Patrick Garvin
@patrickmgarvin.bsky.social
Accessibility enthusiast and UX/UI front-end developer. Creator of @a11yawareness.bsky.social. Occasional MU J-school lecturer. Former Boston Globe graphics reporter/developer.
Naturally, this reminded me of the great piece by @samborden.bsky.social, with an amazing design from @lukemcgee.bsky.social and his team.
www.espn.com/espn/feature...
www.espn.com/espn/feature...
An invisible problem in sports
Millions of sports fans live with invisible disabilities. Fans of the Steelers, Eagles and more share their stories and changes they'd like to see.
www.espn.com
October 30, 2025 at 4:34 PM
Naturally, this reminded me of the great piece by @samborden.bsky.social, with an amazing design from @lukemcgee.bsky.social and his team.
www.espn.com/espn/feature...
www.espn.com/espn/feature...
Reposted by Patrick Garvin
Alt text, or "alternative text," functions as a text alternative for images. This makes web content accessible to people who use screen readers or braille displays. Alt text also displays in cases where an image fails to load due to a slow connection or other issues, like today's AWS outage.
October 20, 2025 at 9:18 PM
Alt text, or "alternative text," functions as a text alternative for images. This makes web content accessible to people who use screen readers or braille displays. Alt text also displays in cases where an image fails to load due to a slow connection or other issues, like today's AWS outage.
Did you shout "Too soon!" at the screen?
October 19, 2025 at 9:02 PM
Did you shout "Too soon!" at the screen?
Reposted by Patrick Garvin
If you're struggling to decide what to include or what to leave out, think about how you might describe this to someone you know.
Imagine you and a friend are driving by, and they have to keep their eyes on the road. How would you describe the image to them in a meaningful but succinct way?
Imagine you and a friend are driving by, and they have to keep their eyes on the road. How would you describe the image to them in a meaningful but succinct way?
One way sighted people can determine what to put in alt text: Imagine you sent the post or article to a friend, and the image didn't load. What would someone need to know to get the equivalent experience and context? This will help you identify the important details.
October 18, 2025 at 4:57 PM
If you're struggling to decide what to include or what to leave out, think about how you might describe this to someone you know.
Imagine you and a friend are driving by, and they have to keep their eyes on the road. How would you describe the image to them in a meaningful but succinct way?
Imagine you and a friend are driving by, and they have to keep their eyes on the road. How would you describe the image to them in a meaningful but succinct way?
Reposted by Patrick Garvin
For all of you taking or sharing pictures from #NoKings:
If you're in the position of needing to write alt text to describe an image for your feed or your publication, and you feel overwhelmed, don't worry. If you're new to writing alt text, this resource from Veronica Lewis can help you out.
If you're in the position of needing to write alt text to describe an image for your feed or your publication, and you feel overwhelmed, don't worry. If you're new to writing alt text, this resource from Veronica Lewis can help you out.
How To Write Alt Text And Image Descriptions
The ultimate guide on how to write alt text and image descriptions for the visually impaired, written by someone with low vision who uses alt text
veroniiiica.com
October 18, 2025 at 4:54 PM
For all of you taking or sharing pictures from #NoKings:
If you're in the position of needing to write alt text to describe an image for your feed or your publication, and you feel overwhelmed, don't worry. If you're new to writing alt text, this resource from Veronica Lewis can help you out.
If you're in the position of needing to write alt text to describe an image for your feed or your publication, and you feel overwhelmed, don't worry. If you're new to writing alt text, this resource from Veronica Lewis can help you out.
Reposted by Patrick Garvin
Sharing a screenshot of text and adding commentary is common on social media. All those images need alt text, whether it's a picture from a MAGA rally, a White House press conference, a Taylor Swift album release party, or today's #NoKings protests.
Don't leave out people who use screen readers.
Don't leave out people who use screen readers.
October 18, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Sharing a screenshot of text and adding commentary is common on social media. All those images need alt text, whether it's a picture from a MAGA rally, a White House press conference, a Taylor Swift album release party, or today's #NoKings protests.
Don't leave out people who use screen readers.
Don't leave out people who use screen readers.
Reposted by Patrick Garvin
The default for some social media platforms is to just use a filler alt text like "Image." The problem with that is that people using screen readers will not know what is in that image. But a lot of posts are written so that the post text makes no sense unless you know what's in the image.
October 18, 2025 at 4:54 PM
The default for some social media platforms is to just use a filler alt text like "Image." The problem with that is that people using screen readers will not know what is in that image. But a lot of posts are written so that the post text makes no sense unless you know what's in the image.
Reposted by Patrick Garvin
Online, the "topic of the day" can generate several visuals: photos, memes, screen shots, etc. This is true of breaking news, but also for things like awards shows, sports championships, and big entertainment events, like a new "Star Wars" trailer or a new Taylor Swift album. These all need text.
October 18, 2025 at 4:54 PM
Online, the "topic of the day" can generate several visuals: photos, memes, screen shots, etc. This is true of breaking news, but also for things like awards shows, sports championships, and big entertainment events, like a new "Star Wars" trailer or a new Taylor Swift album. These all need text.
As sung by Volodymyr Zelenskyy , Cara Castronuova, and the MyPillow Guy.
I would listen to it!
I would listen to it!
October 17, 2025 at 7:01 PM
As sung by Volodymyr Zelenskyy , Cara Castronuova, and the MyPillow Guy.
I would listen to it!
I would listen to it!