Social Security Administration Guide: Alternate Text for Images

Bullets

Avoid using images for bullets. If images are absolutely needed, then use the word “bullet” as the alt-text.

 

If bullet images are used programmatically in Word, there is no need (and no mechanism) to add alt-text, but they will be spoken by screen readers correctly.

 

It is rare that a bullet image will need a longer description than “bullet”. If it does, consider whether there are other ways to convey the information (e.g., by breaking list content into separate headings).

 

“Bullet”

 

“Dog Bone”
It’s more important to identify it as a bullet (part of a list).