Instagram adds features for the visually impaired

Instagram has revealed a new set of features to help make the platform more accessible to visually impaired users.

“With more than 285-million people in the world who have visual impairments, we know there are many people who could benefit from a more accessible Instagram,” the company said on its blog.

To make Instagram more accessible in this regard, the two new features work through screen readers. These are programmes that read information on screens out loud to users who cannot see well.

The ‘automatic alternative text’ feature “uses object recognition technology to generate a description of photos for screen readers,” Instagram explained.

When posting an image, you can further use ‘custom alternative text’, which allows you to enter a description of your picture for screen readers to read.

Instagram explained that you can access the custom alternative text feature via Advanced Settings when uploading a new image, choosing “Add Alt Text” to enter your custom description.

You can also add descriptions to existing uploads too by accessing the menu section of individual images.

“These are just first steps toward creating a more accessible Instagram,” the company concluded.

Feature image: Instagram