This post begins a four-part series on ALT text. Because writing it well (and knowing when not to write it) deserves more than a quick checklist. See part two The Most Accessible ALT Text Is Sometimes No ALT Text at All.
Here’s a truth: There is no such thing as objectively correct ALT text.
When you view ALT text solely as a technical task to meet a legal requirement, you fail your audience. If you want to build a truly inclusive web, you have to shift your perspective. ALT text is not a technical task; it’s an editorial decision.
Treating ALT text as a generic description ignores intent, the most critical element of communication. Writing good ALT text means prioritizing meaning and intent. Here are two types of images with the ALT text based on the intent of the image:
- Functional
- Image: magnifying glass
- Intent: trigger an action
- ALT text: Search this website instead of a magnifying glass
- Informational
- Image: chart showing website traffic growth
- Intent: communicate an upward trend
- ALT text: Line chart showing a steady increase in website traffic from January to June, instead of a chart with a blue line pointing up
Depending on your brand's mission, the same photo of a woman hiking can convey different things: her unbreakable endurance, accessible outdoor recreation, or the use of breathable, moisture-wicking fabric. If you were to provide the same generic description - a woman hiking - you wouldn't be accurate; you’d be vague and irrelevant.
The goal of ALT text isn't to help a user see the image; it’s to help them understand it. To help them understand the value the image adds to the page's context. Stop describing what the image looks like and start sharing what it is about the image that adds value, context, support, and even authenticity to the other content elements on the page.
For example, if you have a webpage announcing a product launch, you may include an image like this: a man sitting at a desk, leaning toward his laptop and looking intently at it, with an open notebook and a book to his right.
Which ALT text would you choose?
One is a caption; the other is a contribution to the narrative.
Reframing the Strategy
When you reframe ALT text as a content decision, it becomes part of your storytelling. It also becomes part of your accessibility strategy. It’s an editorial decision that demands empathy and editorial intent.
Resources
- Advanced Descriptive Techniques
- ALT Text: Order Matters (LinkedIn post)
- Writing good alt text sounds simple until you actually try
- A More Descriptive ALT Text: Shaping Experiences and Perceptions
A human author creates the DubBlog posts. The AI tools Gemini and ChatGPT are sometimes used to brainstorm topic ideas, generate blog post outlines, and rephrase portions of content. Our marketing team carefully reviews all final drafts for accuracy and authenticity. The opinions and perspectives expressed remain the sole responsibility of the human author.
