My recent posts have described how to add alt text to images in various tools (LinkedIn, Bluesky, WordPress, Slack, and Notion). Adding alt text to images is important for accessibility because it provides a text description of an image that can then be read by a screen reader to someone who is blind or has low vision. Alt text is also what shows onscreen if an image fails to load, which is helpful for sighted users.
Another way to describe what’s contained in an image is by using an image description. Here’s an example of an image description from a post by Judy Katz on LinkedIn. She is announcing a webinar on neurodivergence and has included an image that includes her picture and the title of the talk, “An Insider Approach to Designing for Neurodivergent Learners (and How it Benefits Everyone).” The post contains an image description (labeled “ID:”) describing the image.
I was going to go into a description in this post of the differences between alt text and image descriptions and when to use each of them. However, I stumbled across this post by Veronica Lewis, How To Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the Visually Impaired. She provides an in-depth look at the similarities and differences of alt text and image descriptions.
Veronica describes four key differences between alt text and image descriptions: location, visibility, length of text, and level of detail. She also suggests “…using both alt text and image descriptions when possible, since image descriptions can also be read in large print or by people who aren’t using screen readers.” I highly recommend reading the entire article.
A helpful tip (which Judy uses in her aforementioned post) is to include “ID:” or “Image Description:” at the beginning of the description so readers know the text is describing an image. Using alt text, image descriptions, or both will make your images more accessible for more people which in turn, makes your content more understandable for more people.