The ultimate guide on how to write alt text and image descriptions for the visually impaired, written by someone with low vision who uses alt text.
I started writing guides on how to write alt text and image descriptions for the visually impaired people like me who have to guess what is in an image because they are unable to see it. Fewer than 1% of images online contain alt text or image descriptions for people with vision loss, which means that people who use screen readers are unable to access images and other visual content that can connect them to information and facilitate communication, so adding alt text and/or image descriptions are a great way to stand out and be inclusive of audiences with vision loss, while simultaneously improving the SEO of an image and making it easier to understand what is going on. Here are my general tips for how to write alt text and image descriptions for the visually impaired, originally published in 2018 and newly updated in 2026.