Bug 39558

When creating accessible documents, images and other objects need a text alternative. This text alternative is used in text-to-speech (for example in screen readers) and when converting to other formats such as audio books and Braille. In Writer, a text alternative can be added after inserting a picture, but it would be more efficient to allow users to add the text alternative while inserting the picture.

The current process is:
1. Through the menus, go to Insert -> Picture -> From file...; 
2. Browse to the image file and press Open.
3. In the Writer document, right-click on the picture, then either
3.a. select Picture from the context menu, go to the Options tab and fill in the field 'Alternative (Text only)', or
3.b. select Description from the context menu, and fill in Title (if the picture is so clomplex that it requires an elaborate description, also fill in Description).

The new process would be:
1. Through the menus, go to Insert -> Picture -> From file...; 
2. Browse to the image file, fill in the field 'Alternative (Text only)' and press Open.
(When you then right-click on the picture, you should find the text alternative both on the Options tab of the Picture dialog and in the Title field of the Description dialog.)

Some WYSIWYG HTML editors have supported this for years (for example the Composer that is part of Mozilla Seamonkey, and previously Netscape Composer).
See also the current working draft of the W3C Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) 2.0 and the implementation guidance at http://www.w3.org/TR/2011/WD-IMPLEMENTING-ATAG20-20110721/#sc_b222 .

This issue is currently linked to Writer, but it is also relevant to Impress.