An Image for All: The Rhetoric for Writing Alt-Text

Abstract

Alternative text is a necessary part of the document design process that often becomes relegated to the work of web developers as part of the coding and tagging of digital documents for accessibility. However, alt-text is a meaning making tool that should be a normalized part of TPC document design practices. This paper uses preliminary interview data with screen reader users to understand the complex rhetorical experience of alt-text use in an effort to offer more effective alt-text investigation and practices in order to develop more inclusive environments that welcome all users.