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Twitter is rolling out a new feature aimed at making the platform more accessible to people with disabilities.
The company said that it is making image descriptions more apparent for photos and other images included in tweets.
Image descriptions, also known as alternative text or alt text, offer users relying on assistive technology a written description of what is shown in an image. Traditionally, image descriptions largely exist in the background of web pages, available for screen readers and text-to-speech software.
But with the update, Twitter is adding an “ALT” badge to images that have descriptions. Users can easily select the badge to view the description.
The new badge was recently made available globally after Twitter spent a month testing the feature with a select group of users.
Twitter said the move is part of a broader effort to encourage more users to include image descriptions.
“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 company said in a tweet about the updates. “We’re also working on the image description reminder. We’ll share more on that soon.”
Disability Scoop
