They say ‘a picture paints a thousand words’, but for young people and adults who are visually impaired those ‘words’ are often inaccessible. When websites, for example, are not always designed with accessibility in mind. And so it can be difficult for those with visual impairments to navigate and understand the content on the page – especially images.
For those with full vision, we simply see images and can therefore interpret their meaning easily. But for students with vision impairment, it can withhold information and context that is crucial for understanding the content.
While text can be read aloud by screen readers, images aren’t nearly as accessible. This is where alt text comes in – but what is it and how does it aid with learning?
What is alt text?
Alt text, short for alternative text, is a brief description of an image that is added to the HTML code of a webpage. This can include photo descriptions, captions, or verbal explanations of the picture or image displayed.
When a visually impaired student uses assistive technology like a screen reader to browse web pages, the alt text is used to read image descriptions aloud. As they cannot see the image, they are reliant on the alt text to be able to know what the image is detailing.
It can help to describe the appearance of images such as:
- Pictures
- Logos
- Graphs and charts
- Infographics
- Diagrams and illustrations
Alt text can be used across the internet, such as Google Images, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms. By adding alt text, website owners can provide greater web accessibility to those screen reader users and others who are unable to see images due to impairment.
Why do we use alt text?
Alt text serves as a way to provide context and information to those who are visually impaired. By describing the content of an image, it allows them to understand what is being shown on the page and ensures they are not missing out on any important information.
For students with visual impairments, alt text can be crucial in helping them access educational material online. It allows them to fully engage with the content and better understand the concepts being presented.
For example, if there is a picture of a dog in a field, someone with full vision would be able to take in all the details such as the type of dog, the colour of its fur, and the setting.
However, for someone who is visually impaired, this information would be missing without alt text. If the image is simply described as ‘a dog running in a field’, they may be wondering about aspects like:
- What is the dog breed – is it a Labrador, a German shepherd, or another type of dog?
- Is the dog fully grown or a puppy?
- What is the colour of the dog’s fur – is it brown, black, white, or another colour?
- What is the dog doing – is it running or sitting?
- What is the dog’s expression – does it look happy, sad, or playful?
- Is the field green, brown, or some other colour?
- Are there trees or flowers in the background?
- What is the colour of the sky?
This is where the alt text may say something like, “A black Labrador running happily in a green field with trees in the background under a sunny blue sky.” This alt text provides enough detail for the user to create a mental image of the scene and understand what is being shown.
How does it help with learning?
Unlike others, students with visual impairments face different challenges when it comes to learning. If provisions are not made to accommodate their needs, they may struggle to fully grasp the material being presented.
For example, if students are asked to read information from a chart or graph, students with visual impairment won’t be able to see the data displayed. This could make them feel excluded and frustrated, as they are unable to fully participate.
Where as if there was alt text, they can use the description provided to understand the information being displayed. This gives them the opportunity to be involved in activities and feel included. Or in another case, it could be used to help students describe and identify people, landmarks, and objects. It could also be used to describe characters, settings, and important objects mentioned in a book.
It also helps with tools like screen readers which read text aloud. To learn more about the tools used to help visual impaired students in learning and daily life, please see: aids for people with visual impairment.