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Race, Gender, and Other Categories in Alt Text for Headshots

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From: Robert Fentress
Date: Feb 12, 2016 8:43AM

So, I've got a bio page for the people working in a department, and it
includes a head shot photo of the employee. How do I handle alt text
in this instance?

My first instinct is to null it out, since the person's name is right
beside the image, it is almost fluff, and I don't know that someone
using a screen reader would want the extra noise of saying something
like "Head Shot of John Smith". Then, I think more about it and
wonder if I'm assuming too much.

First, I shouldn't assume only blind people would be using the alt
text. For instance, someone who is not blind may be using Lynx or
something. The information could possibly also be useful as metadata.

Second, perhaps a blind person would want to know what this person
looked like. Why would people come to a page like this? Well, one
scenario is they are going to meet with someone and want to know what
they look like so they can identify them in a group. There are
others, but that is one. So the person may come to a public place
armed with this info and ask a bystander if they recognize someone in
the crowd who looks like "thus and so."

So, how do you describe someone in that instance? Well, here comes
the tricky bit. What shortcuts or categories do we use to describe
people? Often, we might mention someone's *perceived* gender, and,
perhaps, if we are less sensitive, their age, race, or ethnicity. I
assume the last three, at least, are off limits. Indeed, legally, I
think, in my context, even describing someone using any of these
categories might be forbidden in official communications.

So what *do* you say? What are relevant and useful descriptors that
would be permitted?

Or am I overthinking things?

Best,
Rob

--
Robert Fentress
Senior Accessibility Solutions Designer
540.231.1255

Technology-enhanced Learning & Online Strategies
Assistive Technologies
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