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Alt text campaign

A digital billboard in between two glass skyscrapers in London. Black text on a white background on the billboard reads 'August 8th, 1969. A group of four men walk across a zebra crossing in North London. From right to left, white suit, black suit, bare-footed and denim-clad. Priest, undertaker, body and grave differ? Or just four lads from Liverpool who were once bigger than Jesus?'
A digital billboard in between two glass skyscrapers in London. Black text on a white background on the billboard reads 'August 8th, 1969. A group of four men walk across a zebra crossing in North London. From right to left, white suit, black suit, bare-footed and denim-clad. Priest, undertaker, body and grave differ? Or just four lads from Liverpool who were once bigger than Jesus?'

Every year, the global advertising industry puts millions of images into the world. Images that over 2.2 billion people with sight loss might never see. Instead, these people rely on a text alternative or ‘alt text’ - written descriptions of images that the visually impaired can listen to.

This Global Accessibility Awareness Day, we continued our mission to raise awareness of the impact that good quality alt text makes to those with sight loss. However there is still work to be done, often the image descriptions blind and partially sighted people rely on to describe an image to them is either non-existent, or just a bit rubbish.

Our work continues as we join partners and colleagues within the communications and advertising industry at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity 2024, where we will continue to highlight the importance of writing the image descriptions those with sight loss deserve.

In this campaign

Our alt text campaign

Our campaign aims to raise awareness of the importance of alt text - written descriptions of images that screen-readers read aloud for people with sight loss

Why is alt text important?

Alt text is a short term for alternative text, put simply, its a written description of an image. It's a textual alternative to images for blind and partially sighted people.”

How can I write alt text?

Learn how easy it is to add alt text to the images you post.

Inclusive Communications Masterclass

RNIB’s new Inclusive Communications Masterclass brings a unique awareness of sight loss, helping you to understand the challenges blind or partially sighted people face every day due to the lack of accessible communication