Description Writing Resources - Rebloggable Version
Writing image descriptions can be challenging, but you don’t have to do it alone! Here is a huge compilation of resources, tips, and reading for image descriptions and accessibility. If the number of links is overwhelming, I suggest reading the first link! It compiles a lot of the information and tips from the rest of the resources here. The 2 links after that (Cooper Hewitt Guidelines and Medium’s How to Write an Image Description) are very helpful too!
Writing Image Descriptions
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How to write an image description: a fundamental guide
Mod Bug’s comprehensive post on how to write image descriptions (IDs). Many of the resources here are also linked in this post, as it combines advice from a lot of them. This was written primarily with Tumblr in mind, but the information applies to any image description.
Cooper Hewitt Guidelines for Image Description
A great resource, mostly for describing art. Also includes good information on the distinction between alt text and long descriptions, giving guidelines for both.
Medium’s How to Write an Image Description
A guide for image descriptions using object, action, and context as a basic format.
Diagram Center Guidelines for Image Description
A great comprehensive understanding of what is important when writing a description and has different sections for help describing all sorts of things like photos, art, comics, diagrams, charts, math, chemistry, and more! A longer read, but it has a lot of specific.
Against Access
An excellent article written about DeafBlind people, Protactile language, and accessibility measures. I recommend reading it and taking in the suggestions and points given about image descriptions and other accessibility measures! It's very illuminating and helpful for thinking about how to describe art!
Perkins School for the Blind how to write alt text and image descriptions
Another great resource! Concise and helpful, shorter than Diagram Center’s articles.
SiteImprove’s Alt Text Best Practices
Focuses on Alt text not long image descriptions.
Last Call Media- Accessible Comics
A great guide on describing comics!
How Do I Write Good Image Descriptions by KelperCryptids
A tumblr post with more tips on writing image descriptions.
General Guide for Image Descriptions by can-i-make-image-descriptions and additions by AccessibleAesthetics
More tips, guidelines, and information about image descriptions.
BrownAndTrans’ Guide to Image Descriptions
Information and tips about image descriptions.
Anistarrose’s Online Accessibility Masterpost
Focuses on image descriptions including common questions, guidelines, tips, tools, readings, and other helpful links regarding image descriptions and accessibility.
Tips for describing art
Guidelines to how much detail should be added to descriptions of art.
Tips for describing comics
Some more tips for describing comics.
Image description templates
tailored largely for replies and screenshots from social media.
Description Tools
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Online image to text converter
An image(/PDF) to text converter, helpful for transcribing images with a lot of text.
Online case converter
Good for converting lots of text in all caps for plain text transcriptions.
Meme image descriptions Google Doc
A compilation of image descriptions for common meme templates.
Accessible tumblr blogs list
List of blogs that post with image descriptions, organized based on the content of each blog (fandom, misc art, etc).
Another list of blogs that post visually described content.
Not sorted, but still helpful!
WebAim.org
A whole website about web accessibility! Includes articles, resources, accessibility training, and more.
People’s Accessibility Discord Server
In this server, you can request for someone to write an ID, look over an ID you have written, or answer any questions you may have. If you need help, here’s the right place for it!
If a link is broken or if it contains misinformation/mistakes, please let us know so we can fix it.
Thank you, and happy describing!
