Microsoft Word is the most popular and most common word processor there is. However, as with most programs, a lot of its users don't even know some of its most important accessibility features. In this tip, and the following tips, we are going to explain how to use some of them. Today, we are here to teach you how to use alt text.

What an alt text is and why it is important

Alternative text, or alt text, is a brief but precise phrase that describes images for people that use screen readers. Without it, people with visual disabilities won’t know the content of the image in your document and may miss important information. Alt text that describes an image is generally shorter than 200 words, but we cannot stress its importance enough.

How to add alt text in Microsoft Word

In older versions of Word, in order to include alt text in a Microsoft Word document, you must right-click an image and select Format (Picture/Shape/Object) depending on the type of content. You must then click on the Layout and Properties icon on the sidebar. Select Alt Text, and to complete the process, type the alt text in the Description field. In most recent versions, you can select Edit Alt Text after right-clicking on an image and following the same process. Newer versions of Word have the option to “Generate a description/alt text for me”, but we recommend doing the process manually to guarantee the best results.