Overview
Harmonize makes it easier than ever to create accessible, inclusive media across your courses. Whenever you upload an image or other media item in Harmonize, you’ll see built-in fields for both Alt Text and Media Captions, right beneath the media—no extra settings or menus required.
With Alt Text and Media Captions, you can:
- Support accessibility compliance with ease. Add clear alt text descriptions for screen readers and assistive technology.
- Provide helpful context for all learners. Use media captions to display visible text alongside images, documents, and other uploads.
- Save time with AI-generated alt text (if enabled at your institution). Some schools may see alt text automatically generated after upload, with the option to review and edit.
Watch the interactive tutorial below to see how it works.
Interactive Tutorial
Use the interactive tutorial below to learn about Alt Text and Media Captions. If you need or prefer step-by-step textual instructions, proceed to Accessing and Editing Alt Text.
Some tips for using the tutorial:
- Turn the volume up! Alternatively, you can mute the demo to view captions.
- Get ready to interact! When the tutorial pauses and flashes a purple dot, click it to move forward.
- Move at your own pace. When you hover in the upper lefthand corner, you will find "Back" and "Next" buttons that will allow you to jump through the steps more quickly.
Accessing and Editing Alt Text
Alt text (short for alternative text) provides a written description of an image or media item for users who rely on screen readers or other assistive technology. Including alt text is an important part of meeting accessibility expectations in higher education. In Harmonize, alt text is built directly into the media upload experience.
Where You’ll See Alt Text
Whenever an instructor uploads media in Harmonize, the alt text field appears automatically beneath the uploaded item. This is available across many Harmonize tools, including:
- Discussions
- Pages (new!)
- Peer Review
- Individual Assignments
- Q&A Boards
- Polls and Social Reading (instructions only)
Students can also access the Alt Text field, but it works a bit differently for them. See Alt Text in Student Posts.
Editing Alt Text
Adding Alt Text in Harmonize an intuitive, two-step process.
Step 1: Upload or Locate a Media Item
- Begin by uploading the media item (see Uploading Media and Files).
- You will then see an Alt Text field directly below your uploaded item.
Depending on your institution’s settings, you will see one of two things:
- Either a spinning arrow followed by autogenerated alt text
- Or “Nothing Entered” (see Why can’t I see prefilled alt text?)
- If you have previously uploaded the item, you will need to locate the item in its editable form:
- For media items in instructions, click Edit on the whole activity, and then navigate to the media item.
- For media items in comments or posts, click the 3-dot kebab menu in the upper right of the comment or post, select Edit, and then navigate to the media item.
Step 2: Edit the Alt Text
Once you've either uploaded or located the editable media item:
- Click the pencil icon next to the Alt Text field.
- Type or revise your description in the text field.
- Click Done.
Why can’t I see prefilled alt text?
Some users may notice that alt text appears automatically after upload, while others see an empty field that must be filled in manually.
Prefilled alt text is part of Harmonize’s AI Accessibility enhancement, which is available only for institutions that have AI accessibility enabled.
To learn more about this feature (and how your institution can enable it), jump to:
Alt Text in Student Posts
Students can add alt text to media they upload in posts, comments, and submissions. If available at their institution, they will also receive AI generated alt text, though we will not automatically expose the AI-generated alt text to students.
When a student uploads media at a school with AI Accessibility enabled, this is what they will see:
When a student uploads media at a school without AI Accessibility enabled, this is what they will see:
In either case, students can click the pencil icon to enter their own alt text if desired.
Instructors can also edit student alt text if needed. To edit alt text for student media:
- Open the student’s post or comment.
- Locate the media item.
- Go to the three-dot menu in the upper right corner and select Edit.
- Click the pencil icon next to the alt text field.
- Update and click Done.
See Editing Alt Text for full instructions with screenshots.
Note: When an instructor edits student content, the post will display a note indicating it was Administratively Edited.
