20 Images and Figures

Whether artwork, graphs, or visual depictions of scientific processes, images and figures can play an important role in communicating information in your thesis. Because images and figures can convey meaning that’s significant to your work, their content needs to be available to those accessing your thesis using a screen reader.

Screen readers make this information accessible through the inclusion of alt text, which helps the user visualize the content and function of an image. Alternative text, or alt text, serves as a text-based substitute for non-text content. It gives the meaning of an image and explains its purpose. Screen readers read alt text in place of images, which helps users with visual or cognitive disabilities understand images’ content and the role they play in your work.

As you craft alt text for your images and figures, be sure to explain the content and function of each as clearly and accurately as possible. Try to keep the text succinct, being sure not to add extraneous words or details. Avoid redundancy. If your alt text simply restates adjacent text, then it’s likely not adding anything new to the user’s understanding. Because screen readers will announce a graphic, including phrases such as “This is an image of…” is also unnecessary.

To add alt text to a figure or image, first make sure it’s been positioned as “Inline with text.” If a figure or image is positioned using text wrapping, a screen reader won’t be able to access it, and your alt text cannot be used. Right click on the image, and click on Edit Alt Text. Enter your text in the description field, and close the Alt Text window.

Additional Resources

For more on alt text, see Using Images — Getting Started with Open Educational Resources.

Digital Accessibility @ Iowa includes information about alt text in its guides, “Accessibility Practices in Microsoft Word” and “Accessibility Practices in Adobe Acrobat Pro.”

The University of Minnesota provides information about the impact of alt text, Dos and Don’ts, and How-to’s on its page available here.