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7 tips for writing effective alt text

1. If you’re including words that matter, make sure they’re text, not part of an image.
2. If images matter, make sure they have alt text.
3. Caption your videos (and describe key visuals that aren’t obvious from the dialogue).
4. Keep it short. Describe what’s essential—not every detail. What would someone need to know if they couldn’t see it?
5. Don’t say “image of.” Screen readers already know it’s an image.
6. If an image is decorative and adds no value? Leave the alt text empty. (Yes, that’s okay, not everything needs a description.)
7. Focus on purpose, not aesthetics. Alt text should sound natural, clear, and human.

Examples of bad vs. good alt text

Example: Diagram of a workflow

• Bad: “Image of a flowchart with boxes and arrows.”
• Good: “A workflow showing the three steps for submitting an expense report, including: 1. Upload receipts. 2. Submit spreadsheet with totals. 3. Update quarterly budget.”

Example: Photo of people collaborating

• Bad: “Group of four people sitting at a table smiling.”
• Good: “Team members collaborating during a project planning session.”

Example: A chart showing a sales increase

• Bad: “Bar chart with blue and green bars representing quarterly growth.”
• Good: “Our Q1 and Q2 sales comparative chart shows Q1 sales at $1,000,000 and Q2 sales at $1,200,000 for a sales increase of 20% from Q1 to Q2.”

Bottom line

If an image helps your learners understand something, be sure to describe what they need to know from that image clearly, simply, and with any specific detail needed to have a full understanding.

Don’t forget videos…

If anything is show in a video that isn’t read aloud, learners may be missing out on that information or context. Just as with alt tags, if you’re showing something important, be sure to describe it.

For a video, this means having the narrator or speaker read out any important information that’s on screen, which then ensures it’s in captions and transcripts for easy readability.

Follow these tips and other accessibility best practices to help every learner engage with your course content.

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Here’s the 6-Step Quick-Start Guide to Designing for Learner Choice to help you get there.

Listen

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Can learners access key information in more than one way?

Offer text, audio, visuals, and captions so all learners can best perceive essential content.

Is your course easy to navigate?

Provide clear navigation, structure, headings, jump-ahead options, and replay capabilities.

Can learners control pace and flow?

Chunk content, allow pause, replay, and skip functionality, and don’t set arbitrary time limits.

Are you offering flexibility in how learners consume content?

Let learners read, listen, watch, or do — choice drives access and engagement.

Do learners have multiple ways to explore the topic?

Include varied means of engagement such as scenarios, discussions, reflections, and practice activities.

Are you supporting different ways of processing complex ideas?

Break down dense information with an effective mix of narration, visuals, examples, and summaries.

Go deeper with The learner-focused 6-step cognitive load checklist.

Bring multi-modal content to your Rise courses today

Automatically deliver an immersive narrative experience to your Rise courses with Shine.

See how Shine works

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Say Yeah was excited to participate as a sponsor, offering a suite of technology to accelerate learning transfer through scenario-based, data-driven learning programs. Sharing our handy Say Yeah notebook with every conference attendee, we know we packed ours with exceptional insights from a series of informative and inspiring conference sessions. We’re eager to share some of these insights with you.

I4PL 2024 conference takeaways

Let’s check out the key takeaways along the following themes:

• Tracking behaviour change
• Trends driving learning innovation
• Authentic learning with measurable results
• The future of L&D

Tracking behaviour change

Chris Taylor’s standout session emphasized how we can use technology to bridge learning and business goals by going well beyond evaluating knowledge retention and participant satisfaction. Chris shared a series of models that culminate in tracking corollaries to behaviour change early in order to ensure pathways to business impact.

This jam-packed session was full of insights that aligned with our own approach to personalizing learning for greater impact and maximizing digital learning ROI.

Here are a few key insights:

For every 1 part of content that is introduced, 3 parts contextualization are needed. For example:

• 10 minutes of content = 30 minutes of discussion and reflection

The goal of behaviour change needs to be embedded in all aspects of training programs. This starts with asking participants: What is one thing that you can put into practice that will make the biggest difference in your work?

Learning happens through interactions with colleagues, regular check-ins, and accountability partners.

Trends driving learning innovation

The pandemic reshaped training delivery—and it’s sticking. With 70% of organizations conducting less than 25% of their training in-person, digital transformation is here to stay.

Organizations know they have skills gaps in areas of digital transformation: 74% say they do—we’re inclined to believe the remaining 26% are in denial.

Interestingly, the priority remains on training soft skills over growing digital excellence.

AI dominated the conference floor, with vendors showcasing tools to personalize and enhance learning experiences.

