Alternative Text

When it comes to making accessible websites and digital content more accessible, one of the most important features is alternative text (alt text). It plays a crucial role in ensuring that everyone, including people with disabilities, can access and understand the content, especially images. Let’s take a closer look at what alternative text is, why it matters, and how to use it effectively.

What is Alternative Text?

Alternative text, often called "alt text," is a written description of an image, graphic, or other visual content on a website. It provides information about the image when it can't be viewed, such as for people who are visually impaired and use screen readers.

For example, if there’s an image of a cat playing with a ball, the alt text might be: "A cat playing with a small red ball." This description helps those who can’t see the image understand what it’s about.

Why is Alternative Text Important?

• Helps People with Visual Impairments
  People with visual impairments rely on screen readers to "read" out loud the content on a webpage. If an image doesn’t have alt text, the screen reader won’t be able to explain it. Alt text fills this gap, making websites more accessible.
• Improves SEO
  Search engines like Google can’t see images the way humans can. They rely on alt text to understand what’s in an image. This can help your website rank better in search results.
• Better User Experience
  In some cases, images may not load due to slow internet connections or other issues. Alt text appears in place of the image, so users still know what the content is about.

How to Write Good Alternative Text

Writing alt text is simple if you keep a few things in mind:

• Be Clear and Descriptive
  Describe the image as simply and clearly as possible. If it's a picture of a group of people at a picnic, you might write: "A group of four people sitting on a picnic blanket, eating lunch in a park." This gives enough detail for someone to understand what’s happening.
• Keep It Short but Informative
  Alt text should be concise. It doesn't need to be a detailed essay, but it should provide enough context. Aim for a short sentence or two.
• Avoid Redundancy
  Don’t start your alt text with "Image of..." or "Picture of..." The screen reader already knows it’s an image. Just describe the content directly.
• Consider the Purpose
  The description should be relevant to the purpose of the image. For example, if the image is purely decorative, you can use an empty alt tag (alt=""). This tells the screen reader to ignore the image, avoiding unnecessary clutter.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overloading with Details
  It’s tempting to describe every small detail, but too much information can be overwhelming. Stick to the key points.
• Using the File Name
  Don’t rely on the image file name as alt text (e.g., "IMG1234.jpg"). This doesn't give meaningful information to users.
• Skipping Alt Text for Decorative Images
  Even if an image is decorative, it still deserves alt text, even if it’s just an empty tag.

Example of Good Alt Text

• Image: A photo of a dog running in the park.
  Alt text: "A golden retriever running on the grass at the park, with trees in the background."
• Image: A logo for a company.
  Alt text: "NITSAN logo, a TYPO3 agency providing web development services."

Conclusion

Alt text is a simple yet powerful tool to make your website more inclusive. By providing clear, concise descriptions of images, you ensure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can access and understand your content. It also helps your website rank better on search engines and improves the overall user experience. So, take the time to add meaningful alt text, and make your digital content more accessible to all.