Describing Visual Resources Toolkit
Describing Visual Resources for Accessibility in Arts & Humanities Publications
Ornamental and Decorative Images Ornamental or decorative images do not require description. They should be encoded with a blank or “null” alt text to be ignored by assistive technology. Cover Images Cover images are distinct because they do not appear inline in the body of the publication text. If the cover image is significant, it …
Effective description is achieved through a combination of the elements (body, caption, alt text, and long description). Variations A, B, and C demonstrate different ways in which elements may complement each other to achieve effective description. Examples 1 and 2 provide additional demonstrations of effective description. Variations Variation A Body Figure 10 depicts the umbrella …
1. Some Description Is Better than No Description Given that the current landscape of arts and humanities electronic publications is characterized by lack and inconsistency of description for visual resources, some description is preferable to no description at all. Provided that description meets the editorial standards of the publication itself, including some description is more …
In HTML5 and EPUB3 digital files, several textual components are associated with a visual resource and can be used together to effectively describe it. It is important to note that different elements are available to different users. The relationships among the elements and the definitions of them are explained below. Definitions Alt text shorter text …
Goals and Scope These guidelines are designed to guide authors and editors creating description of visual resources in arts and humanities publications. They provide broad guidance that may apply to any image in a publication—including, for example, works of art, documentary photographs, reproductions of print materials, and digital renderings. As a guide for writing in …
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Several initiatives have created resources to help publishers work toward more accessible publishing practices, and excellent resources are freely available online. Accessible Publishing Best Practice Guidelines for Publishers (Accessible Books Consortium) These guidelines provide useful background on the meaning of accessible publications in the current landscape and practical, usable advice for publishers at all …
There are several ways in which an editorial department can support the accessible and effective use of visual resources within publications. The editorial process, peer review, and the house style guide may all be used to promote visual resources that are well chosen, well placed, properly formatted, and effectively described. Editorial Process While editing a …
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Permission Request Language When requesting permission to reproduce a visual resource in a publication, authors can promote access to that image by requesting description already created and maintained by the rights holder. Many arts organizations produce professional description of visual resources for internal and educational purposes. The following language may be used or modified for …
Descriptive standards for visual resources are well developed in several independent fields. This list provides a basic overview and orientation to existing resources. Image Description Guidelines Guidelines for describing images that appear in digital publications. The DIAGRAM guidelines focus on content that commonly appears in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math publications: especially diagrams, charts, …
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The Describing Visual Resources Toolkit aims to advance efforts towards accessible digital publishing in the arts and humanities by supporting the description of visual resources for accessibility. Need for Accessible Publications and Quality Description Accessibility is at once a legal requirement and an ethical responsibility. Legally, learning materials used in higher education must permit all …