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Introduction to Adding Alternative Text to Images in Microsoft Office

Visuals like tables, charts, and images can be valuable instructional tools; therefore, Alternative Text is essential to help readers who are blind or have limited/low vision understand the image and its value.

This page contains a video tutorial as well as text directions explaining how to add听Alternative Text听in any听Microsoft Office听application.

For more information on accessible images, reference the Make Images Accessible page.

The Basics of Adding Alternative Text to an Image in Microsoft Office

The following steps explain how to place Alt-Text on a photo and provides some guidance to the content of the text.

  1. Right-click听on the figure and look for听Edit-Alt Text.
    1. If you see听Edit-Alt Text,听select it and type your Alt-Text in the box that appears on the right-hand side of your document. Repeat for every image. If the image is decorative, check the “Mark as decorative” box.
    2. If you do not see Edit Alt Text, follow the remaining steps.
  2. Select听Format Picture; a sidebar labeled 鈥楩ormat Picture鈥� will appear on the right side of the screen.
  3. Click听迟丑别听Layout & Properties听滨肠辞苍
  4. Select听Alt-Text听from the menu on the sidebar. This will open two sections labeled 鈥楾itle鈥� and 鈥楧escription鈥�
  5. Type听the title of the figure to the appropriate line
  6. Type听迟丑别听Alt-Text听in the box under 鈥楧escription鈥�.
  7. Close听the sidebar by pressing the听X听in the upper-right corner.

You have now completed adding Alt-Text to a photo.
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Alt Text in Outlook

Images in Signatures

Keep the mindful/meaningful guidelines in mind when considering images in your Outlook signature. Including too many images can be a lot to process visually, so strive to use only the most important images.

To add alt-text to an image in an Outlook signature:

  1. Open the and select the signature to edit.
    1. New Outlook: View tab, then听select View Settings, Accounts, then Signatures.
    2. Classic Outlook: Open New Email, then select Signature (located in the Include Group). Select Signatures.
  2. Select the image and right-click/alt-click. Select听Picture to open the format picture pop-up.
  3. Select the Alt Text tab and write the alt-text.
  4. Select OK.

Images and Emails

  1. When the image is within the body of the email (in other words, not an attachment), select the image.
  2. Right-click/alt-click the image, then select View Alt Text. The Alt Text pane usually pops up attached to the right side of the message window.
  3. Type the alt text and then close the Alt Text pane.

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Connect with the Instructional Accessibility Group

Improve your instructional accessibility through the IAG live trainings, access checks for individual materials, or course reviews.

Have more questions or need additional assistance? Email the Instructional Accessibility Group