Blog Post
Jonathan_Hill
Super Hero
Hello!
In a recent discussion with my team on this topic, we thought it was sad how Alt Text isn't widely used on social media, and how this could be improved.
But writing descriptive Alt Text for memes is tricky! Does over-explaining a meme kill the joke? Why should those who rely on Alt Text be left out?
MEME-INGFUL INTERACTIONS
https://bit.ly/elhc429
In a recent discussion with my team on this topic, we thought it was sad how Alt Text isn't widely used on social media, and how this could be improved.
But writing descriptive Alt Text for memes is tricky! Does over-explaining a meme kill the joke? Why should those who rely on Alt Text be left out?
MEME-INGFUL INTERACTIONS
https://bit.ly/elhc429
JodiSansone
2 years agoCommunity Member
I think you took on a big challenge with this one! How do you describe something like a meme that is intended as an inside joke and maintain the humor of it? I'm not a big social media person so when I see memes I'm usually clueless to their meanings. You really got me thinking with this one. Thanks for sharing it!
- Jonathan_Hill2 years agoSuper HeroThanks Jodi. It's a tricky one, for sure. I'm not certain describing a meme with a robotic-sounding screen reader can ever have the same immediacy and impact as a purely visual meme. I listen to a lot of radio comedy, so I firmly believe humour can be achieved without visuals, though.
There have been attempts to subvert the Alt Text format for humour, using it to deliver a punchline. But this also relies on the visual setting up the joke. Understandably, this has drawn criticism for accessibility advocates.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/misuse-of-twitters-alt-text-feature-draws-criticism-from-accessibility-advocates-11657879200