Write the description for the reader who cannot see the image: what it shows, why it is there and any text it contains. Keep captions for context that everyone reads, and use descriptions for what the image adds. Decorative images need no description. Check your own formats and your accessibility owner's guidance rather than relying on a fixed rule.
Event photographs often arrive in company communications with a file name and nothing else. For a reader who uses a screen reader, or who has images switched off to save data, that image is a gap. This guide is about preparing useful descriptions, captions and context, so the photographs you select are understandable to more of your audience. For event delivery that considers accessible participation, see accessible delegate participation in the conference record.
What are you writing, and for whom?
Two pieces of text do different jobs.
| Text | Who reads it | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Caption | Everyone, visible on the page | Gives context: who, where, when, why |
| Image description (alternative text) | Readers using assistive technology, or when the image fails to load | Replaces the image with words |
| Surrounding text | Everyone | Explains the point of the image |
A caption can say "Long-service award presentation, 14 March". The description adds what you see: "Two colleagues shaking hands on stage beside a banner reading Annual Dinner." They overlap but are not the same.
Which images need a description?
Ask whether a reader would lose anything if they could not see the image. If a photograph is part of the message, such as a leadership moment or an award recipient, it needs one. If it is a decorative divider or a repeat of nearby text, it may not.
Do this per image. Do not apply the same sentence to all. If you are unsure, write a brief description; a short one is better than none.
How do you write a good description?
Lead with the most important information, then add detail only as needed. Use plain language and avoid guessing at emotions or relationships.
- Say what is happening: "A speaker presents to a seated audience."
- Add the setting if it matters: "in a hotel ballroom."
- Include visible text that carries meaning: "A screen behind her reads Q3 Results."
- Leave out the words "image of" or "photo of".
- Keep it to one or two sentences.
For crowds, summarise: "About a dozen colleagues stand in three rows in front of a company banner." Avoid counting if you cannot be certain.
What about people's names and identity?
Naming a person in a description or caption is a publication choice, so make it deliberately. Use a name only if the person has agreed to be named and the name adds value. Otherwise use a role, for example "the finance director". Our guide on photographs where names should not accompany images looks at this.
Do not describe a person's age, ethnicity, health or disability unless it is relevant and the person has agreed. Keep descriptions factual and respectful.
How does this fit with the rest of your caption work?
Good descriptions are easier when your captions already carry the facts. Use the format in accurate captions, credits and event context, and then add a description for the reader who cannot see the image. If your communication is in more than one language, descriptions must be translated too. See publication context in English, Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese.
When you explain an event to outsiders through images, explaining an event through photographs shows how to keep the sequence clear in text as well.
A hypothetical example
A company's annual report includes six event photographs. For each, the communications team writes a caption and a description. For a photograph of an award recipient, the caption reads "Long-service award, 14 March." The description reads "A woman in a dark suit accepts a framed certificate from a man at the podium."
They mark a decorative border as decorative. They then ask a colleague who uses a screen reader to read the report and note where the descriptions are unclear. Two are rewritten.
What should you check next?
Check the descriptions in the final file, not only in the draft. PDF, web and email each handle image text differently, and your accessibility owner can say which settings matter. Our guide to photographs for company websites and annual reports covers other output checks.
Checklist
- Decide for each image whether it informs or only decorates.
- Write a short description of what the image adds, in plain words.
- Keep the visible caption for who, where and when.
- Name people only with permission, and use roles where names are unnecessary.
- Describe any text in the image that matters.
- Check descriptions in your actual format, such as web, PDF or email.
- Ask a screen-reader user, where possible, to try the result.
If your event photographs will go into accessible reports or web pages, tell us the formats and the context your readers need, and we will plan coverage and labels so descriptions and captions are straightforward to write afterwards.
Plan photography for accessible formatsCommon questions
What is the difference between a caption and an image description?
A caption is visible text that gives everyone context, such as who, where and when. An image description, often called alternative text, is read aloud by assistive technology in place of the image. It says what the image shows and why it matters, and should not repeat the caption word for word.
Does every photograph need a description?
Not every one. Images that carry information or add meaning need one. Purely decorative images can be marked so assistive tools skip them. Decide per image, using the question: does a reader lose something if they cannot see it?
How long should an image description be?
As short as it can be while still conveying what the image adds, often one or two sentences. Lead with what matters most. Avoid phrases such as image of or photo of, since assistive tools already announce that it is an image.
Where do we find the right standard for our publication?
Ask your accessibility or digital owner, and check the guidance for the format you use, such as web pages, PDFs or office documents. Requirements can differ by format and by who you serve. This page gives practical habits, not legal advice.
Plan photography for accessible formats
If your event photographs will go into accessible reports or web pages, tell us the formats and the context your readers need, and we will plan coverage and labels so descriptions and captions are straightforward to write afterwards.
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