Why YSK: If you want to make Lemmy a more accessible place for all, you need to know how to add labels (aka: “alt text”) to embedded images

As many of you are already aware, you can embed images in comments using the following markdown: ![](https://example.com/image.jpg).

That works, but the image will be left unlabeled which leaves screenreader users out of the conversation. This may seem like a theoretical problem, but it’s not – Lemmy already has an active blind community: https://rblind.com/

So, here’s what you can do to add labels when embedding images:

![Earth viewed from the Moon](https://example.com/image.jpg)

That’s it! Any text within the [] becomes “alt text”, which is what screenreaders use for describing images. It’s a small thing, but it makes a world of difference.

Remember: Reddit took something from many of us here. For some, it was a mobile app. For others, it was the ability to operate their own communities. Comment with solidarity; use alt-text.

  • explodicle@local106.com
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    1 year ago

    Question for Jerboa users: how do you zoom in on one of these comment images? They’re frequently too small to read.

    • megahertz@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I’m guessing it is in settings? Also a jerboa user. But I am seeing the comment images at a reasonable size. I’m using the dark theme, and I think I changed the font size, but it’s been almost a month since I first installed, so not super sure.

      • explodicle@local106.com
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        1 year ago

        Hmm, I don’t see anything for it in the settings. Some of the pictures are a reasonable size to me, I was thinking like pinch and zoom or something.