Providing Text Alternatives for Images and Non-Text Content.

Providing Text Alternatives for Images and Non-Text Content: A Lecture for the Digitally Dexterous

Alright, settle down, settle down! You’re here today because you’re either genuinely interested in accessibility (bless your heart!), or you accidentally wandered in thinking this was a free pizza seminar. Either way, welcome! 🍕 (Sorry, no pizza. Just…knowledge.)

Today, we’re diving headfirst into the glorious, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding world of text alternatives. In plain English, that means giving your images and other non-text content a voice, so everyone can understand what’s going on, regardless of how they’re accessing the information.

Think of it like this: you’re throwing a party 🎉. You’ve got amazing snacks, a killer playlist, and a bouncy castle 🏰. But what if some of your guests can’t see the snacks, hear the music, or jump in the bouncy castle? That’s where text alternatives come in. They’re the party guides, ensuring everyone has a fantastic time, no matter their abilities.

So, grab your metaphorical notebooks (or your actual ones, I’m not judging), because we’re about to embark on a journey of digital empathy!

I. Why Bother? The Compelling Case for Text Alternatives

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s address the elephant in the room: why should you care? I mean, it’s extra work, right? Well, let me tell you, ignoring text alternatives is like building a house with no foundation. It might look pretty for a while, but eventually, it’s gonna crumble.

Here are a few compelling reasons to embrace the power of text alternatives:

• Accessibility for All: This is the big one. People with visual impairments, cognitive disabilities, or who are using screen readers rely on text alternatives to understand the content of images and other non-text elements. Imagine trying to navigate a website filled with cat pictures 😻 without knowing what the heck is going on. Heartbreaking, isn’t it?
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Google’s bots are pretty smart, but they can’t "see" images. They rely on alt text to understand what the image is about, which helps them index your content and improve your search rankings. Think of alt text as a whispered secret to Google, letting it know exactly what the image is showing. 🤫
• Usability: Ever had an image fail to load on a slow internet connection? A well-written alt text provides a fallback, letting users know what they’re missing. It’s like having a backup plan for your backup plan. 🛡️
• Legal Compliance: In many countries, accessibility is the law! Websites and digital content are often required to meet accessibility standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which include providing text alternatives. Ignoring these guidelines can lead to lawsuits and a whole lot of headaches. 🤕
• Good Karma: Let’s be honest, doing the right thing feels good. Providing text alternatives shows that you care about inclusivity and that you’re committed to creating a better online experience for everyone. ✨

II. Decoding the Types of Text Alternatives: A Choose Your Own Adventure

Now that you’re convinced (right?), let’s explore the different types of text alternatives and when to use them. It’s not a one-size-fits-all situation. Choosing the right alternative is crucial for conveying the appropriate information.

Type of Text Alternative	Description	When to Use It	Example
Alt Text (Alternative Text)	A short, concise description of an image that is displayed when the image cannot be loaded or is read aloud by a screen reader. It’s added to the alt attribute of the <img> tag in HTML.	For all images that convey important information or are essential to understanding the content. Think logos, diagrams, charts, photos illustrating a point, etc.	<img src="dog-playing-fetch.jpg" alt="Golden retriever leaping to catch a red frisbee in a park.">
Long Descriptions	A more detailed description of an image, typically used for complex images like charts, graphs, or diagrams that require more explanation than a simple alt text can provide.	For complex images where a short alt text is insufficient to convey the necessary information. This could include scientific diagrams, detailed maps, or intricate artwork.	Use <figcaption> tag, or a link to a page with a detailed description. (More on this later!)
Captions	Text that appears directly below an image or other non-text content, providing context or explaining what the content is about.	For images and other non-text content that require additional context or explanation that isn’t already provided in the surrounding text. This is often used for photos, illustrations, and videos.	<figure> <img src="painting.jpg" alt="A landscape painting of a sunset over a mountain range."> <figcaption>Sunset Over the Rockies, by Jane Doe</figcaption> </figure>
Transcripts	A text version of the spoken content in audio or video files. It includes not only the dialogue but also descriptions of important sounds and visual elements.	For audio and video content. Transcripts make the content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, as well as those who prefer to read the content.	A text file containing the entire spoken dialogue of a podcast, with time stamps and descriptions of sound effects.
Audio Descriptions	A narration track added to video content that describes important visual elements, such as actions, settings, and facial expressions.	For video content. Audio descriptions make the video accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired.	A separate audio track that plays during pauses in the dialogue, describing what is happening on screen.
ARIA Attributes	Attributes added to HTML elements to provide additional information about their role, state, and properties to assistive technologies. This is particularly useful for complex interactive elements.	For interactive elements like buttons, menus, and forms. ARIA attributes can help screen readers understand the purpose and functionality of these elements.	<button aria-label="Submit form">Submit</button>

III. The Art of Crafting the Perfect Alt Text: A Masterclass in Brevity and Clarity

Alt text is the workhorse of accessibility. It’s the unsung hero of the internet. But writing good alt text is an art form. It requires a delicate balance of brevity, clarity, and a touch of common sense.

