Twitter Updated its Alt Text Accessibility Features

New Twitter functions and updates can be controversial sometimes. Just like the edit button. It received mixed reviews from the users and experts. However, we can all admit (hopefully) that convenient accessibility features are indeed a good thing.

Alt Text Accessibility Features

Twitter has made it simple to add alt text to picture uploads for a long now. It allows users to submit a description of an image to help individuals who use screen readers or speech-to-text tools. But, before today, if you weren’t utilizing a screen reader, you couldn’t tell if a picture had alt text or not. So, for instance, if you wanted to ensure that the content you retweeted was available to users who were blind or had restricted vision. You will have to retweet it.

The platform is bringing two new features to its alt text tool after a successful test launch last month. Images with alt text will now have an “ALT” label in the corner beginning from today. The user-generated image caption appears when you hover over the badge.

On social media, non-disabled users often don’t consider how their posting behaviors — even sharing specific meme forms — can negatively impact disabled users’ web experience or prohibit them from participating in the conversation.

Alexa Heinrich

This amazing feature, according to social media accessibility specialist Alexa Heinrich, is a good step in the perfect direction. As it makes the availability of alt text more obvious, prompting individuals to learn about accessibility.

“For starters, it makes it clear who is creating alt text and who isn’t. Secondly, because you can now quickly see what others are creating, the feature is a terrific learning tool for anybody wanting to get good at writing alt text”.

These new functionalities will be available to all Twitter users worldwide starting from today, according to the company.

Also read: Google Introduces a Multi-Search Option in Lens