Accessibility Starts With Structure
Digital accessibility means removing barriers so that people with disabilities can interact with documents, websites, and other information technology. Today, many tools exist that enable people with blindness, low vision, or learning disabilities to access and read documents, websites, and other sources of information. All users can now have equal access to information and functionality.
DCL's accessibility remediation services equip organizations with the expertise to transform existing content into experiences that are inclusive, legally compliant, and easy to navigate. Because when content is structured for everyone, including users with disabilities, it doesn't just meet standards. Content performs better and gets found more easily online. Accessible content is, by nature, content that search engines can read too.
Headings are used by assistive technology (AT) for easier navigation through a document
Text language is specified
Link annotation and structure provide information without clicking through
Alt text on images to describe visuals in a meaningful way
Contextual Alt Text at Scale
DCL creates contextual alt text for publishers in an automated manner. Publishers provide content files and DCL software is paired with a closed-system AI to analyze the text and images to create meaningful alt text. DCL’s solution automates alt text creation at scale, producing high volumes of contextually accurate, EAA-compliant descriptions that are genuinely useful to readers with visual impairments.
Alt Text Examples from The Story of Westminster Abbey:
15-Word Contextual Alt Text
The image depicts the High Altar in Westminster Abbey, showcasing its intricate architecture and historical significance.
Extending alt text to around 15 words allows for more context, clarity, and nuance, which is especially important in complex or content-rich images. While overly brief alt text can leave users guessing, a slightly longer description offers enough detail to convey the image’s true purpose and relevance within the content. For users with visual impairments, this added context improves comprehension and engagement. For publishers, it supports both accessibility best practices and compliance with the EAA.
25-Word Contextual Alt Text or Long Description
The image depicts the High Altar at Westminster Abbey, showcasing its intricate design and historical significance. The altar is surrounded by pillars, with statues of notable figures such as Abbot Ware, King Sebert, and Richard II. The reredos features four white figures representing the four living creatures from Revelation, while the glass above reveals a glimpse of the Chapel of the Kings. In the background, the three Eastern Windows are visible, although they have undergone repairs over time. The image also highlights the architectural beauty of the Abbey, with its slender arches and Rose Window. Notable statues include those of Chatham, Goldsmith, Campbell, Addison, Shakespeare, and the Duke of Argyll.
Extending alt text to 25 words or using the long description tagging creates space to integrate not just what’s shown in the image, but why it matters in the context of the surrounding narrative. This approach connects the visual to the text’s intent, reinforcing key ideas and ensuring that users with visual impairments receive the same interpretive cues as sighted readers. For publishers, this level of contextual alignment enhances the reading experience, supports deeper understanding, and strengthens compliance with accessibility standards that emphasize meaningful, user-centered content.
Standard Alt Text
The High Altar
Standard alt text often defaults to the image caption, resulting in repetitive descriptions that fall short of conveying the depth and nuance visual readers gain from simply seeing the image.
DCL Expertise Across Formats and Standards
-
Alt Text: Descriptive text for images and other non-text items that improve accessibility and facilitate content discovery and voice search.
-
DAISY: The Digital Accessible Information System is a technical standard for audiobooks, periodicals, and digital text.
-
EPUB3: XML-based eBook format independent of a specific platform, developed and maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). EPUB3 inherently supports accessibility if structured properly.
-
HTML5: The fifth and latest major HTML version that is a W3C recommendation.
-
MathML: The mathematical markup language for describing mathematical notations and capturing structure in documents with complex math and chemical equations.
-
NIMAS: The National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard is a provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act that details how publishers provide accessible curricular materials to students in grades K-12.
-
Section 508: The Federal Law that is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which established guidelines for technology accessibility.
-
WCAG 2.1: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines published by the W3C that specify how to make content accessible.
DOWNLOAD DATA SHEET
SECTION 508
A Federal law that is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which established guidelines for technology accessibility. Section 508 requires that any Information and Communication Technology (ICT) developed, procured, maintained or used by Federal departments and agencies must allow Federal employees and members of the public with disabilities access to and use of information and data.
DCL has deep experience working with governmental agencies to review and remediate websites and other publications to assure high quality compliance with Section 508 Compliant requirements and to make the user experience as good as possible.
Industries Served
Creating accessible content is imperative for any content-centric organization.
