Using ALT-Text to Teach Figure Design

Alternative-text explanations are added to images, figures, and graphs to deliver information to readers who may be blind or have low vision. Effective alt-text briefly explains both the what and the why of a visual image, and can include descriptive vocabulary or an explanation of the central message of a chart or graph. Particularly in disciplines that regularly include data visualization, alt-text is a necessary element of figure construction. 

An ancillary benefit of this accessibility feature is that the writing of alt-text can also help students to better understand the purposes and functions of visual information in academic writing, and can help students to recognize what truly matters in a data visualization. For this in-person workshop, participants will be invited to examine and explore common figures and their accompanying alt-text, and to develop their own alt-text based on examples. Participants are strongly encouraged to bring examples of images and figures from their own disciplines to develop into learning activities for students.

Facilitator: Dan Emery (Assistant Director, Writing Across the Curriculum)
Audience: Faculty, instructors, and graduate students
Format: On-campus workshop, remote attendance will not be offered