You can make your Mastodon profile more accessible to blind or low vision people by adding alt text descriptions to your profile picture and profile banner:
- Sign in on your server’s website
- If you’re on a computer click your account name to go to your profile page. If you’re on mobile click ☰ in bottom right, and then click your account name to go to your profile page.
- Click Edit Profile
- Click the 📷️️ camera icon in the corner of your profile picture or banner (depending on which one you want to add a description to), then select Edit alt text
- Type or edit the alt text, then click Done in the alt text editing window to save it
- Click Done in the top right corner of the profile editing page to confirm the changes
I don’t understand, what is the point of this?
A lot of people who use the internet are blind or have low vision, so they use special software called screen readers to read text aloud. This audio interface lets them navigate the internet even if they can’t see it, and the screen reader software will read aloud any text descriptions on images.
By adding text descriptions to your profile’s images, it makes your profile accessible to screen reader users. It is really quick to do and it can mean a lot to your potential followers.
I’ve seen people with descriptions of their profile images in their main profile text. Should I be writing my alt texts there?
No, because it’s not necessary any more.
The ability to add alt text descriptions to profile images was added in Mastodon 4.6.0. Before this was possible, people wrote the descriptions in their profile text instead, but that is no longer needed.
I can’t see any option to add alt text to profile images on my server?
Make sure you are editing your profile through your server’s website. The apps may not include this option yet. You can go back to using your app after you’ve made the changes through the website.
If you’re using the website but there’s still no option, it may be that your server is on an older version of Mastodon from before 4.6.0. You can check your server’s version number yourself, or ask your server admin if you’re not sure.
How do I see the alt text after I’ve added it? There’s no “alt” button!
As it’s entirely used for images, the text is intended for blind or low vision people using screen readers. The screen reader software will pick up the alt text automatically, even if sighted people can’t see it.
If you’re techy, you can check the alt texts are there by looking at the source of your profile page on the website. The alt texts will appear within the sections of code concering your profile image and profile banner.