This new error in the GV WordPress post editor will remind you to add ‘alt’ text to every image.
Hi all, I'm Jer the GV Tech Lead with a quick update on our ongoing mission to make the Global Voices sites and content as accessible as possible.
New accessibility guidelines
First and foremost, I worked with various members of the GV editorial and projects teams to create a guide to making GV articles as accessible as possible:
Rather than re-iterate what accessibility is and what's in the guide, I'll suggest you just read it instead!
We hope the new guide will inspire and inform GV contributors and editors alike, and help us all contribute to a web that everyone can enjoy and benefit from.
If you find anything in there confusing or need more information, please let me know!
New alt text warning in the WordPress editor
To go along with this renewed push to keep GV's work accessible, I'm turning on a new warning the post editor that will automatically identify images that are missing “alt text”. You can see an example of how the warning will look in the image at the top of this post.
Alt text, and how to add it to images, is explained in detail in the new accessibility guide, so if you aren't sure how to get rid of this new error, start there! It does take a few moments to come up with alt text for every image, but the long-term benefits for everyone make it worthwhile.
I want to acknowledge that even though theoretically alt text was already “mandatory” in GV posts, for many this is a new task and a new skill to develop. I believe in you! GV is full of talented writers, and overall, writing alt text is just a tiny challenge within the vast field of crafting articles.
Don't forget to translate alt text!
If you are a translator, you have a special challenge with regard to alt text: Please remember to check every image in translations to ensure that the alt text is translated!
Unfortunately there's no way for the error to tell if alt text has been translated, so it's up to you to verify that the alt text of each image matches the text around it. Otherwise, a non-sighted user who is reading the article by having it spoken out loud will have the surprising experience of hearing images in a different language than the rest of the text.
The process of checking for alt text is pretty simple: Click on each image in the post, click the pencil icon to edit it, then review that both the Caption and Alternative text are in the correct language ✅
Thanks for making GV accessible to everyone!
I appreciate you taking the time to read this post, and if you read the whole GV Accessibility Guide, I appreciate it even more 💚
As always if you notice any errors in the new guide, or bugs with the new warning in the editor, please get in touch, here or on the GV Slack!
1 comment
These small actions make a huge difference! Thank, you, Jer.