references/text-alternatives-and-complex-images.md

# Text Alternatives and Complex Images

## What Problem This Solves

This reference covers how to provide non-visual access to the insight in a chart or dashboard.

## When to Use It

Use this when the visualization will be embedded on the web, exported to documents, or consumed with assistive technology.

## Key Takeaways

- Short alt text is often not enough for complex charts.
- The key insight, structure, and notable values may need a longer description or surrounding narrative.
- Data tables and adjacent summaries can be part of the accessibility strategy.

## Common Mistakes

- Writing alt text that only names the chart type.
- Treating accessibility text as separate from the analytical message.

## Adjacent Skills

- `../SKILL.md`
- `../../reports-pdfs-and-slide-automation/SKILL.md`

## Source Links

- [W3C Complex Images Tutorial](https://www.w3.org/WAI/tutorials/images/complex/)