor who provided the image.
If the SME or instructor are no longer available and you cannot write the alt text, enter the image on the ADA Asset log and leave the alt text blank. If the image is used in a course with a student accommodation, it must be remediated. If the student is working with their disabilities service office, they may have supporting course materials such as braille materials or descriptions of the textbook images provided to them. Enter this as a note in the ADA Asset log for the item. Contact the QA team for assistance in determining the next best course of action if you are unsure.
When to Not Use an Image
There are few instances when you should not use an image or recommend to the SME or instructor not to use it:
- If the image violates copyright.
- If the image is decorative for the purpose of decoration and not related to the content (for example, clip art or a flower added just for fun).
Guidelines
Keep these in mind as you work with your SME or instructor to write the alt text.
- Use just a few words. Long alternative text can make it more difficult for a screen reader user to get through a page. For lengthy descriptions, consider using document narrative or captions.
- Do NOT duplicate nearby document text. Otherwise, the information will be read twice by the screen reader software.
- Avoid phrases such as “image of...” or “graphic of...” Screen reader software already says something like “graphic” when it comes to an image, so this is unnecessary.
- There are two fields in the alt text wizard: Title and Description. Put the Alt Text value in the Description field, NOT the Title field.
- We do not recommend using the Generate a Description for Me feature in Microsoft products.