Turner Contemporary partners with RNIB to promote alt text

The Turner Contemporary in Margate has partnered with sight loss charity the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to raise awareness of the importance of using alternative text (alt text) on visual content. 

Alt text makes images accessible to ensure blind and partially sighted people. It is a written description of the image read aloud by a screen reader to help people with sight loss understand the content of the image and to engage with it. 

Creative agency MullenLowe UK collaborated with the gallery and charity to create an alt text description of Antony Gormley’s sculpture Another Time, a cast iron sculpture of a figure that stands on Fulsam Rock and is obscured at high tide. 

The new signage has been added to the railings on Margate seafront and describes the Gormley statue. A QR code, when scanned, describes the statue and provides further information using alt text.

The addition of the new sign marked Global Accessibility Awareness Day on 16 May.

Gormley’s sculpture is only visible when the tide is out and disappears under the sea when the tide comes in, further highlighting what’s hidden from blind and partially sighted people if alt text isn’t included.

This initiative developed in response to recent RNIB research, which found that only three in 10 people are aware of alt text. 

Martin Wingfield, RNIB’s director of brand, said: “Alt text makes a huge difference to blind and partially sighted people in their everyday lives. it breaks down barriers and makes content accessible for everyone to enjoy.”

Clarrie Wallis, the director of Turner Contemporary, said: “We are committed to making art and our gallery inclusive and accessible to all and are delighted to be supporting RNIB to highlight this important initiative.”