Broadening (a)ccessibility to Science by Increasing (A)ccessibility through Natural History Image Descriptions and Alt Text

Recorded On: 06/24/2024

Cailin Meyer and James Tiller discuss using image descriptions for digital accessibility (alt text and extended descriptions) as a means of servicing multiple communities and increasing accessibility to digital assets and collections. While image descriptions have been in use by many art institutions over the last decade, scientific institutions are further behind in adopting their use due to subject matter challenges. Cailin and James will discuss their experience with creating guidelines for writing image descriptions for digital accessibility for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), the first-ever natural history-specific guidelines. The AIC Imaging Working Group is excited to learn from their experience and expertise along with the NMNH guidelines to consider guidelines for image descriptions for digital accessibility for conservation images.

Cailin Meyer

Registrar

Department of Entomology, National Museum of Natural History

Cailin Meyer is the Registrar for the Department of Entomology at the National Museum of Natural History. With experience working on all types of natural history collections, and a background in zooarchaeology and comparative anatomy, Cailin specializes in biohazard concerns, disaster response and training, and increasing accessibility for individuals in museum spaces. For over a decade, Cailin has actively worked to increase resources for and understanding of digital accessibility concerns amongst Smithsonian staff and has been involved in developing and delivering multiple trainings across the Smithsonian Institution (SI) and other museums. At the beginning of 2020, Cailin and James set out to develop guidelines for writing image descriptions specifically for scientific-minded digital images. Together, they also successfully advocated for the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) to add Alt Text and Extended Descriptions as IPTC embedded metadata fields. Since then, they have turned their attention inward and are working on creating a roadmap for technical implementation of alt text to existing digital images at SI.

James Tiller

Photographer

Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)

James Tiller (they/them), a holistically trained Biological Anthropologist, is currently a Photographer for the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History (NMNH). As a disabled photographer, James strives to increase the reach of museum collections and research, especially for those who have been historically marginalized. As such, they have co-developed the Smithsonian’s policy and guidance regarding gender identity and inclusion, and the first ever guidelines for writing alt text and extended descriptions for images depicting natural history collections. In 2021, James successfully helped advocate for the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) to add Alt Text and Extended Descriptions as IPTC embedded metadata fields. James is currently Co-Lead Elect of the Smithsonian’s Disability Employee Resource Group and Co-Lead of Pride in Federal Service’s Gender Expansive and Transgender Federal Working Group. James is also the proud parent of the world’s cutest cat, Steven (she/her).