The Web Operations team has been working on reviewing and improving the Wharton CMS to remain compliant with University Web Accessibility policies.
Adhering to the University’s Digital Accessibility Policy is a shared, continuous responsibility for members of the Penn community involved in the development, creation, publishing, or sharing of digital resources.
This initial focus on accessibility will be on website images, specifically “Alt tags.”
About Alt Tags and why they are important
Alt tags, short for alternative text tags, are HTML attributes used to describe the content and function of an image on a webpage. Alt tags serve several purposes:
- Accessibility: Alt tags help the visually impaired who use screen readers understand what’s in the image.
- SEO: Alt text gives search engines clues about the image’s content, which can help your website rank higher.
- Backup: If the image doesn’t load (like with a slow connection), the alt text shows up instead.
What Wharton CMS web editors need to do now & ongoing
- Add Alternative Text***
Ensure every new image uploaded to the Wharton CMS includes descriptive alt text. Use this link to review the support documentation on how to add Alt tags in the Wharton CMS. - Review Existing Images: Check current images on the site and add or update alt text as needed.
- Stay Consistent: Maintain consistency in style and tone across all alt text descriptions.
*** It is strongly advised to include Alt tags for all new images uploaded to the Wharton CMS.