Obviously, images and diagrams present the biggest challenge for blind and visually impaired individuals. All information they contain must be verbalised and presented in a way that can be understood by the screen reader. Also, the logical connections between the main text and image must be maintained.

Alternative text

Every image and diagram must be provided with an alternative text description. The screen reader reads this text aloud. Alternative texts should be as short as possible and as detailed as necessary. They should objectively describe what can be seen in the image. Avoid lead-in phrases such as “The image shows …” or “We see …”. When formulating alternative text, give particular thought to the teaching context: Why is the image important? What should students learn from it?

How to insert alternative text:

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• Insert your image and highlight it.
• Image tools Format > Alternative Text.
• Enter the alternative text.

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Decorative elements

Certain images have only a decorative or symbolic meaning, e. g. logos or a link symbol. If you mark these as “decorative”, the screen reader will ignore them.

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• Highlight the image.
• Image tools Format > Alternative Text.
• Instead of entering alternative text, check the “mark as decorative” box.

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Image caption or numbering

To ensure that an image is properly connected to the text, you can number it and provide it with a legend. This also helps readers without disabilities to navigate the document.

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• Highlight the image.
• References > Insert Caption.
• Add the desired caption.

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