Google Slides Chapter 5: Images and Other Graphics
- 1 Instructions
- 2 Related articles
Instructions
Section 5.1: Alternative Text
All images regardless of their complexity need to have an Alt text in some way. Alt Text is a brief description of your image that is 150 characters or less. This Alt Text is meant for any image that has meaning within the context of the document. Screen readers cannot read images to the reader, so Alt text acts as a substitute. To add an Alt Text to your image,
Right-click the image and select Alt Text.
Type the alt text in the menu that pops up to the right. Use 150 characters or less.
If the image is decorative, write the word Decorative as the alt text.
Examples of Alt Text
This example of Alt Text fails to describe all of the details in the image.
This example of Alt Text is much better. It describes many details in the image so that the reader has a better idea of what is in the picture.
Section 5.2: Labels on Charts and Graphs
Data labels are very important for accessibility purposes. If data labels are not present, then readers will have fewer queues to help them read the information. Charts, tables, and graphs can become completely inaccessible without their labels, so always add them.
To add data labels, click on your chart, and click the Chart Elements Plus sign in the top right corner. Choose which data labels you want to use and customize them so they are visible but does not distract from the chart itself.
This table does not have any data labels on it. A person who is color blind may have trouble knowing the differences between the sections and categories.
Section 5.3: Long Descriptions for Complex Images, Pie Charts, and Bar Graphs
When using complex images like pie charts or bar graphs, it is better to use a long description rather than Alt Text. Alt Text is meant to be brief, while long descriptions give you a bit more freedom to explain the image. There are many ways to create a long description including:
Describing the complex image in text below the image.
Adding a link below the complex image.
Providing the data from the image in text form.
Make sure the long description is visible to all users. Even if they are links, or buttons.
Additional Types of Long Descriptions
When you use complex images, you must describe it using Alt Text and have a longer description.
Section 5.4: Watermarks and Backgrounds
Watermarks and background images should not be used. They will interfere with peoples ability to read the page. Watermarks and backgrounds tend to be very distracting to most readers. It is best to use a background that does not interfere much at all with the text on the slide.
Section 5.5: Text Boxes, Shapes, and Other Floating Objects
Google Slides differs from Google Docs in one very significant way: floating objects are easy to navigate and make up the very nature of the entire slide. The title field in a slide, for instance, is a text box. Users just needs to hit the tab button to navigate slide and each object will be selected, announced, and the alt text (if present) will be read.
You do not need to add alt text to text boxes, since the contents are directly read by a screen reader, but you must add alt text to other non-text objects, including shapes and icons (and of course, images, graphs, charts, etc.).