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How to Identify Images That Need Alt Text on Your uConnect Platform

This article guides uConnect platform admins through the process of identifying images that are missing alt text — a key step toward WCAG 2.1 and ADA Title II compliance. Since uConnect lacks a built-in audit tool, admins are directed to use free browser-based tools instead. Step 1 maps where images appear on the platform and who controls them. Step 2 walks through using the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool to scan pages and interpret error icons. Step 3 covers manual spot-checking via browser DevTools. Step 4 advises categorizing and prioritizing findings. A final note clarifies when decorative images should intentionally have empty alt text.

Overview

Images that are missing alt text are invisible to screen readers — meaning students who rely on assistive technology may miss key content on your virtual career center. With growing accessibility expectations under WCAG 2.1 Level AA and ADA Title II, auditing your platform for missing alt text is an important step toward compliance.

Since uConnect does not include a built-in image audit tool, this article walks you through how to identify images that need alt text using free, browser-based tools and a simple manual review process.

What You'll Need

Step 1: Know Where Images Appear in Your Platform

Before you start scanning, it helps to think through all the places images can appear on your uConnect platform. Here's a quick reference:

Location Who Controls It
Hero/banner images Admin
Staff and advisor profile photos Admin
Resource and article thumbnail images Admin
Partner or employer logos (if uploaded) Admin
Event images Admin
Site header logo uConnect platform (not admin-editable)

💡 Tip: Focus your audit on admin-controlled content first — those are the areas where you have the ability to make fixes. The site header logo is managed by uConnect and is not editable from the admin panel. Here's a refresher on what you can edit in your uConnect platform versus what uConnect has to edit for you. 

Step 2: Run a Scan with WAVE

WAVE is the most beginner-friendly option for identifying accessibility issues, including missing alt text.

  1. Navigate to a page on your uConnect platform that you want to audit (e.g., your homepage or a resource page).

  2. Go to wave.webaim.org and enter your page URL in the search bar, then press Enter.

  3. Review the results panel on the left side of the screen.

  4. Look for the following icons:

    • 🔴 Red icon — "Missing alternative text": This image has no alt attribute at all. This is an error that needs to be fixed.
    • 🔴 Red icon — "Linked image missing alternative text": An image that is also a link has no alt text. This is a higher-priority fix because it affects both image accessibility and link accessibility.
    • ⚠️ Yellow icon — "Suspicious alternative text": Alt text exists but may be incomplete or unhelpful (e.g., "image" or a file name like "img_0034.jpg").

  5. Click on any icon to highlight the image it refers to on your page.

💡 Tip: Don't try to audit your entire platform in one sitting. Start with your highest-traffic pages — your homepage, featured resources, job board, and event listings — and work outward from there.

Step 3: Do a Manual Spot-Check with Browser DevTools

For a more hands-on approach, you can inspect individual images directly in your browser.

  1. Right-click on any image on your uConnect platform page.
  2. Select Inspect (or Inspect Element) from the menu.
  3. Locate the <img> tag in the HTML panel that appears.
  4. Look at the alt attribute:
    • alt="Resume writing tips" — Alt text is present. ✅
    • alt="" — Empty alt text. This is intentional for decorative images and is correct. ✅
    • No alt attribute at all — This is an accessibility error that should be addressed. ❌

Step 4: Categorize and Prioritize Your Findings

Once you've identified images with missing or inadequate alt text, organize your findings before making edits:

  1. List every image that flagged as an error — these are your top priority.
  2. Note which images contain meaningful information (e.g., infographics, event banners with text, advisor headshots) vs. which are decorative (backgrounds, dividers, abstract visuals).
  3. Flag any images that are platform-controlled (like the site logo) so you can set them aside — uConnect manages these and they are not editable from your admin panel.
  4. Work through your list page by page, adding alt text directly in your uConnect admin using the steps in How to Use Alt Text →.

A Note on Decorative Images

Not every image requires descriptive alt text. Images that are purely decorative — meaning they add visual interest but convey no meaningful information — should have an empty alt attribute (alt=""). This tells screen readers to skip the image entirely, which is the correct and accessible behavior.

When in doubt, ask yourself: If this image didn't load, would a student miss any information? If the answer is no, it's decorative.

Need Help?

If you're unsure how to interpret your WAVE results, check out I just received an accessibility report. Who is responsible for fixing the defects?. For step-by-step instructions on writing effective alt text once you've identified your images, see How to Use Alt Text →.