The Alt Scene: When and How to Write Alternative Text
Alternative text: you know you need it. But how do you write beneficial alt text and how do you know when it’s best not to? This talk is an in-depth guide with tricks and techniques for ensuring your alt text is as effective as possible.
👤 Presented by:
Meg Miller for WP Accessibility Day 2022
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https://2022.wpaccessibility.day/sess...
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🕒 Timestamps
00:00 Sponsor acknowledgements
Introduction & Background
00:30 - Introduction and speaker background by Carrie Dils
01:38 - Memi begins presentation
02:55 - What is alternative/alt text?
03:18 - Comic example demonstrating open-ended nature of alt text
04:37 - Why is alt text important?
06:05 - Alt text for screen reader users
06:58 - Reflect on your alt text
What Alt Text Is NOT
07:34 - Not for keyword stuffing or SEO manipulation
08:07 - Not an excuse for text in images
08:13 - Not for additional content sighted users don't have
Alt Text Myths Debunked
09:18 - Myth 1: Alt text should always be objective
10:36 - Myth 2: "Blind people aren't our demographic"
12:00 - Myth 3: Alt text takes too long
12:24 - Myth 4: Every image requires alt text
12:34 - Myth 5: Don't include color descriptions
13:18 - Myth 6: Captions eliminate need for alt text
13:53 - Alt Text Best Practices
14:14 - Avoid "picture of" or "image of"
14:40 - Use proper grammar, simple language, avoid acronyms
15:21 - Avoid one-word alt text
15:40 - Ideal length: 125 characters (with exceptions)
16:09 - NASA example: when longer descriptions are necessary
When to Add Alt Text
16:41 - Almost every image needs alt text
17:20 - Decorative vs. non-decorative images
Specific Use Cases
19:19 - Logo alt text guidelines
20:07 - Logo clouds and multiple logos
20:58 - Image links (why to avoid them)
24:15 - E-commerce product images
Practical Examples
30:33 - Cat with towel example (bad, OK, great alt text)
33:45 - Dragon painting: subjective art description
35:33 - Pie chart: data visualization alt text
Key Takeaways & Wrap-up
38:29 - Alt text is getting more available on social media
40:21 - Image intention and context importance
Q&A Session
43:44 - Q&A begins with Carrie
44:02 - Q: Describing people in photos
45:58 - Q: Screen readers and captions
46:19 - Q: Training content creators
47:33 - Q: Product titles vs. alt text
48:43 - Closing and sponsor acknowledgments
#a11y #alttext #wpad