Eric doesn’t mince words, especially in the title, but also in the conclusion:
In modern web design and development, displaying an image is a highly intentional act. Alternate descriptions allow us to explain the content of the image, and in doing so, communicate why it is worth including.
Just because an image displays something fanciful doesn’t mean it isn’t worth describing. Announcing its presence ensures that anyone, regardless of ability or circumstance, can fully understand your digital experience.
I like the bit where, even when a CSS background-image is used, you can still use a “spacer GIF” to add alt text. And speaking of alt descriptions, did you know even Open Graph images can have them?
