Enable alternative text field for attachments added via ArcGIS Pro

[EricaNova]

I created a feature class in ArcGIS Pro and added attachments in Pro so I could bulk-upload them. Currently, AGOL does not support this functionality (ArcGIS Online currently does not allow batch-add for attachments).

When I manually add an image to a record in AGOL, I can add alternative text; there is a custom field here. See:  https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/mapping/configure-pop-ups-tips-photos/

However, there is no alternative text field for the attachments I added in Pro. This is an important accessibility feature that is missing. Ideally, an alternative text field would also show up in my configure pop-up window, and I could use an expression or field to fill it. 

[MappyIan]

We've hit the exact same problem in a project we're working on.  We've loaded images as attachments on a polygon layer and published the layer to AGOL to expose in a web app.  But as mentioned by Erica, there's no functionality in AGOL to add alternative text to the Attachment block when configuring popups in Map Viewer.  Alternative text is a WCAG requirement, so it's surprising that suitable functionality isn't built in to Map Viewer.

The alternative approach is to upload all the images separately to AGOL as individual items, and then add them to the popup in Map Viewer using the Image block.  This allows us to specify fields to use as the URL and alternative text.

Really this functionality should be added to the Attachment block as having images as attachments against features is a really easy way of managing them rather than having to load them all in to AGOL as separate items that have to be managed individually for permissions, updates etc. etc.

[aclark2_fanshawe]

Does anyone know if there is a solution yet to this? The example above works great if you have a single attachment per feature class, but if you have multiple attachments, an alt-text field doesn't work because you can't setup a field for each individual attachment.

Our College wants us to utilize full accessibility functionality in our story maps that utilize attachments, but that is not possible with the current software. it is kind of ironic as there are lots of resources on how to add accessibility to Story Maps (e.g., Using Alternative Text for Equitable Storytelling)

[NAOMIPAUL]

Just a thought I am trying to work through- Would it possible to add an alternative text field to the attachments table and edit or display said field in the map viewer?

[EricaNova]

@NAOMIPAUL yes, that's an option (you can show the information some other place) but it cannot truly replace the alt-text field for the image. In our example, users click on a wildlife management unit and are shown the allowed hunting dates for that area. The image is actually just a calendar of the same information. But someone who cannot see cannot tell the image is just a calendar showing those dates - they just see that there is an image, without alt-text. So, we have to put text above the image saying "this calendar shows the dates above and nothing else". It also assumes that someone with a screen reader is going to read the popup instead of skimming over pop-up content and going to the image. Our work-around has been to name the image with the alt-text, but this isn't always ideal.