Personalization for every learner continues to top the list of priorities, helping participants engage more deeply with tailored content.

Authentic learning with measurable results

A session from TD Wealth by Randy Sabourin & Courtney Appleby highlighted the importance of upfront research, strategic planning, and measurable outcomes.

Key highlights:

Use clear rubrics and coaching to normalize feedback across teams with multiple facilitators.

Create opportunities for immediate practice and feedback, with 1:1 practice sessions with a colleague, facilitator, or subject matter expert, not group role-playing.

Design “bring your own challenge” scenarios for practical, real-world learning.

The future of L&D

A keynote by Dan Pontefract reminded us that L&D is more than a function—it’s a fulcrum for workplace transformation. By integrating tools like AI and fostering empathetic, human-first training, L&D professionals can act as human performance change agents. This call to action sets an inspiring path for 2025!

A successful and inspiring I4PL 2024 conference!

The conference was a strong reminder that L&D isn’t just about delivering content—it’s about designing experiences that inspire action, change, and growth.

We’re inspired to integrate these ideas into our own work and help others leverage human-centred learning technology to make a measurable business impact with their training programs.

Ready to transform your training programs with personalized, adaptive technology?

Let’s talk

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Here’s what we learned.

The Training Industry Strategy Summit, held online September 25-26, 2024, brought together thought leaders, innovators, and training professionals to share insights and explore the future of the industry.

With so many shifts happening in the world of Learning and Development (L&D), this event provided an information and engaging exploration into where the future of training is headed and what businesses need to realize performane gains from L&D.

There were far too many great presentations to recap—and to attend! There was a one-hour interval where we were debating between three different sessions, but here’s a few representative takeaways from across the following themes:

• Training in the flow of work
• Changing priorities in Learning and Development
• Measuring training impact
• Where AI fits into training

Training in the flow of work

One of the key takeaways was the growing need for training in the flow of work—making learning available when it’s needed. With employees juggling multiple responsibilities and tight deadlines, self-directed learning is becoming more important. Whether it’s on-demand microlearning or an AI-powered coach, training that fits seamlessly into day-to-day tasks allows employees to upskill in real-time, boosting both efficiency and retention.

Changing priorities in Learning and Development

The summit also shed light on the evolving priorities within L&D.

As technology continues to advance and workplace models shift, companies are focusing on building capability through upskilling and digital transformation. This, combined with the increasing use of AI, means there’s potential for a more streamlined, tech-driven approach to training.

However, we’re also seeing a strategic reduction in L&D staff, pushing organizations to rethink how they deliver training. With fewer people available to facilitate, methods that incorporate digital tools and automation are becoming essential to maintaining effectiveness.

Measuring training impact

To ensure that L&D efforts are truly impactful, companies must use both quantitative and qualitative data to validate their training initiatives.

Training programs must align with business objectives so organizations can see real results—not just in learning outcomes but in overall business performance.

Where AI fits into training

AI was a hot topic throughout the summit, particularly in terms of personalizing training pathways.

AI-driven solutions can adapt content to different roles, scenarios, and specific audiences, allowing businesses to extend core training with contextual content tailored to particular roles or situations.

This level of personalization makes learning more relevant and engaging, driving better outcomes for both employees and organizations.

Thanks to all the great people we met at Training Industry Strategy Summit 2024!

In addition to the insightful sessions, the Training Industry Strategy Summit 2024 was a fantastic opportunity to network with other L&D professionals.

Thanks to the organizers for hosting such an informative and valuable event.

We look forward to next year’s summit!

Ready to transform your training programs?

Connect with us to see how we can transform your training programs with personalized, adapative learning technology and turn training investments into workplace results.

Let’s talk

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EduTeach2023 is an international forum and professional networking event for global educators focusing on emerging tech trends. As innovators in the tech + education space, we’re looking forward to hearing about cutting-edge research, approaches to practice and policy, and innovations in education from thought leaders and learning experts worldwide.

Beyond research presentations, EduTeach2023 will highlight topics like online assessment and quality assurance, research and development, education and globalization, and many more.

Catch these exciting workshops at EduTeach2023!

• Success Stories of Teaching & Learning in Post-Pandemic Situations with Dr. Bronwyn Ewing, Dr. Cristeta C. Dulos, Dr. S. Ramaratnam, and Prof. Lorenzo Cherubini
• Using the Right Apps for Interactive Teaching and Educational Research

Explore the conference agenda

Register today

Sign up for this exciting peer networking and knowledge-sharing opportunity.

Get tickets for virtual access starting at $350 USD and in-person tickets at $1250 USD.

Register today

Ready to improve your employee training program?

With our approach to building flexible, responsive, and accessible learning programs, we can help you to increase reach, drive engagement and uncover new growth opportunities.

