Over the past year, Instagram has introduced new features to make the platform more accessible to those with visual impairments.
As of late 2018, Instagram has introduced two new improvements to make it easier for people with visual impairments to use Instagram – Automatic alternative text and custom alternative text will offer users the ability to hear descriptions of photo. With more than 285 million people in the world who have visual impairments, there are many people who could benefit from a more accessible Instagram.
Instagram has introduced automatic alternative text so you can hear descriptions of photos through your screen reader when you use Feed, Explore and Profile. This feature uses object recognition technology to generate a description of photos for screen readers so you can hear a list of items that photos may contain as you browse the app.
Automatic alt text uses object recognition technology to provide a visual description of photos for people with visual impairments. You can replace this text to provide a better description of a photo. Keep in mind that this description will only be read if someone is using a screen reader to access Instagram.
With custom alternative text so you can add a richer description of your photos when you upload a photo. People using screen readers will be able to hear this description.
Look for “Advanced Settings” at the bottom of your screen before posting to use the custom alternative text option.
Learn more about Instagram and how you can use the safety feature to give children the best experience.
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