As UAB Heersink School of Medicine continues to improve accessibility in digital materials to comply with updated Title II guidelines, it is important to ensure all images included in published materials contain alt text so that screen readers are able to communicate the contents of the image to readers with vision impairments. For medical education, the use of alt text can become increasingly complex as medical imagery and diagrams involve many aspects.
In general, alt text should be a brief description of the contents of the image (125 characters maximum). This character length is based on the maximum length that many screen readers are programmed to read before cutting the description off. With this restriction in mind, it’s important not to duplicate information in alt text. If information from a diagram is spelled in the body text or on an image caption on the page, it should not appear in the alt text.
To help with the complexities of medical imagery alt text, Cristin Gavin Ph.D., associate dean for Biomedical Programs, has worked to develop a Science-Specific Alt Text Guide with a templated framework for alt text. Remember as you use this system that some information may be included in the body text or image caption, and if it appears on the page, it does not need to be included in the alt text. This will help stay within the character limit and reduce unnecessary repetition for visually impaired readers. Please contact Dr. Gavin at