A gradient blue background with text that says, "Image Descriptions." A screenshot of an uploaded photo on Dateability is to the left. It shows a profile picture with the following image description, "A white brunette female smiling in front of a balcony in front of a cathedral in Barcelona.

A Look Into Image Descriptions

by Jacqueline Childon Posted on

A Look Into Image Descriptions

You may have been scrolling social media and see mentions about Alt Text or Image Descriptions. A lot of you will mindlessly scroll past and ignore, some will know the purpose of it, and others will think it is some kind of error on the uploader’s end. Image Descriptions and Alt Text are imperative for accessibility and allow many disabled people to access and digest content.

According to UC Davis, image descriptions “describe what is happening in the image but are written in the post caption, not embedded into the post. Image descriptions should describe the image in greater detail and be placed after the post copy.”

Imagine being a sighted person who loves scrolling Instagram. Then, one day, you lose your sight and now use assistive technology. Your desire to scroll Instagram doesn’t go away, but your ability to interpret what is on the screen does. Without descriptions of the photo or video, there is nothing to go off of. Then, you come across a post and your screen reader reads aloud an image description, “Image Description: Jacqueline and Alexa, two white brunette sisters, standing in front of a mural smiling. Luna, a brindle lab mix wearing a purple bandana, stands in front of then. Jacqueline is wearing jeans and a furry jacket while Alexa is wearing a black dress with black boots.” You immediately feel included and you are relieved to have access to one of your favorite apps.

Two white brunette sisters, standing in front of a mural smiling. Luna, a brindle lab mix wearing a purple bandana, stands in front of then. Jacqueline is wearing jeans and a furry jacket while Alexa is wearing a black dress with black boots.

Not only is Alt Text important for those who are low vision and/or blind, but they are also helpful for people with sensory processing disorders. There are so many different ways to interpret and digest content, and image descriptions are often helpful. Take this post we made for example. This is an “Apology Statement” from Dateability and it is completely satirical; however, some people may not read it that way, which is why the Image Description of the photo notes that it is satire.

On Dateability, we encourage users to write image descriptions for their profile pictures. When uploading a photo, default text appears that gives an example of an image description. Our unique feature improves the accessibility of our app while also enhances the user experience. Pictures on Dateability with image descriptions will have an Alt Text tag on the the photo.

Alt text/image descriptions makes technology accessible. Website buttons should all have alt text labels, and all pictures and links should include relevant information. Image descriptions should not be considered a “nice to have” — it is a vital part of people’s technological experience. My hope is that including them becomes standard and that we see big brands and people who have a large social media following implement them. Not only does including image descriptions make tech more accessible, but it also signals that you are an ally of the disability community and you are well-informed about access needs and accommodations.

Writing image descriptions/alt text can be intimidating and it takes some practice, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start including them. To learn more about how to write Image Descriptions, visit the UC Davis Social Media Accessibility Guide.