Get in touch

The post EduTeach2023 Conference, June 10-11, 2023 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

Starting on June 7, this two-day virtual conference will highlight how proven marketing practices might be leveraged by those in the learning and development industry.

As tech + education professionals who develop online learning programs, we particularly appreciate how the intersection of industries can produce valuable insights, tools, and best practices to take learning to the next level.

Catch these exciting talks!

• What Can L&D Learn from Marketing? with Lynne McNamee
• Cohort Learning Challenges: Meeting the Engagement Needs of Hybrid Workers with Adam Weisblatt
• How to Create Emotionally Engaging Learning Journeys with Mingming Jiang

Check out the full lineup and conference program

Save your seat

Tickets to the Learning & Marketing Online Conference start from $395 USD, with group and organizational discounts available.

Register today

Looking to improve your employee training program?

With our approach to building flexible, responsive, and accessible eLearning programs, we can help you to increase reach, drive engagement, and uncover new growth opportunities.

Get in touch

The post Learning & Marketing Online Conference June 7-8, 2023 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

Whether you’re an expert or new to accessibility, you’ll find lots to explore at this two-day conference on May 24 and 25, 2023. The University of Guelph Accessibility Conference will highlight the intersection between DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) and accessibility across higher education, learning and development, tech, policy, and design.

As advocates for accessibility in online course design and eLearning, we are excited to take part in discussing new ideas driving accessible learning and inclusive design.

Talks we’re looking forward to:

• Bringing Accessibility to Your Learning and Development Team with Cheryl Bauman
• Transformation in Education Outcomes and Online Learning with Ainsley Latour & Mahadeo Sukhai
• Rethinking Access and Instruction for Learning Technologies with Carren Tatton & Ricardo Loza |

View the full conference schedule

Register today!

Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to learn how to leverage accessibility in your organization. Get tickets for conference access and exhibitions starting at $220.

Save your seat.

Ready to develop accessible and inclusive online courses to improve the achievement of learning outcomes?

Learn about our approach to delivering eLearning experiences that engage all learners.

The post The University of Guelph Accessibility Conference, May 24-25, 2023 appeared first on Say Yeah!.

The conference was designed to bring together practicing educators in higher education to discover ways to enhance technology-enabled teaching and learning at their organizations.

The Say Yeah team had the opportunity to sit in on some great conversations and hear fresh perspectives on personalized learning, AI in higher learning, and more.

Advancing Learning Conference 2023 highlights

• Listening to Amber Mac’s keynote speech on the value of relentless adaptation in an era of accelerating tech trends.
• Learning about adaptive technologies from Don Eldridge of eCampusOntario.
• Digesting Roland van Oostveen’s approach to empowering educators through tech-enabled professional learning.

Our top 3 highlights

• Change should be embraced, not feared
• Learning is better when it’s customized for learners
• Digital competence is key to effective digital professional learning

Read on for more detail on each.

Change should be embraced, not feared

Amber Mac’s interactive session explored the importance of rapid digitization for all sectors as automation continues to accelerate.

Technology plays a critical role in innovation related to accessibility. Educators can benefit greatly from working in partnership with advanced technology in the following ways:

• simplified content development using tools like Wibbitz, Grammarly, and more
• expanded engagement and access to learning content through automated transcripts, screen readers and other assistive technology that adhere to web standards

Learning is better when it’s customized for learners

Don Eldridge’s session was centred around adaptive learning solutions and how they benefit learners and educators. Adaptive learning is any type of digitally enabled system of learning that personalizes the experience of the learner.

Echoing our approach to variable learning, Don Eldridge emphasized the outcomes of personalized learning compared to the one-size-fits-all approach to instruction, including:

• increased learning efficiency and improved access
• improved knowledge transfer and problem-solving
• reduced costs
• learning analytics for individual performance

Digital competence is key to effective digital professional learning

Amber Mac and Roland van Oostveen discussed the relevance of digital competence for users participating in today’s tech-enabled learning programs.

Learning and development programs often take for granted learners’ digital competency and their ability to navigate complex learning programs. Digital learning programs can empower learners and improve learning outcomes by facilitating:

• collaboration
• problem-based learning, and
• access to instructors.

The 2023 Advancing Learning Conference was a fantastic opportunity to connect with thought leaders exploring technology-enabled learning, accessible course design, best practices in tech-infused pedagogy, and many other topics.

We look forward to next year’s conference and the opportunity to further share our learning and ideas on how to continue to advance learning/education through tech solutions.

Ready to level up your online learning programs?

Contact us to deliver engaging and accessible online courses with our full-service support.

Get in touch

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