Alt text in digital images often lacks creativity and fails to capture the essence of scenes, particularly in tourism. VML and Tennessee's Tourist Development introduced Sound Sites, a project replacing conventional alt text with musical lyrics inspired by Tennessee's songwriters. This initiative aims to enhance the sensory experience for blind and visually impaired individuals, allowing for a richer emotional connection to locations, thereby challenging the typical perception of alt text as a mere compliance task. The goal is to transform how visual information is conveyed online.
"The current [state of alt text] is pretty abysmal, just to be quite candid. It's almost a bit 'out of sight, out of mind,' literally and figuratively," says Josh Loebner, creative marketing agency VML's global head of inclusive design.
"Images create another layer of depth to what narrative is on a website... particularly for travel and tourism," emphasizing the critical need for effective alt text.
Josh Loebner highlights that accessible design is often regarded as a matter of 'checking the box.' However, alt text must compete with vivid sensorial power.
The initiative Sound Sites aims to replace traditional alt text with lyrical verse from songwriters, deepening the sensory experience for those using screen readers.
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