NFT Alt Text: A Simple, Straightforward EIP
Making small yet effective strides in promoting inclusion in the blockchain space
Alternative text assists users who leverage assistive technology. Specifically individuals using screen readers directly benefit from an accurate, concise description of images on an application or website.
Given that NFTs are portable between marketplaces, website, and decentralized applications (dapps), it is more efficient to create a suitable description upon creation of the NFT. In this way, the description can be attached to the image and ported between interfaces.
This piece will expand on how effective this simple EIP proposal is. It will be beginner friendly, feel free to skip to relevant sections if you already know terms such as EIP, metadata, etc.
alternative text: Two side by side images. On the Left is written"NFT Alt Text" with a description icon underneath to signify alt text. To the right is a picture Icon to represent NFT images against a blue-green gradient background.
What is an EIP?
An EIP is a design document providing information to the Ethereum community, or describing a new feature or improvement for Ethereum. Anyone in the community can propose an EIP. Think of it as a formal suggestion box for changes to how Ethereum works.
Ethereum Improvement Proposals (EIPs) are further categorized into six types: Core, Networking, Interface, ERC, Meta, and Informational. Each has their own purpose depending on the technical level with which you are proposing a change. We have classified our EIP as informational, as it is at a metadata level and not a core protocol change.
What is NFT Metadata?
Metadata is additional information associated with a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) which can include attributes such as name, description, and image, it is structured as a JSON. Metadata is typically stored off-chain in decentralized file storage systems like IPFS or Arweave due to cost and scalability. A URI, which is essentially a link, pointing to this metadata is stored on-chain in the NFT's smart contract.
EIP Proposal For Alternative Text
In short, Haptics DAO has proposed that in the metadata of each NFT, creator(s) should include a field designated as “alt”. “alt” will contain only an accurate description of the NFT image. Any user interface, dapp, or marketplace can then simply display the NFT details from the chain with the “alt” field in the front-end image tag pointing to this metadata field. This field should be placed at the topmost level of the metadata for ease of access.
Responsibility of an accurate or revisable alternative text falls to the creator(s). They may consult with an expert or follow best practices in describing the image. It is not practical to require exchanges to sort and describe thousands of collections.
For generative collections it is possible to accurately describe the base image, and then dynamically set the additional fields in the description as the script is run. For example, “side profile of a girl with {hair_color} hair wearing {shirt_color}” etc.
{
"title": "Cool Cats NFT Collection",
"type": "cat",
"alt" :"Cool Cat wearing black sunglasses and a beige fedora. He is smiling and holding a coffee mug."
{
"attributes" : [
{
"trait_type" : "object",
"value" : "coffee mug"
},
{
"trait_type" : "hat_type",
"value" : "fedora"
}
],
"description" : "Cool Cat #245, medium rarity copyrighted under cool cat studios.",
"image" : "ipfs://exampleURI",
"name" : "Boris McCoy"
}Regardless, human review is still required prior to mint to confirm accuracy.
Why not use “description” in the metadata?
Description exists as a field in different collections currently. Since it can be more general, “alt” would designate a specific purpose of solely describing the image accurately for others. Sometimes projects include copyright or rights content in the description, other times it may be more general collection information.
Benefits
Beyond NFT marketplaces, this simple straightforward EIP can provide a way of aiding in reducing barriers. Alternative text was cited as a continued barrier for individuals according to a recent report by WebAIM. Alternative text is among the top 5-6 issues that can be easily addressed.
“Addressing just these few types of issues would significantly improve accessibility across the web” ~2023 WebAIM report
Going beyond marketplaces, any website or dapp that sourced an image from an NFT minted on-chain would also benefit. Corporate logos minted as NFTs could carry their descriptions between websites in another instance.
Conclusion
Although this is a simple EIP, the potential it carries to contribute to a greater accessibility is evident. If each collection creator, developer, and marketplace were willing to spend only a little extra time it could easily contribute to a better experience.
Our discussion forum for this EIP may be found on Ethereum Magicians.
Thank you for your time! Kindly share to help spread the word. Small steps go a long way in making the space more inclusive. Onwards!
Resources
https://nftschool.dev/reference/metadata-schemas/#intro-to-json-schemas
https://eips.ethereum.org/
https://accessibility.huit.harvard.edu/describe-content-images
https://webaim.org/techniques/alttext/
https://docs.opensea.io/docs/metadata-standards
https://ethereum-magicians.org/t/proposal-for-informational-eip-simple-accessibility-recommendation/14639