Alt Text and Image Descriptions for Photo Accessibility
Weekly Accessibility Tips
Dear Colleagues,
When you use an image, it is either decorative or has meaning. Decorative images can be tagged as “decorative” in the alt text dialog box. Images that hold information or meaning require alt text, and images with complex meanings also require image descriptions.
Use the Alt Text and Image Descriptions Tip Sheet to learn how to describe images, so they are accessible to people who are blind and visually impaired.
This tip sheet includes:
- What alt text and image descriptions are
- The difference between alt text and image descriptions
- How to find the meaning of your image
- Many examples of both alt text and image descriptions of different types of images
Modified on March 18, 2026