Regardless of the purpose your website serves or the content it hosts, it must be ADA-accessible. And, if it isn’t, then there is a chance that you could receive an ADA web accessibility lawsuit.
Out of all the ways that you can and must make your website ADA accessible, developing effective alternative text – or “alt text,” for short – is one of the most important.
Going over the ways in which you can develop effective alternative text and speaking with an ADA web accessibility lawyer will help protect you from ADA web accessibility lawsuits.
What Is Alternative Text?
Right before we go over the ways in which you can develop effective alternative text, we must first define what alternative text is: a text-based description of an image or other related item on a website.
Just as an example, you may have an image of outer space on your website. You can include alt text that describes the black void of outer space and, in turn, the purpose of this image/its relationship to the content on your website.
Many of those who use the internet are unable to see in the ways that able-bodied individuals can. And, as a result of this, an image cannot be understood unless there is text that goes along with this image.
If there is no descriptive text on a website, then that particular website is in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The website can be sued by a disabled individual who has interacted with it.
How Can You Develop Effective Alternative Text?
A variety of ideas and tips can and will assist you in developing effective alternative text. Some of the most useful of these ideas and tips are as follows:
-A single alt-text description should be anywhere from 20 characters to 200 characters.
-The purpose of a particular image should always be clarified.
-Every single bit of text within the image should be included in the alt text description.
-Rely on visual language to describe the content of a particular image.
-Clarify the most important elements of the image, but ignore superfluous details.
Just as an example of the second point, if you have an image of outer space that is meant to serve as a metaphor for the vastness of the internet, then this idea, as well as the image itself, should be outlined within the alt text.
Making Your Website ADA Accessible
Outside of developing effective alt text, you must also make sure that your website is:
-Perceivable
-Operable
-Understandable
-Robust
Every single one of these principles comes with its own set of features that must be applied. By applying these features – one of which is, of course, the inclusion of alt text – your website will be ADA-accessible.
A failure to make your website ADA accessible can lead to an ADA web accessibility lawsuit. This lawsuit can, and likely will, greatly affect your business.
