Category: Accessibility Concepts

Descriptive Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks that include link text that identifies the purpose or destination of the link can provide important clues that help website visitors choose which links to follow. Using appropriate link text helps website visitors scan for relevant information, identify outside resources, and choose which links are the most relevant for their needs. 

Guidelines for hyperlink text:

• Identify the purpose or function of the hyperlink as part of the hyperlink name.
• Be as descriptive as possible without being overly long – a screen reader user will have to listen to the whole link before moving to the next link on the list.
• Integrate the link into your sentence – sighted users will see the link, and screen readers will hear the link.

Ask yourself when writing a link text, “Will the reader know where they are going just by the link text alone?” 

Inappropriate Link Text

For example:

1. Click here to read the article.
2. Read our academic integrity policy read link More Info 
3. Read Article 1 link (Read More) and Article 2 link (Read More)
4. Learn more about color and accessibility here and here.

Appropriate Link Text

1. Read about debunking the myth of voter fraud.
2. Be sure to read our Academic Integrity Policy.
3. Read the following: Article 1: The Fall of Man and Article 2: The Rise of Man.
4. Learn more about color accessibility in terms of contrast and color-coding.

Ambiguous Link Text

Ambiguous link text can be problematic as it does not communicate the purpose or function of the link. Using link text on a web page such as “Click here” or providing the full hyperlink URL does not provide sufficient information as to the purpose or destination of the link.

Some assistive technologies, such as screen readers for blind and visually-impaired individuals, have the capability to scan and present a list of all the hyperlinks on a web page thus allowing that person to quickly jump to the relevant link instead of being forced to listen to the entire page line-by-line.

This “Links List” functionality can be helpful for someone using such assistive technology, but only if the link text is descriptive. While a sighted person may be able to understand the purpose of the link text “Click here” or “Read more” based on its location and positioning relative to other content on the page, this information is not available for someone who is blind or visually impaired. 

Creating link text that communicates the purpose and/or function of the hyperlink can provide clarity as to the role of that link for all web page visitors.

Images not only provide visual appeal to our pages, but they also convey important information. The old adage, that a picture tells a thousand words, can be very true! The problem occurs when we add an image that provides the content to our students, but fail to provide an adequate text alternative for students who are visually impaired. The alternative text – called alt text for short – feature allows you to provide a description of the image. 

There are times when images not only provide information but also serve a function, such as a button or links to additional resources. In this case, the alt text should communicate the function.

There are scenarios where descriptive alt text is not required and the use of the image is intended as visual decoration only. In this case, alt text is not necessary as the image has no real content value. Many images, however, have a pedagogical purpose, and , therefore , require descriptions explaining the information the images conveys. 

General rules for alt text

When thinking of an appropriate text description, the alt text should be: 

• Accurate: including spelling, grammar, and proper punctuation.
• Concise: using the fewest words possible while providing a meaningful description for the image.
• Equivalent: presenting the same content and/or function of the image.

Ask yourself when writing an alt text, “If you have to describe it over the phone, what would you have said?”

Common Mistakes

• Stating “image of”, “graphic of”, or “picture of” in the alt text field. Assistive technologies will announce if the object is an image, so including this information is redundant and not necessary. If the image medium is an important aspect (such as a photograph or oil painting), then the medium should be included.
• Adding the file extension, such as .jpg or .png, to the alt text description.

Writing effective alt text practice 

Based on the guidance above, take a moment to think of an alt text for the image below:

You may have written, “Alice at the Mad Tea Party with the Hare, Dormouse, and Mad Hatter”. Now, how would the alt text change if this was an art class focused on the illustration style?

The alt text will depend on the context and intention of the image. 

A descriptive alt text may be, “John Tenniel’s cross-hatching illustration style is a linear drawing technique that uses lines to create shadows.”