Alternate Text

I recently caught up with my friend, Genevieve Smith, a junior at KU, who is blind.  We were talking about my projects for increasing disability awareness, and, mainly, my website (http://www.disabilityawareness4you.wordpress.com/).  When she went on the website, her computer was reading aloud what I have written on the homepage.  Then, she was asking me about the pictures/graphics on the various pages.  I was telling her what they were when she asked if I could add alternate text.  When I told her I had no idea what alternate text was, she was shocked.

So, I went to the editing mode on my website, I clicked on the pictures and there was a text box labeled "alternate text" and I had nothing in it (because I didn't know what it was).  Genevieve told me that by adding alternate text to my pictures and graphics, her computer can read aloud to her what they are. She knows they are graphics, and her computer knows they are graphics, but she can understand what the graphics are by having the alternate text. For example, the alternate text I added to my picture was "professional photo of Jackie Conley."  This lets Genevieve and other visually impaired users know what the picture is. I immediately wanted to blog about this because I never knew about it, and I think everyone should!  It takes no effort at all to add the text, so we should be adding it. 

So, next time you are editing photos online, if you can add alternate text, try it!  Alternate text is simply a description of the graphic that lets all users know what the graphic is a picture of.

How many of you knew about alternate text?  I think I'm going to make this question my next poll. Visit my website later this week to cast your vote.  Thanks.