HOW TO ADD ALTERNATIVE TEXT

Adding Alt Text to Images and Tables

Author: Green, Medallio CTR (FRA)

Abstract

Under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, all Federal agencies must make 

their electronic and information technology accessible for people with disabilities.

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U.S. Department of Transportation

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Overview

A disabled individual can benefit from alternative text (alt text) because when the 

document is converted to PDF format, the Adobe reader can read the alternative text to 

the disabled individual.1 2

Making Images Accessible (Word 2016)

1. Right-click on the image and select Edit Alt Text (or Format Picture) as shown in 

Figure 1. Choose the “Generate a description for me” option or manually add a 

short description that accurately describes the importance of the image, shown in 

Figure 2. 

X Cu! 

c-rn Copy 

to Paste Options: 

w,~ 

fd't l'lcture 

$ave as Picture ... 

Changf Picture > 

@. oup > 

Sri g to Fcorit > 

LO Send to Bae~ > 

Ce:, Link > 

Insert Caption ... 

-::n : Y:J..rap Text > 

=-J:l Siz;e and Position ..

FQrmat Picture ... n 

. 

Figure 1. Step 1: Edit Alt Text

1 Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, mandate amended January 18, 2018.

2 Revised 508 Standards. 
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Alt Text X 

How would you describe this object and its 

context to someone who is blind? 

(1-2 sentences recommended) 

Cover photograph showing ram car 

impacting tank car. 

Generate a description for me 

Mark as decorative 1 

Figure 2. Step 2: Alt Text Description Example

2. In older versions of Microsoft Word, older images may not have the above

features. As an alternative, right-click on the image and select Picture. In the 

dialogue box, click on the Alt Text tab to the far right of the box. Type or 

copy/paste the image’s description into the box, and then click OK. See Figure 

2(a) & (b).
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Figure 2(a). When the Figure is Older and Requires Alt Text

Figure 2(b). How to Add Alt Text to Older Figure

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Colors and lines 

~lternative text: 

Size Layout Picture 

Add alternative text here, then click OK 

Web browsers display alternative text while pictures are loading or if they are miss ing. 

Web search engints ust: alternative text to htlp find Wtb pages. Alternative text is 

also used to assist users with disabilities. 

OK cancel 
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Making Tables Accessible

1. Make sure to add a caption for the table as well.

2. When creating the table make sure that there are repeated header rows by

highlighting the rows that should be the header. Right click in the table and select

‘Table Properties,’ then the Row tab. Check mark “Repeat as header row at the

top of each page,” then go to the Alt Text tab in the same dialogue box and add

the appropriate description of the table, as shown in Figure 3.

3. Alternatively, alt text can also be added by the ‘Table Tools’ ribbon by making

sure to click in the table, then select ‘Table Tools’ from the top ribbon, then the

Layout tab, and “Repeat Header Rows” shown in Figure 4. See Table 1 for

additional requirements regarding tables.

Table 1. Sample Table

Making Tables Accessible

No merged cells nor split cells Reading order should be left to right

Proper captions Designated rows

No blank cells, see Figure 5 Add alt text including title, see Figure 3 (right)

Figure 3. Selecting Repeat Headers (Left) and Adding Alt Text (Right)

Table P1ope,1~ 

Row 1; 

Siu 

Bow Co\wnn 

0 lipe<i1y hrigh o· 

Options 

? X 

Row lwighl i,; Al lci>S1 

or. 

l•ble 

Title 

Dtroiptioo 

,Sow ColllfM 

Molclng Tobie> Accns~lo / fRA 2018 

No mt<god mis / Reading onkr should be lolt to righl 

? 

Proper<0p1M>n•/ D<:sig,..tcd rows .........., 

AltemotiwTm 

X 

Titles: and d~criptions provide altttn~ tnt-based repr~ntations of lhe 

.-formation cont.ainrd in tablts,. diagrams. imil9f"Si and othH objKls. This rn<>rmation 

is useful lor peopl• wilh vision or cogniuw imparmffllS who may not ti,, abl• to Stt 

o.- undomand tho objKt. 

