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Alt Text Decision Tree
Walker eLearning Productions
Created on January 25, 2025
Explore the different types of alt text for visual content. This tool was built using the WCAG 2.0 standards to help you improve accessibility by answering questions based on the visual elements of your design.
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Transcript
Alt Text Decision Tree
Do I Need Alt Text For This?
Start
Explanation
Explore the different types of alt text for visual content. This tool was built using the WCAG 2.0 standards to help you improve accessibility by answering questions based on the visual elements of your design. After answering a series of questions, this decision tree will identify the type of image and tell you if that image needs alt text. The decorative images on the definition slides provide an example of that image type so you can see it in context.
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Does the Image Contain Text?
Yes
Consider the use case for an image on any digital platform. For this exercise, you can use an image on any webpage. Take a look at that image and answer the following questions.
No
Links and Buttons
Yes
Is the image used in a link or a button? Would it be hard or impossible to understand what the link or the button does if the image wasn’t there?
No
Yes, and...
the text is also present as real text nearby.
the text is only shown for visual effects.
We need more details to set you on the correct path to identifying your image.
the text has a specific function, for example is an icon.
the text in the image is not present otherwise.
Contribute Meaning
Yes, and it’s a simple graphic or photograph.
Yes, and it’s a graph or complex piece of information.
Does the image contribute meaning to the current page or context?
Yes, and it shows content that is redundant to real text nearby.
No
Adding Aestestics
Yes
Is the image purely decorative or not intended for users?
No
Multiple Images
Yes
Are multiple images being used together to convey a single piece of information?
No
Clickable Areas and Hot Spots
Yes
Does the image contain multiple clickable areas, requiring both an overall context and specific descriptions for each area?
No
It's a Functional Image!
Functional images are used to initiate actions rather than to convey information. They are used in buttons, links, and other interactive elements. The text alternative for the image should convey the action that will be initiated (the purpose of the image), rather than a description of the image. Use the alt text feature to communicate the function of the image.
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It's a Decorative Image!
Decorative images don’t add information to the content of a page. For example, the information provided by the image might already be given using adjacent text, or the image might be included to make the website more visually attractive. Images may be decorative when they are:
- Visual styling such as borders, spacers, and corners;
- Supplementary to link text to improve its appearance or increase the clickable area;
- Illustrative of adjacent text but not contributing information (“eye-candy”);
- Identified and described by surrounding text.
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It's an Image of Text!
Images of text display text that is intended to be read. Use the alt text feature to include the text of the image.
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It's an Informative Image!
Informative images convey a simple concept or information that can be expressed in a short phrase or sentence. The text alternative should convey the meaning or content that is displayed visually, which typically isn’t a literal description of the image. In some situations a detailed literal description may be needed, but only when the content of the image is all or part of the conveyed information. Link to a full description in the image caption or provide a full description in the text to make the image decorative instead of providing long alternative text.
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It's an Informative Image!
Informative images convey a simple concept or information that can be expressed in a short phrase or sentence. The text alternative should convey the meaning or content that is displayed visually, which typically isn’t a literal description of the image. In some situations a detailed literal description may be needed, but only when the content of the image is all or part of the conveyed information. Link to a full description in the image caption or provide a full description in the text to make the image decorative instead of providing long alternative text.
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It's a Complex Image!
Complex images contain substantial information – more than can be conveyed in a short phrase or sentence. These are typically:
- Graphs and charts, including flow charts and organizational charts;
- Diagrams and illustrations where the page text relies on the user being able to understand the image;
- Maps showing locations or other information such as weather systems.
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It's Groups of Images!
Sometimes groups of images are used together to represent one piece of information. For example, a collection of star icons that together represent a rating. In this case, only one of the images needs a text alternative to describe the entire collection, while the other images marked as decorative so that they are ignored by assistive technology. In other cases, a group of images may represent a collection of related images. For example, showing a collection of art impressions that are thematically related. In this case, each image needs its text alternative that describes it individually, as well as its relationship within the group.
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It's an Image Map!
For image maps, text alternatives are needed on both the image itself (to convey the informative context) and on each of the clickable elements (to convey the link destination or the action that will be initiated if the link is followed).
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Contact an Instructional Designer
It seems you have a more complicated image than is covered in this decision tree. Please reach out to our instructional designer to assist you with making this image accessible.
Send us an email
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