AI-Generated Alt Text
Creating alt text is essential for accessibility compliance, but writing descriptions for every image, document, or video thumbnail can take significant time.
That’s why Harmonize offers AI-generated alt text for institutions that have AI Accessibility enabled.
What Happens with AI Accessibility Enabled?
When AI Accessibility is available at your institution:
- Alt text is automatically generated shortly (usually a few seconds) after upload.
- The text appears directly in the Alt Text field.
- You remain fully in control. You can review, edit, or replace it at any time.
This feature helps instructors and students:
- Save time during course building.
- Improve consistency across media-heavy courses.
- Support accessibility standards more efficiently.
- Prepare for evolving university accessibility requirements in 2026 and beyond.
See AI Accessibility at Harmonize to learn more.
Reviewing and Editing AI Alt Text
AI-generated alt text is always intended as a starting point, not a final answer. We strongly recommend that instructors:
- Review suggested descriptions for accuracy
- Edit the text when needed
- Ensure descriptions match the instructional purpose of the media
To edit, simply click the pencil icon next to the alt text, click Edit, make any desired changes, and then click Done.
Media Captions
In addition to alt text, Harmonize also supports Media Captions.
Media captions are visible text that appears alongside an uploaded media item. They are helpful for providing context to all learners—not just those using screen readers.
| Feature | Purpose | Visible to All Students? |
|---|---|---|
| Alt Text | Accessibility support for screen readers | No (primarily assistive tech) |
| Media Caption | Context and explanation for everyone | Yes |
Captions are especially useful for:
- Explaining why an image is included
- Providing attribution or source information
- Labeling figures for clear reference elsewhere
- Supporting comprehension for all students
Media captions are not the same as closed captions for video. To learn more about Closed Captions, see Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions.
Adding a Media Caption
To add a caption:
- Upload your media item (or locate it in its editable form).
- Locate the Caption field beneath it.
- Click the pencil icon.
- Enter the text you want all learners to see.
- Click Done.
Related articles
- AI Accessibility at Harmonize
- View and Use Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions
- Edit Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions
- Create a Harmonize Page
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why don't I see the pencil icon next to the alt text or media caption?
- Alt Text and Caption editing are only available in the Edit mode. To edit the instructions for a Harmonize activity, click the Edit button near the top of the activity. To edit a post or comment, click the three-dot menu in the upper right, then select Edit.
Do students have access to alt text and caption fields?
- Yes. Alt text and media captions are available to both instructors and students wherever media uploads are supported.
Why don’t I see AI-generated alt text?
- AI-generated alt text is only available if your institution has AI Accessibility enabled. If not, you can still enter alt text manually. See AI Accessibility at Harmonize to learn more.
Does Harmonize generate alt text for videos and documents?
Yes, when AI Accessibility is enabled, Harmonize can generate alt text based on thumbnails for a variety of file types. For example:
- Documents: alt text based on first page only
- Videos: alt text based on first still frame only
Can I regenerate AI alt text?
- Yes, but not with a button. To generate a new suggestion, upload a new copy of the item. Keep uploading until you are satisfied and then delete the copies you don't want.
Do the alt text and media captions replace video closed captions?
- No. But Harmonize does support closed captions, transcripts, and audio description (with AI generated audio descriptions available). Learn more in View and Edit Transcripts, Closed Captions, and Audio Descriptions.
Can I edit my students' alt text?
- Yes. See Alt Text in Student Posts.
Do you cap alt text at a certain number of characters? Does the AI-generated alt text ever go over this limit?
-
No, we do not cap alt text. For AI generated alt text, our model aims for 125 characters or less whenever possible. However, the model also strives for accuracy, and more complex diagrams and figures may exceed this limit. We recommend checking the AI-generated image description for accuracy and length. If the alt text is too long, we recommend the following:
- Add a text row below the image where you can format this text appropriately using things like headers and bullets. For the alt text, put something like, "Graph. Full description follows."