By: Chhavi Dhingra, Public Engagement Senior Manager, WSB
Part 3 of our series, Digital Accessibility in Practice: Moving Beyond Compliance.
The U.S. Department of Justice has extended compliance deadlines for digital accessibility under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Public entities serving populations of 50,000 or more now have until April 26, 2027 to comply, while smaller entities and special districts have until April 26, 2028. The technical standard remains WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web and mobile content.
These extended timelines create space to strengthen workflows and build accessibility into everyday work. One of the most common gaps—and a key place to start—is alt text. Alt text is consistently one of the most common issues identified in accessibility audits. Missing or weak alt text often signals that accessibility has not yet been fully integrated into content workflows.
At its core, alt text is a short written description that ensures the meaning of an image isn’t lost. Screen readers rely on it to convey what visuals communicate. At its simplest, it answers one question: If someone couldn’t see this image, what would they need to know?
Common Alt Text Mistakes (We’ve All Made Them!)
Alt text often falls short not because people don’t care, but because expectations vary. Here are a few common pitfalls and how to address them:
1. Missing alt text
- This is still one of the most widespread accessibility problems. If there’s no alt text at all, screen reader users get nothing.
- Suggestion: If an image conveys information, it needs alt text—every time.
2. Too vague
- Alt text like “image,” “graphic,” or “map” doesn’t help anyone understand what’s being shown.
- Suggestion: Be specific about what the image is communicating, not just what it is.
3. Too much—or too little detail
- Trying to describe every detail can overwhelm users, while one‑word descriptions don’t provide enough context.
- Suggestion: Focus on the key message. If the image is complex, provide a brief alt text and include a longer description in the body text or use slightly more descriptive captions.
4. Repeating nearby text
- Alt text shouldn’t simply restate a caption or nearby paragraph word for word.
- Suggestion: Complement the surrounding text rather than duplicating it.
5. Decorative images treated as content
- Not every image needs alt text. Decorative elements—background patterns, dividers, logos, dates repeating on every page, or purely aesthetic photos—can create unnecessary noise for screen reader users.
- Suggestion: Mark decorative images as decorative so they’re skipped entirely.
Writing Better Alt Text: Practical Examples
Alt text doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be clear, intentional, and useful. Here are some examples regularly seen as part of our work:
1. Photos
- Less Effective: “People standing outside.”
- Better: “Community members gathered outside a project open house reviewing display boards.”
2. Icons
- Less Effective: “Envelope icon.”
- Better: “Email contact link.”
Focus on function, not appearance.
3. Charts and graphs
- Less Effective: “Bar chart.”
- Better: “Bar chart showing transit ridership increasing from 2021 to 2024.”
Share the takeaway, not every detail.
4. Maps
- Less Effective: “Map of project area.”
- Better: “Map showing the project corridor along I‑94 between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.”
Focus on orientation—not every street. Add a short summary if needed.
Beyond Images: Descriptive Media Matters
Accessibility extends beyond visuals:
1. Video Captions
- Any video with spoken content should include captions. Captions help people with hearing disabilities, and they also help viewers watching in noisy rooms, quiet offices, or on mute. Moving forward, include captions so content remains accessible in any environment.
2. Transcripts
- Providing transcripts for videos, webinars, and audio recordings allows people to read content instead of listening. Transcripts are also searchable and easy to reference later.
3. Audio description
- When important visual information isn’t explained out loud in a video, audio descriptions may be needed. Even simple narration choices—like describing what’s happening on screen—can reduce barriers.
Putting It Into Practice
Most tools already support accessibility features like alt text. Keep descriptions concise (around 125 characters), and review auto-generated text for accuracy.
Before publishing, ask:
- Do meaningful images include alt text?
- Does it explain why the image is there?
- Are videos captioned or transcribed?
- Are decorative visuals marked correctly?
Small adjustments can make a meaningful difference—and help ensure accessibility is part of the process, not added later.
At WSB, our Public Engagement team is equipped to help draft alt text for all kinds of graphics, maps, and visual materials across different engineering disciplines. We regularly work with project teams to translate technical visuals into clear, accessible descriptions and support compliance as materials move toward publication.
Follow along our new series, Digital Accessibility in Practice: Moving Beyond Compliance as we explore practical steps to make digital spaces truly inclusive. Part 1 is available here. Part 2 is available here.
