What is It?

Alt Text, short for alternative text, is a short text description of the image that is attached to an image file. It is a powerful tool in making key visual information available to students with visual impairments, as screen readers will read out the Alt Text when they encounter a graphic. We need to be including Alt Text in any form of digital material, including PowerPoint, documents, PDFs, and Canvas pages.

Impact

Our world is full of imagery and the learning environments we build often feature imagery as well. For example, in poli-sci, maps and graphs are integral, while Art history classes use photos of paintings and sculptures. In order for our classes to be accessible to all, we need to provide alternative ways for students to get the key information from the visuals in our courses.

Dos and Don'ts

• Keep it short, usually 1-2 sentences. Don’t overthink it. 
• Consider key elements of why you chose this image, instead of describing every little detail. Why are you deploying this image? 
• No need to say “image of” or “picture of.”
• But, do say if it’s a logo, illustration, painting, or cartoon because functions of the images matter. 
• Don’t duplicate text that’s adjacent in the document or website. If the text already says “Figure 1. George Washington” under the picture then you don’t need to be redundant.
• Always end the alt text sentence with a period because this helps screen readers differentiate between sentences.

Video: Alternative Text in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint

Complex Visual Elements

For simple images, alt text is usually enough to communicate key information. However, for more complex visual elements, alt text alone may not fully convey the meaningful information necessary to ensure that students with disabilities receive an equivalent learning experience. This can include items such as charts, infographics, maps, diagrams, dashboards, and other visuals where the meaning depends on detailed data, structure, sequence, or spatial relationships. In these cases, you may need to provide both alt text and a longer text description or an equivalent accessible alternative. Our guide, Strategies for Making Complex Visual Elements Accessible, describes supplements to alt text and includes examples from a variety of disciplines. 

We also understand that some complex visual materials may take additional time or require specialized accessibility support. To help with that, Temple University has created a process for faculty to submit complex visual materials for review to determine whether a deferred timeframe beyond the April 24, 2026 deadline may be appropriate. To learn more, please review our page on Complex Visual Materials.

How-To

• CAT Resource: Adding Alt Text in Common Contexts (download)
• Creating an Accessible Infographic
• What is Alt Text and Who Does It Benefit?
• An Alt Decision Tree

Need More Help?

You can always book a one-on-one consultation, visit one of our ed tech labs, or email cat@temple.edu for additional assistance!