Our last article explored alternative text (alt-text) descriptions of images, as part of universal design for the web. In this article, we will discuss image descriptions in websites and documents, a different way to make pictures perceivable to a variety of viewers.
Image Descriptions in websites and documents
Limits of Alt-text
Alt-text is a useful way to ensure that people who use screen readers can perceive images. However, alt-text has some disadvantages. For example, some programs limit the number of letters and numbers in alt-text. Therefore, content creators may not be able to fully describe detailed images, such as:
- Maps
- Graphs
- Diagrams
In addition, programs that content creators use present alt-text in different ways. On one hand, websites and PDF files allow screen-reader users to scroll through alt-text. This navigation method gives people choice, the same way they can choose to scroll through the rest of the written document in different ways, such as:
- Letter-by-letter
- Word-by-word
- Line-by-line
On the other hand, other programs present a piece of alt-text as if it were a single character. As a result, screen-reader users must listen to the whole piece of alt-text at once. The longer a piece of alt-text is, the harder it is to hear all of it at one time.
Furthermore, alt-text only appears to people who use screen readers. While screen-reader users certainly benefit from alt-text, some people who do not use screen readers may also find textual image descriptions useful. For instance, these descriptions might be useful to people who have other disabilities, such as:
- Visual impairment
- Visual processing disabilities
- Intellectual disabilities
- Learning disabilities
Moreover, many other people may benefit from access to images and text descriptions at the same time.
Image Descriptions
In short, alt-text is not the most suitable way to describe long images and make them accessible to a variety of people. Therefore, a best practice of universal design for the web is to create image descriptions for complex images. Image descriptions are visible to every reader of a website or document, not just people using screen readers. In addition, image descriptions can be long, and can also include formatting to help people navigate, such as:
- Headings
- Lists
Content creators can place image descriptions within a website or document, above or below the image. Alternatively, content creators can place image descriptions in a separate file.
When a content creator writes an image description, alt-text is not needed to describe the image. However, the content creator still needs to include one brief line of alt-text, to:
- State what the image is
- Alert readers that a description of the image is nearby
This alt-text is needed because images requiring descriptions are important images. However, other visual elements of websites or documents, called decorative objects, do not need alt-text. Our next article will discuss decorative objects.