Here are some golden rules to live by:

• Be Concise: Aim for around 125 characters or less. Screen readers often cut off longer descriptions, leaving users in the dark. Think of it as writing a haiku for your image. ✍️
• Be Descriptive: Accurately describe the content and function of the image. What is it showing? What is it doing? What is its purpose?
• Be Contextual: Consider the surrounding text and the overall context of the page. The alt text should complement the existing content, not duplicate it.
• Be Specific: Avoid generic terms like "image" or "picture." These are useless to screen reader users. Tell them what the image actually is.
• Don’t Be Redundant: If the image is already described in the surrounding text, you can use an empty alt attribute (alt=""). This tells screen readers to skip the image.
• Don’t Include "Image of" or "Picture of": Screen readers already announce the element as an image, so this is redundant.
• Focus on Function: If the image is a link, describe where the link goes. For example, <img src="home.png" alt="Home page">.
• Use Proper Grammar and Spelling: Typos and grammatical errors can make it difficult for screen readers to understand the alt text.
• Test Your Alt Text: Use a screen reader to listen to your alt text and make sure it makes sense.

Examples: From Awful to Awesome

Let’s look at some examples of bad and good alt text:

Image	Bad Alt Text	Good Alt Text	Why It’s Better
(A photo of a cat sleeping on a keyboard)	image	Cat sleeping on a laptop keyboard.	More descriptive and specific. Tells the user exactly what the image is showing.
(A logo for a company called "Acme Corp")	logo	Acme Corp logo, featuring a blue anvil.	Provides the company name and a brief description of the logo. Useful for branding and identification.
(A chart showing website traffic over time)	chart	Line graph showing website traffic increasing steadily from January to June.	Provides a brief overview of the chart’s content. A longer description or link to a detailed explanation might be necessary depending on the complexity of the chart.
(A button that says "Submit")	button	Submit form	Describes the function of the button.
(Decorative swirling lines)	swirls	"" (empty alt attribute)	Decorative images that don’t convey important information should have an empty alt attribute so they are ignored by screen readers. This prevents unnecessary noise and confusion.

IV. Tackling the Tricky Stuff: Complex Images, Decorative Images, and Beyond

Okay, we’ve covered the basics. Now let’s tackle some of the trickier scenarios.

• Complex Images: Charts, graphs, diagrams, maps – these can be tough nuts to crack. A simple alt text often isn’t enough. Here are a few strategies:

  • Long Descriptions: Use the aria-describedby attribute to link the image to a more detailed description elsewhere on the page.
  • <figcaption> Tag: Use the <figcaption> tag to provide a caption that summarizes the key takeaways from the image.
  • Link to a Separate Page: Create a dedicated page with a full text description of the image and link to it from the alt text.
  • Data Tables: If the image is a graph or chart, consider providing the underlying data in a table format as well. This allows users to access the information directly.

  <figure>
    <img src="complex-chart.png" alt="A bar chart comparing sales figures for different product categories.">
    <figcaption>Bar chart showing sales performance by product category.</figcaption>
  </figure>
  
  <p>For a more detailed description of the chart, please see <a href="chart-description.html">this page</a>.</p>

• Decorative Images: These are images that don’t convey any meaningful information and are purely for aesthetic purposes. In these cases, use an empty alt attribute (alt=""). This tells screen readers to ignore the image.

  • Important Note: Don’t use decorative images as the only way to convey important information. For example, don’t use an image of a heart ❤️ to indicate that a post is liked. Use text instead.

• Images in Links: The alt text should describe where the link goes, not what the image looks like.

  • Bad: <img src="home.png" alt="house icon">
  • Good: <img src="home.png" alt="Home page">

• Images of Text: Avoid using images of text whenever possible. Use actual text instead. Text is scalable, selectable, and more accessible. If you absolutely must use an image of text, make sure the alt text accurately replicates the text in the image.

V. Beyond Images: Text Alternatives for Other Non-Text Content

Text alternatives aren’t just for images. They’re important for all non-text content, including:

• Audio and Video:
  • Transcripts: Provide a text transcript for all audio and video content. This is essential for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Captions: Add captions to videos so that viewers can understand the spoken dialogue.
  • Audio Descriptions: Add audio descriptions to videos to describe important visual elements for people who are blind or visually impaired.
• Animations and GIFs:
  • Provide a text description of what the animation or GIF is showing and its purpose.
  • Consider providing a static image as an alternative.
• Interactive Elements:
  • Use ARIA attributes to provide information about the role, state, and properties of interactive elements like buttons, menus, and forms.
• CAPTCHAs:
  • Provide alternative CAPTCHAs that are accessible to people with disabilities, such as audio CAPTCHAs or CAPTCHAs that use text-based questions.

VI. Testing Your Work: The Accessibility Audit

Congratulations! You’ve learned the theory. Now it’s time to put your knowledge to the test. Here are some ways to check your work:

• Use a Screen Reader: The best way to test your text alternatives is to use a screen reader like NVDA (free) or JAWS (paid). Listen to how the content is read aloud and make sure it makes sense.
• Disable Images: Turn off images in your browser to see how your website looks with only the alt text displayed.
• Use Accessibility Checkers: Use online accessibility checkers like WAVE or Axe to identify potential issues.
• Ask for Feedback: Get feedback from people with disabilities. They can provide valuable insights into the accessibility of your website.

VII. Conclusion: Embrace the Power of Inclusivity

Providing text alternatives is not just a technical requirement. It’s a fundamental aspect of creating an inclusive and accessible online experience for everyone. It’s about empathy, understanding, and a commitment to making the web a better place for all.

So, go forth and conquer the world of text alternatives! Remember, a little effort goes a long way. And who knows, you might even learn something new along the way.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go find that free pizza seminar. 🍕 Just kidding! (Mostly.)

Good luck, and happy coding! 🎉