Comparing alt text and captions​

  • A caption is a piece of written text that appears under an image, so can be viewed by those without screen readers, but they are also read out by screen reading technology.​
  • Not every image requires a caption, if the content and context of the image is clear to a sighted user, then alt text for screen reader users is sufficient.​
  • Your alt text should not be a repetition of your caption, as the screen reader will read both aloud. The alt text should be a description of exactly what is in the image. The caption should contextualise this image within the content of the webpage. ​
  • Captions can be used to credit the creator of the image.
Figure 1: chicks are often associated with the start of spring.
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