Twitter is testing new features that will make content posted on the platform more accessible for people with vision impairment.
In an announcement last week, Twitter said it has now started testing the use of “ALT” badges and detailed image descriptions with 3% of its users across iOS, Android and desktop devices.
The new ALT badge will be visible in the bottom corner of an image when users add a description to it, which is more commonly known as alt text.
Descriptive text can be used to detail exactly what is represented in an image.
Twitter used an example of an image of a cup of coffee, which had alt text describing how there is a “small white mug with a tiny loop handle” and with “deep brown espresso” in it.
Twitter noted: “Adding image descriptions allows people who are blind, have low vision, use assistive tech, live in low-bandwidth areas, or have a cognitive disability, to fully contribute on Twitter.”
The new features will be tested for several weeks, ahead of a potential global rollout in early April.
Adding image descriptions on Twitter for social media marketing will be quite straightforward, though it is limited to a small percentage of users right now.
For those accounts with access, all you need to do is upload an image, click on “add description” and write a description up to 1,000 characters in length before saving it.
The description will then be added to the image when you publish the tweet, and an ALT badge will be visible to users.
