What is the term for text used by screen readers to describe a chart?

What is the term for text used by screen readers to describe a chart?

• A. Alternative
• B. Caption
• C. Legend
• D. Metadata

Answer: (A)

Alternative text is the description given to images and charts so screen readers can convey their meaning to someone who can’t see them. It provides a concise, helpful summary of what the chart shows, including the key takeaway or data emphasis, allowing accessibility without relying on the visual. That’s why this term fits best: it’s specifically the text read aloud by assistive tech to describe the graphic itself. A caption is typically visible text shown with the image and not primarily intended for screen readers to convey content when the image can’t be interpreted. A legend explains the colors or symbols used in the chart, not the chart’s overall description. Metadata refers to data about the data, like authorship or date, and doesn’t describe the chart’s content for accessibility purposes.

Alternative text is the description given to images and charts so screen readers can convey their meaning to someone who can’t see them. It provides a concise, helpful summary of what the chart shows, including the key takeaway or data emphasis, allowing accessibility without relying on the visual. That’s why this term fits best: it’s specifically the text read aloud by assistive tech to describe the graphic itself. A caption is typically visible text shown with the image and not primarily intended for screen readers to convey content when the image can’t be interpreted. A legend explains the colors or symbols used in the chart, not the chart’s overall description. Metadata refers to data about the data, like authorship or date, and doesn’t describe the chart’s content for accessibility purposes.