Enable Alt Text Field for Cover Image in Remote Video and Local Video Media Types to Improve Accessibility

Problem/Motivation

Currently, the Cover Image field in both the Remote Video and Local Video media types does not include an Alt text field.
This makes the media items less accessible to users who rely on screen readers, as they cannot understand the visual context provided by cover images when the video itself is not playing or visible.

According to WCAG 2.2 - Guideline 1.1 (Text Alternatives), all meaningful images must include a text alternative to describe their purpose or content.

Without Alt text:
Screen readers skip over important visual content.
Accessibility audits (Lighthouse, axe DevTools, etc.) raise errors for missing alt attributes.
Content editors cannot add meaningful image descriptions for accessibility or SEO purposes.

Example
Media Type: Remote Video
Field: field_media_cover_image
Current behavior: The referenced image does not provide a text alternative field.
Expected behavior: Editors should be able to add an Alt text when uploading or referencing the image.

Steps to reproduce

1. Go to Structure : Media Types : Remote Video (or Local Video).
2. Open Manage Fields and edit the Cover Image field.
3. Observe that the referenced image field does not have the “Alt text” option enabled.
4. Create or edit a video media item - there’s no way to enter Alt text for the thumbnail image.
5. Run an accessibility scan (axe, Lighthouse) on the rendered video - notice the missing alt attribute for the cover image.

Proposed resolution

Enable the Alt field in the image reference settings for:

• field_media_cover_image in Remote Video media type.
• field_media_cover_image in Local Video media type.

• Verify that the Alt text is rendered in all templates and displays that include cover images.
• Change Varbase Demo and Varbase Media Demo ( default content ) to include alt text values in demo content.

Remaining tasks

• ✅ File an issue about this project
• ✅ Addition/Change/Update/Fix to this project
• ✅ Testing to ensure no regression
• ➖ Automated unit/functional testing coverage
• ➖ Developer Documentation support on feature change/addition
• ➖ User Guide Documentation support on feature change/addition
• ➖ UX/UI designer responsibilities
• ➖ Accessibility and Readability
• ✅ Code review from 1 Varbase core team member
• ✅ Full testing and approval
• ✅ Credit contributors
• ✅ Review with the product owner
• ✅ Update Release Notes and Update Helper on new feature change/addition
• ✅ Release varbase-10.1.0-beta1, varbase_media-10.1.0-beta2

Varbase update type

• ✅ No Update
• ➖ Optional Update
• ➖ Forced Update
• ➖ Forced Update if Unchanged

User interface changes

Remote Vimeo Video with Cover Image

Remote Youtube Video With Cover Image

Local Video with cover image

API changes

• N/A

Data model changes

• N/A

Release notes snippet

• [#3552431] fix(a11y): Enabled Alt Text Field for Cover Image in Remote Video and Local Video Media Types to Improve Accessibility