It is the week before classes begin, and you have just received a compliance notice saying your syllabus or course handout has "images missing alternative text." You stare at the document wondering what that could possibly mean. There is only one department logo, a course timeline graphic, and maybe a chart you copied into Word. How could those be a compliance problem?
The answer is that a screen reader may encounter those images and announce only "image," or sometimes nothing useful at all. Alternative text, usually called alt text, is a short written description attached to an image that tells assistive technology what the image communicates. If the image contains information a student needs, that information has to be available in text somewhere.
What Missing Alt Text Looks Like
Imagine your syllabus includes a graphic showing assignment deadlines across the semester. A sighted student sees the timeline and instantly understands that a proposal is due in week four, an annotated bibliography in week eight, and a final project in week fifteen. A screen reader user may encounter only the word "image." In that moment, the schedule information inside the graphic effectively disappears.
Not Every Image Needs the Same Treatment
One of the biggest faculty misconceptions is that every image needs the same kind of description. It depends on the image. Charts, graphs, process diagrams, maps, timeline graphics, screenshots, and instructional photos often need alt text because they communicate information. Decorative banners, purely visual dividers, and logos used only for branding may be treated differently. The practical question is simple: if the image vanished, would a student lose meaning they need?
What Good Alt Text Sounds Like
Useful alt text focuses on meaning, not every visible detail. "Picture with blue boxes and arrows" is usually much less helpful than "Flowchart showing the research process from topic selection to final submission." You do not need to narrate every color or shape unless those details matter instructionally. You do need to communicate what the student would otherwise miss.
How to Add Alt Text in Word
In Word, the mechanics are straightforward. Open the document, identify every image, chart, screenshot, or graphic, and ask whether it communicates information students need. If it does, right-click the image and choose Edit Alt Text. Then write a short description focused on meaning. If the image is decorative only, mark it decorative if Word provides that option. Repeat this for each relevant image, then run Word's accessibility checker or use AdaDocumentMaker to confirm nothing important was skipped.
Common Faculty Mistakes
One common mistake is starting every description with "image of" or "picture of," even though screen readers already announce images. Another is describing every visual detail instead of the informational purpose. Faculty also often forget that screenshots are images too. If a screenshot contains directions, dates, or content students need, it probably needs an accessible text equivalent.
FAQ
What is alt text in a Word document?
It is a short description attached to an image so assistive technology can communicate what the image means.
Does every image need alt text?
No. Informational images usually do. Decorative images may be handled as decorative instead.
How long should alt text be?
Usually one or two concise sentences is enough if those sentences convey the important meaning.
What about logos in my syllabus?
If the logo is purely decorative branding, it may not need descriptive alt text. If it serves an instructional purpose, it probably does.
A Practical Place to Start
If your syllabus includes charts, screenshots, logos, or graphics and you are not sure which images need alt text or whether existing descriptions are sufficient, upload it to AdaDocumentMaker and review the report before the semester starts.