The SVG specification includes means to provide a textual description of a graphic element. It is reccommended to provide at least a title of the icon and a short description, using the title and desc elements.
<svg> <g> <title>Folder</title> <desc>A folder representing directory on a filesystem.</desc> <!-- artwork --> </g> </svg>
Example 1.1. Including a textual description of an icon
When describing an icon, describe the object, not the functionality of the tool this icon will be used for. The icon can be used in slightly different roles and the actual tooltip in the application may provide this kind of description. This is a generic metadata related to the icon itself.