Image accessibility
To capture and catalog the nuance, detail, and beauty of each digital image, Scribely writes premium alt text, extended descriptions, and metadata for everything from photos, infographics, and maps to sculptures, paintings, and memes.
What makes images accessible?
Alternative Text (Alt Text)
A brief textual description that provides an equivalent text alternative for any non-text digital content.
Extended Description
A more detailed explanation for complex images that elaborates on information provided in the alt text.
Descriptive Metadata
A way to ensure your accessible descriptions travel within photo metadata wherever your images go.
Image accessibility production support
Technical team extracts image data via web scraping, API integration, or data export (DAM, CMS, PIM).
Project team builds a master database with a consistent structure for description processing.
Writing team drafts image descriptions based on writing guidelines and project timeline.
Quality assurance team reviews descriptions for proficiency, accuracy and conformance.
Scribely delivers the fully accessible image to meet our client's exact format and timeline requirements.
Scribely's approach to writing alt text
Every visual is an opportunity to connect with your audience. Delivering the right alt text and extended descriptions starts with a human-first approach.
Our writers not only focus on what an image looks like, but also on the purpose and meaning behind it. In order to do this, we describe the primary focus of the image, while capturing all the relevant details and incorporating keywords naturally.
Most importantly, we ask each writer to step back and ask themselves, “Does this description help me visualize the same image?”
eCommerce
Product Title
Nike Air Max DIA SE Quickstrike in Aviator Gray / Deep Jungle
Alt Text (Sequential)
1. A pair of Nike Air Max DIA sneakers with multicolored accents of neon peach and eggshell blue on the tongue and lace guard, and contracting black laces and outer sole.
2. Closeup side profile of the Nike Air Max DIA tapered toe box, showing the translucent upper half of the shoe with a burgundy and black accent collar and a black pull loop at the tongue.
3. Closeup side profile of the Nike Air Max DIA heel with a stacked midsole that houses an Air sole unit encased in a shiny yellow shell around the heel, and black underfoot embellishments.
Education & Culture
Alt Text
Frida Kahlo sits on a white wrought iron bench and looks steadily at us in front of a grass-green background patterned with clusters of pale pink flowers.
Extended Description
Frida has medium-toned skin, high cheekbones, a short nose, and a narrow, square chin. Her dark eyebrows nearly meet over brown eyes, and her full, red lips are closed. Pink roses are tucked into her brown hair, which is braided and wound around her head. Her gold drop earrings are about the size of quarters, and thick gold chains wrap around her neck. A poker chip-sized gold pendant hangs from the longer loop, and the even longer ends hang down her torso and end in her lap at a heart-shaped charm.
A fringed black shawl wraps around her shoulders and upper arms, and her hands rest in her lap. Her nails are painted an iridescent dark pink, and she wears a ring with a brown gem on the middle finger of her left hand. The bodice of her black dress has bands of canary yellow patterned with scarlet-red, stylized roses. The wide black skirt ends just below the knees and is patterned with white leaves around pieces of fruit. A band of bright yellow and red nested squares borders the black skirt, which lies over a white underskirt pleated vertically. The skirts spread across the white bench, which has sprays of grapevines and leaves across the back.
Media
Alt Text
Tyla poses at the Met Gala 2024 in New York City wearing a sculpted Balmain mermaid-style dress. The dress is fitted through to her knee, pouring out into a circular train behind her.
Extended Description
The sleeveless bodice, narrow skirt, and flaring train of Tyla’s gown are sculpted from sand studded with crystals. The neckline of the bodice is ragged, and shimmery sand is dusted across one shoulder and down the other forearm.
Tyla wears two rings, and sand falls in the hourglass she holds in one hand. Crystals hang on short chains from her long nails. She wears an organically curved gold and diamond collar necklace and pale green gemstone drop earrings. Her chin-length hair falls in loose, wet-looking waves.
Why image accessibility matters
Accurate and informative descriptions enable blind and visually impaired people to access the full story.
Scribely’s high quality, standards-compliant alt text and extended descriptions for images not only create better content experiences, but also improve search and discovery while reducing legal exposure.
Image descriptions can give you a competitive edge by unlocking new audiences and strengthening your relationship with existing ones.
What we do
From websites and media campaigns to image libraries and data systems, Scribely offers description services to meet your needs.
Ready to describe?
Send us a message about your accessibility goals.