1. Bookshare Image Description Guidelines
Technical Content (Data)
First, register as a volunteer to use Bookshare’s online Image Description application
known at Poet:
https://diagram.herokuapp.com/
The following is a set of guidelines to help you in describing images. These guidelines
are specific for technical content such as textbooks. There are four main sections to this
document:
General Tips
Data Representation
How to Start
Context in Selecting Images to Describe
General Tips
v Brevity
o Don’t make the description unnecessarily long.
v Data
o The description should focus on data and not the appearance.
v Clarity
o If the reader needs to read a description several times because it is poorly
written or is presented in a confusing manner, it is not accessible.
v Organization
o Lists and tables provide speedy and independent access to data that is
unavailable through traditional linear, narrative descriptions.
Remember you’re not describing what the image looks like. You’re providing the
information presented in the image in the most efficient and accessible way.
Data Representation
First determine if the data in the graph is supplementary to the text or if the author is
displaying some sort of trend. If the data is deemed important, make sure to list and
describe the key points. If the author’s intent is to display a trend, describe the trend
instead of the data.
Below are a list of different ways in which data can be represented and things to
remember when describing each figure.

3. BAR GRAPH (Horizontal or Vertical)
Title: Figure __ is a bar graph titled _____.
Caption: The caption is _____.
Source: Source is ___.
Axes: The horizontal axis is ___ and runs from __ to __ in increments of
___. The vertical axis is ___ and runs from __ to __ in increments
of ___.
Bars: Read values for bars. Reading from left to right, the bars are
______.
Explain graph’s main purpose.
Example:
CARTOONS/COMIC STRIPS. For a book containing cartoons or comic strips,
describe the drawing and include the caption if it is part of the image. Don’t describe the
strip if it is merely a drawing, which does not contribute to the text.

4. COMPUTER SCREEN ILLUSTRATIONS. The screen shot illustrations do not need
to be read in detail unless the book is a computer science text or manual. For computer
screen layouts, it is sufficient to give a brief summary.
DIAGRAMS/FLOW CHARTS. Be sure to include the caption (if it is part of the
image) and source info. Only describe the diagram if it is not described in the
surrounding text. Keep in mind the intent and level of the text.
Example. (Note in this description, the major points are presented in bullets. The
sentences are short and just enough details are given without being too verbose.)
Diagram of the breathing process.

5. Inhalation
• A muscle at the base the lungs, called the diaphragm, moves downward.
• Inside the lungs, pressure decreases and air rushes in.
• Ribs move upward and outward.
• Volume of the chest cavity increases.
• Air flows into the nose and mouth.
Exhalation
• Diaphragm moves upward.
• Inside the lungs, pressure increases and air moves out.
• Ribs move downward and inward.
• Volume of chest cavity decreases.
• Air flows out through the nose and mouth.
LINE GRAPH. Give the title, caption (if part of the image), source and axes information
as shown in the Bar Graph section above. Be sure to give an adequate description that
summarizes the author’s purpose.
MAPS. Most maps will require only a title, the type of map, the compass rose, the key or
legend, and a brief description of the geography. Describe what is shown and what
borders the area specified in the map. Sometimes, it is enough to say “There is more
detail than is described here. Return to text.”
PHOTOS/PORTRAITS/DRAWINGS
Include the illustration title, caption (if part of the image), and source. If more
information is needed, then describe the illustration as a whole first and then the details in
sequence. There is no need to describe details such as type of clothing, hair style, etc. in
portraits.
PIE GRAPH
• Be sure to include the graph title, caption and source.
• Describe the data in the pie chart in a logical order. i.e.,“reading in
descending order, the wedges are ____”. Include the value of each wedge
if available.
TABLES. No description is necessary for tables that are part of the text. If the table is an
image, the description should be “Table needs to be transcribed”.

6. How to Start
1. Ask yourself, "How does this figure supplement the text? Stress these
points and avoid unimportant details.
2. Consider the grade level of the text in choosing the words you will use in
the description.
3. Describe the illustration as a whole first and then go into details.
4. Describe the details in a logical sequence based on the information they
convey and not their appearance.
Formatting Your Descriptions
Use Word or a similar application to write your descriptions. At the top of the file include
the title of the book and chapter you are describing. Create separate Word documents for
each chapter.
Label each description with as much information as possible:
− figure number
− page number with images numbered
− section number
− chapter number and section heading
Describe images in the order they appear on the page, top to bottom. Do not skip images.
If an image is repeated, repeat the description if brief or write “same as previous image”.
If for any reason an image is not described, include an entry for the image with the
description content being [image not described]. Leave blank lines between descriptions
and multiple blank lines between sections and/or chapters.
If the image is adequately described in the surrounding text, the image description should
be “image described in text”. Do not skip images.
If the image has a caption (that is not part of the image) that describes the image, the
image description should be “image dscribed in caption”.
If you have questions or comments for the transcriber (you aren't sure if the description is
accurate or it includes symbols that may not render correctly, etc.), either make the
comment/question text a different color or prepend To Suzy: before the question.

7. Examples:
figure number
Figure 1.3: Graph showing the supply and demand curves of guns and butter.
--
page number with images numbered
Page 123, figure 1: A white cat with blue eyes.
Page 123, figure 2: A black cat with yellow eyes.
--
chapter number with section number and images numbered
Chapter 6
Section 6.4
Figure 1: A cupcake with a single candle on top.
Figure 2: A half-eaten cupcake.
--
chapter number with section title and images numbered
Chapter 3
Section: Types of Triathlon Equipment
Figure 1: A bicycle helmet, sunglasses and a waterbottle.
Figure 2: A wetsuit and swimming goggles.
Figure 3: Running shoes and a sunvisor.
--

8. Sample image described in the text
Figure 1-4 Albino rabbits
As you can see in the picture above, albino rabbits have white fur and red eyes.
The image needs no description because the image was described in the text.
Context in
Describing
an
Image
We offer the following advice as a general approach to describing an image:
1. The first step is to identify the learning objective behind the graphic you are
working on. We had a fascinating illustration of the relevance of this on
Wednesday when a volunteer presented the dilemma of exactly the same photo
being used two times in the same chapter to make different points:
2. After getting an initial visual grasp of the graphic find the caption or label. (It may
be in the body text.)
3. Determine if the caption will be read by AT before or after your image description
is read.
4. If before you may skip this step. If after consider inserting the caption, or a
paraphrase of it, at the start of your description.

9. 5. Determine how much of the graphic is already described in the text and need not
be repeated.
6. Remind yourself of the specific topic of the text at the point where the graphic
appears and scan ahead to the next point in the argument. (Section headings can
give helpful hints for this step)
7. Identify the purpose of the graphic in the context of the argument being made.
8. Isolate, for description, any data that is essential to the argument and that is
available to the reader only through the graphic.
9. Note regarding visual representations of process flows or cycles: Review your
description to be certain that what flows logically in a visual context also does so
in its purely verbal rendition. Maintain awareness of the memory burden created
by the linear presentation of data in a text format where the visual clues of
context, accessible with a scan of the eyes, may not be available to refresh the
reader's memory.
10. Edit your description for brevity while retaining clarity.
For more detail on describing specific types of images in STEM books see:
https://diagram-center.herokuapp.com/help/DescriptionGuidance.html
Follow the link below to sign up for the Bookshare Image Describer Volunteers’
Discussion List:
http://www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/lsg2.cgi/l=bks-img-desc