A title c.1n bl! r.f"ad to a pHSOn wi1h .a disability and is usNI to determine they 

wish 10 h<,a, lh<! doscriplion of tho content 

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Figure 4. Another Way to Add Repeating Headers

Additionally, tables should not have blank rows or columns as shown in Figure 5(b). If 

you are unable to see them, turn on your paragraph symbol, i.e., ¶, in the Home 

Paragraph ribbon, see Figure 5(a). Highlight the row or column, right click, and select 

delete row or column if there is an unnecessary blank row. Note that the Technical 

Editors are aware that some tables are structured a certain way where a blank cell is 

necessary, but in Figure 5(b), it was not.

(a)

(b)

Figure 5. To See Blank Rows in Tables, Turn on Paragraph Symbols

8± Distribute Rows 

ffi Distribute Columns 

r;, 

El l!.I 

~~§] Text Cell 

Direction Margins 

Ahgnm,nt 

Sort 

- Home 

.a. Cu n mes New R • 12 

Paste Copy 

< Format Painter 

Clipboard r. Font r. Paragraph r. 

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Eme1·gency·Brake·Backup·Enabled,r 

G2· ... 

Train ·T)'P•o Probabillty·of·Stopplng· Probabllity·of·Stopplng· Probablllty·of·Stopping· 

short·of·Target hort•of·Performance· Shorc·of·Performaoce· 

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Manifesto 99.90C 17.870 J9.5 1C 

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0 0 0 0 

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Blank rows I 
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Equations are not read by the Adobe Reader, as shown HERE, then the equations 

should be captured in tables with designated headers and alt text must be added to the 

table in Table Properties with the most accurate description of the equation (see Figure 

3 through Figure 4, and Figure 5); or the equations can be captured as figures. 

+ 

am(t) = (Ur(Xm, t) - Ut(Xm, t) )Kp(m) + ( Ur(Xm, t) - Ut(Xm, t)) Dp(m) n 

bm(t) = (Ub(Xm, t) - Ua(Xm, t) )Kb(m) 

+ ( Ub(Xm, t) - Ua(Xm, t)) Db(m) n 

(Ur(Xm, t) - Ut(Xm, t) )Kp(m) + ( Ur(Xm, t) - Ut(Xm, t)) Dp(m) 

- [(ut(Xm,t)- Ub(Xm,t))Kb(m) + (ut(Xm,t) - Ob(Xm,t))Db(m)] 

= Mc(m)Uc(Xm, t) n 

(Uc(Xm, t) - Ub(Xm, t) )Kb(m) + ( Uc(Xm, t) - Ob(Xm, t)) Db(m) (4)n n 

- [ (Ub(Xm, t) - Ua(Xm, t))Kb(m) + ( Ub(Xm, t) - Ua(Xm, t)) Db(m)] 

= M (_m)D (_xm,t ~-- _____ n 

Figure 6. Workaround for Equations if Not Read by Adobe Reader

This method will be accepted by the Technical Editors for the reasons stated above, no 

other means of using tables for formatting purposes can take place.

How to Properly Caption Tables, Figures, and Equations

A proper caption is not a complete sentence, short, and simple. Use the automatic 

captioning tool in MS Word, by going to the Home References ribbon and 

choosing the ‘Insert Caption’ option. The default is set to ‘Figure’ and the numbering is 

defaulted to start with a single digit shown in Figure 7(a). This is the method used for

captioning tables as well, however, the label will need to be manually chosen as ‘Table’ 

within the drop-down. Another way to caption an image is to right click within the image 

and choose Insert Caption as shown in Figure 7(b). Refer to captions provided in Figure 

1 through Figure 6 for examples of length, description, and conciseness.
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(a)

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Caption ? X 

raption: 

!Figure 7 I 

Options 

..Label: I Figure Bl 

Position: Below selected item 

D ,Excl ude label from caption 

L _ ewlabel... J Delete Label j [ N.Ymbering ... ] L..._ 

I 

I 

AutoCaption ... I OK I L Cancel _J 
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(b)

Figure 7. (a) How to Insert Caption for Figure via References ribbon; (b) 

Right Click on the Image 

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Caption 

Caption: 

!Figure 7 

Options 

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Position: Below selected item 

D .Exclude label from caption 

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[~ .Copy 

to Paste Options: 

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Chang~ Picture 

1-fti _Group 

£q Bring to Front 

'22:i Send to Back 

New Label... j L Delete Label l II Ce) Link 

11 Insert Caption ... 

AutoCaption... J I 

_ ____, 

OK 

Wrap Text 

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