Images and Alternative Text in Educational Content
This workshop offers an in-depth, practical exploration of accessible visual design for educators in both K–12 and higher education environments. This session empowers participants to create truly inclusive instructional materials by focusing on the why, when and how of using alternative text (alt text) and overcoming common accessibility challenges in educational visuals.
Throughout the workshop, participants will learn to identify situations in which alternative text is essential for supporting all learners, including those who use screen readers or have other access needs. They’ll gain hands-on experience writing concise, clear alt text tailored to the purpose and context of various image types — ranging from instructional graphics to decorative icons — while avoiding redundancy and enhancing instructional clarity.
The workshop also addresses critical visual accessibility issues that often go unnoticed, such as over-reliance on color to convey meaning, inadequate color contrast, pixelation and flashing or animated graphics that can present seizure risk. Participants will discover how to assess and remediate these barriers using freely available accessibility checkers and AI-powered evaluation tools, ensuring their visuals meet current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards.
A distinctive feature of this training is its focus on integrating both free and AI-based tools to streamline the creation, evaluation and refinement of alt text and other accessibility features. Educators will experiment with generating draft alt text using AI, then refine and edit these descriptions for maximum instructional value and compliance.
Designed for immediate application, this workshop balances up-to-date best practices with hands-on strategies and realistic scenarios, providing educators with the resources, checklists and support needed to remove visual barriers and make learning truly accessible for everyone. No special software is required; all demonstrated solutions rely on free-to-access or institutionally supported tools, making the content relevant and actionable for a wide range of teaching environments.
• Educational content creators in publishing companies serving both HE and K-12 markets
• Administrators in Higher Education institutions and K-12 school districts
• Publishers and content managers in educational publishing companies
• Faculty members in Higher Education
• K-12 teachers
• Educational technology specialists in both HE and K-12 settings
Ability to read and write standard business English.
- Computer with internet access.
- Focused time to complete the workshop.
For Winter Retreat sessions — the workshop will be open to registered participants from Dec. 1, 2025 - March 23, 2026. Register until Nov. 30, 2025 to complete coursework by March 23, 2026.
Workshops open monthly on the first Wednesday and close after three weeks.