Writing Alt Text for the Humanities

This session will provide an overview of how to write alt text and image descriptions for a variety of genres and mediums commonly used in the humanities. 

We will cover the following: 

• What alt text is, and how to write it effectively 
• What image descriptions are, and how to write them effectively 
• How to write image descriptions for complex charts and diagrams, including flowcharts 
• How to write image descriptions for art or hybrid mediums, including comics 
• How to describe identity in alt text and image descriptions 
• Why you should provide alt text for decorative images and how to do so effectively 

We will also provide a list of templates that you can use to create your own alt text and image descriptions, and we will end with two short workshops that will help you write alt text for your own headshot and for a decorative image. We recommend having an example of each on hand so you can jump right into drafting your alt text. 

While this session is geared toward faculty and staff in the humanities, we believe that anyone can benefit from attending. This session is beginner-friendly but will also address more advanced topics.