Alternative text is any electronic text associated with a non-text content, such as images, that is designed to "make information conveyed by non-text content accessible through the use of a text alternative," according to WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.1.1. Images included in Moodle course pages are usually flagged by Brickfield's wizards as non-accessible if they do not contain alternative text.

This article provides guidance on editing the alternative text of an image in Moodle.

Editing Alternative Text on an Image in Moodle

For users using screen readers, alternative text is a necessary element to include in a webpage for visual elements that aren't being viewed, but whose contents are important to the construction of the page or lesson. Alternative text can be edited in the text editor that the image is embedded in. To edit the alternative text of an image:

1. Navigate to the text field containing the image.
2. In the text editor, click on the image to edit.
3. With that image highlighted, in the toolbar, click the Image icon (which looks like a picture of a landscape).
4. In the Image details pop-up menu, enter a description for the image in the text field below the How would you describe this image to someone who can't see it? heading.
5. At the bottom-right corner of the pop-up menu, click the Save button.

This alternative text will now be supplied to a user using a screen reader.

Marking images as decorative only

In some cases, images do not provide meaningful content to a user, and are solely decorative. These images can be marked as decorative only, which will prevent them from being read by a screen reader, and from being flagged by Brickfield's checks.

To mark an image as decorative:

1. Navigate to the text field containing the image.
2. In the text editor, click on the image to edit.
3. With that image highlighted, in the toolbar, click the Image icon (which looks like a picture of a landscape).
4. Enable the This image is decorative only field using the checkbox.
5. At the bottom-right corner of the pop-up menu, click the Save button.

This will ensure the image is skipped when being read by a screen reader.

Additional Resources

Fixing Errors Using Brickfield Accessibility+ Toolkit's Wizards (DELTA Knowledge Base)

For additional assistance, please contact the LearnTech Help Desk at learntech@ncsu.edu or (919) 513-7094, or via the Get Help form on the DELTA Knowledge Base.