Richard BairwellNov 20, 2022
Mastodon•ART 🎨 Curator

Please add alt-text to your images for accessibility!

https://mastodon.art/@Curator/109279035107793247

If you don't have the time/energy/spoons you can use  or just ask people to describe the images in replies for you, or tag
[email protected] (with another @ at the start) to provide descriptions.

For a reminder, follow @PleaseCaption who will DM you if you post media without alt text.

Mastodon•ART 🎨 Curator (@[email protected])

We have a lot of blind and partially sighted users on the fediverse. Accessibility is important here, and as such, it's good form to include image descriptions (alt text) when we add media to our posts. When someone uses a screenreader to read the timeline, and the screenreader comes to an image with no alt text, it just says 'image' (as far as I know). That's boring, unhelpful, and provides no clue as to what the image actually *is*. This differs slightly depending on how you're using (cont)

Mastodon.ART
Nov 20, 2022 at 8:27amWeb
Show threadRoscoeBeanzNov 20, 2022

@Curator

is there a way of adding alt text to an image after you've forgotten to do it and posted the image? i can't find a way of doing it through the edit function

Show threadcrshbndct (he/him)Nov 20, 2022
@fester_maloogoo @Curator I had this exact same thing a wee while back. You can do it easily on the website just click the 3 dots next to your post, but on the official app the function isnt there yet. There are 3rd party apps though
Show threadRoscoeBeanzNov 20, 2022
@crshbndct @Curator yeah, i'm using firefox. the edit function lets us edit the post but not the alt text
Show threadDeclan DonaldNov 20, 2022
@Curator hello how are you doing??
Show threadKellie BurkeNov 20, 2022
@PleaseCaption @Curator I can't find a way to add captions if I'm posting/sharing the pictures from inside another app.
Show threadMastodon•ART 🎨 CuratorNov 20, 2022
@kaburke9 It depends what app you're using - usually you just tap on the image after attaching it to your toot then it pops up a window to add the alt-text :)
Show threadJessie G BrownNov 20, 2022

@Curator @PleaseCaption

One way that helped me understand the importance of accessibility was to think of it as exclusion. Without alt-text you are leaving a door closed on others. Which runs counter to sharing ideas.