Articles and Research

Alt Text, Tables, or Alternate Formats? Choosing the Right Approach

Join Chad Chelius and Dax Castro as they explore how to choose an accessible alternative for complex charts, graphics, and tables. They discuss when alt text can communicate a chart’s purpose, when readers need individual data points, and why hiding a table behind a graphic is no longer their automatic solution. From meaningful body copy and table summaries to linked alternatives and structured text for org charts, they consider how each approach affects the reader’s experience. Along the way, they share scripting shortcuts for empty table cells, frustrations with Acrobat, and why the best format depends on what people need to understand. Every other week, Dax and Chad unravel accessibility for you.