What is Alternative Text?

Alternative Text, or commonly referred to as “Alt Text”, is text that fulfills the same function as an image. Typically these images are photographs, illustrations, graphics, maps, charts, or tables, used on websites and documents for conveying information and adding an extra dimension in enriching the user’s experience with the digital content. Although mainly used for screen readers, which are assistive technology for users who are blind or visually impaired, Alternative Text is increasingly becoming important for newer technologies involving text-to-speech such as Amazon’s Alexa and Google Home, for voice-controlled applications. Alternative Text is one of the leading errors given on accessibility checkers for both websites and documents but one if the easiest to correct.

Alternative text is beneficial in many situations, such as:

• People using screen readers: The alternative text can be read aloud or rendered as Braille
• People using speech input software: Users can put the focus onto a button or linked image, with a single voice command
• People browsing speech-enabled websites: The alternative text can be read aloud
• Mobile web users: Images can be turned off, especially for data-roaming
• Search engine optimization: Images become index-able by search engines