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A
Ali_catlover
Participant
February 13, 2025
Answered

Do I treat these images as artifacts or provide alt text for them?

  • February 13, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 463 views

I am remediating a handbook that walks individuals through a process with several steps.  Some of those steps include filling out forms. The author of the document included pictures of the forms that the individual must fill out.  I think the author did this to help sighted users identify which document is which, and to help individuals know what the official document looks like since fraud is an issue.  I don't feel like seeing these images does anything for someone who cannot see and uses a screenreader so I am thinking that these images either need to say "example form" or be marked as decorative.  It's not clear to me what the best course of action is for this.   There is no value in seeing these forms except to be able to visually identify them.  

Appreciate the help from this community.  

Correct answer Pariah Burke

Without seeing the images/forms you're talking about, I can't render an real opinion other than this: Much of writing Alt Text (or electing to artifact instead) is subjective. We have to ask ourselves: is this image actually presenting information to a sighted user that would be hidden from someone using non-visual reading means? If the answer is "yes", you must provide equivalent information (in the Alt Text, around the image, in a longer description, at a URL, etcetera). If the answer is "no," then artifact the image.

You can always test by using a screenreader on your document yourself, with your eyes closed, and decide if everything makes sense to your ear and mind. Acrobat has a built-in screenreader, or you could install JAWS (paid) or NVDA (free), which are Windows-only. If you're on a Mac, use the built-in Acrobat screenreader or the Apple device's built-in VoiceOver utility.

If you're really not sure whether to artifact (maybe you're too close to the subject or too deep into the document to get that objective [heh] subjective perspective), ask a co-worker or friend if the pictures of the forms help them in any way.

Also--perhaps ideally--you could hyperlink the images of the forms to the correct forms, which would help sighted users with the thumbnails and anyone else by providing a direct link to the correct form they want.

 

1 reply

Pariah Burke
Community Expert
Pariah BurkeCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
February 13, 2025

Without seeing the images/forms you're talking about, I can't render an real opinion other than this: Much of writing Alt Text (or electing to artifact instead) is subjective. We have to ask ourselves: is this image actually presenting information to a sighted user that would be hidden from someone using non-visual reading means? If the answer is "yes", you must provide equivalent information (in the Alt Text, around the image, in a longer description, at a URL, etcetera). If the answer is "no," then artifact the image.

You can always test by using a screenreader on your document yourself, with your eyes closed, and decide if everything makes sense to your ear and mind. Acrobat has a built-in screenreader, or you could install JAWS (paid) or NVDA (free), which are Windows-only. If you're on a Mac, use the built-in Acrobat screenreader or the Apple device's built-in VoiceOver utility.

If you're really not sure whether to artifact (maybe you're too close to the subject or too deep into the document to get that objective [heh] subjective perspective), ask a co-worker or friend if the pictures of the forms help them in any way.

Also--perhaps ideally--you could hyperlink the images of the forms to the correct forms, which would help sighted users with the thumbnails and anyone else by providing a direct link to the correct form they want.

 

    A
    Ali_catloverAuthor
    Participant
    February 13, 2025

    Thank you for your input.  Very much appreciated!

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