Alternative text (alt text) is essential for making charts accessible to users with visual impairments. In Excel, adding alt text to charts requires navigating through multiple menus and formatting options.
This guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to add alt text to your Excel charts. For a faster solution, we'll explore how Sourcetable's AI chatbot can help you create, analyze, and visualize data through natural conversation - including automatically generating accessible charts with alt text. Try Sourcetable today to answer any spreadsheet question with AI.
Alt text is critical for making Excel charts accessible to users who rely on screen readers. It describes charts and graphs, allowing users with visual impairments to understand the conveyed information. Every chart in Excel must have alt text for full accessibility compliance.
To add alternative text to a chart in Excel, select the chart and right-click to open the context menu. Choose 'Format Chart Area' and then navigate to the 'Size & Properties' tab. Look for the 'Alt Text' option and enter a concise description of the chart in the provided text box. Ensure the description is clear, descriptive, and conveys the chart's purpose and content.
When adding alt text to charts, use descriptive titles and labels that are easy to read. Employ light-colored text on dark backgrounds or dark text on light backgrounds to enhance contrast. Opt for sans-serif fonts and avoid italicizing text to maintain legibility for all users.
For users familiar with AppleScript, the script "tell application "Microsoft Excel" set myShapes to shapes of active sheet" can retrieve the alt text of a chart. Use "set altText to alternative text of (item 1 of myShapes)" to return the alt text of the first chart in the sheet. This can streamline the process for multiple charts.
If you encounter accessibility errors when adding alt text due to embedded charts in Word documents, avoid using the Reading Order tool. This tool converts only the chart area to a figure and may not capture all chart elements. Instead, directly input alt text in Excel before embedding the chart into Word documents to ensure all elements are accurately described.
Making Excel Charts Accessible for Visually Impaired Users |
Alternative text enables screen readers to convey chart information to visually impaired users. This allows them to understand data trends, patterns, and insights that would otherwise be inaccessible through visual means alone. |
Improving SEO for Web-Published Excel Charts |
When Excel charts are published online, alternative text provides search engines with contextual information about the chart's content. This improves the discoverability and search ranking of pages containing these charts. |
Supporting Users with Cognitive Disabilities |
Clear alternative text descriptions help users with cognitive disabilities better understand complex data visualizations. The text can break down complicated patterns into simple, digestible explanations. |
Meeting Accessibility Compliance Requirements |
Organizations can maintain compliance with accessibility standards by including alternative text for all charts in official documentation. This is particularly important for government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses that must meet specific accessibility guidelines. |
Enhancing Data Visualization Understanding |
Descriptive narratives in alternative text provide additional context and interpretation of complex charts. This helps all users, regardless of ability, better grasp the key messages and insights presented in the visualization. |
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To add alt text to a chart in Excel: 1) Select the chart 2) Either select Format > Alt Text, or right-click the chart and select Edit Alt Text 3) Enter your alt text description in the Alt Text pane.
The alt text for an Excel chart should be 1-2 sentences that describe the object and its context.
When making charts accessible, use clear and descriptive language for all chart elements, including the chart title, axis titles, and data labels.
Adding alternative text to Excel charts is essential for accessibility and document comprehension. Clear alt text ensures your data visualizations remain useful for users relying on screen readers.
While Excel offers built-in features for adding alt text, modern tools streamline this process. Sourcetable helps you handle all your spreadsheet tasks, including alt text creation, through its intuitive AI chatbot interface.