Source
Your alt text passes automated checks. That doesn’t mean it’s any good.
GitHub developed an alt text plugin for the GitHub Accessibility Scanner to detect missing or low-quality image descriptions. The tool utilizes both deterministic rules and an optional AI model to improve web accessibility.
Why it matters
Poor alt text prevents people using assistive technologies from understanding image content. This tool helps developers identify and fix accessibility gaps that standard automated checkers often overlook.
The details
- WebAIM's 2026 report found alt text missing or vague on over 25% of images.
- Deterministic rules flag filenames, placeholders, and generic words like 'image' as poor quality.
- An optional AI rule analyzes image context, headings, and prose to judge quality.
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