Image Use

Provide a useful alternative description of every image

How should I use images?

• Supplement text with images to facilitate comprehension.
• Where images are used, each image must be described in words.

What is alt text?

Every image tag must contain a source tag (scr) and an alternative text tag (alt).

• The source tag gives the location of the image file.
• The alternative text tag describes the image using words.

The image tag may also contain other tags, such as width, height or border. An example of an image tag:

<img
src="/upload/public/docimages/Image/r/t/y/TA_beacon_masthead.gif"
alt="Rushcliffe Borough Council: Beacon Authority 2006-2007 Waste and Recycling."
border="0"
height="72"
width="400">

Always add a textual description of any image you add to the website using the alt tag.

How should I describe decorative images?

You will probably not add decorative images to the website. Each decorative image must have an empty alt tag. For example:

<img
src="/graphics/blank.gif"
alt="">

What about the purpose?

If the image serves some purpose, describe the purpose not the picture. For example:

• Alt text for a picture of the green Rushcliffe 'R' might read "Rushcliffe Borough Council logo".
• It should not simply say "R" or "Rushcliffe".
• If the Rushcliffe 'R' were hyperlinked, alt text might say "Return to the Rushcliffe Borough Council home page."