Social media has become a huge part of our daily lives – we're never too far from our phones, right?
But for some users it's not always easy to access and enjoy these platforms.
Think of it this way: public spaces need to be accessible for obvious reasons, and this is true for online spaces too.
Many people face barriers when trying to use social media. Some struggle to see images, while others have trouble hearing videos.
For this reason, it's important that brands make their social media content accessible. This means designing it so that all users, including those with disabilities, can engage with your posts. This approach isn't just nice to have – it's essential for reaching your whole audience.
A great example here is NASA, who consistently include alt text and detailed image descriptions below their stunning spacescapes, and make video content accessible by including easy-to-follow captions.
Brushing up on accessibility has other benefits too. By making your content easier to access for everyone, you're not only being inclusive but also expanding your reach and potential impact.
Thankfully, the process of making your content more accessible is simpler than you might think. It can be something as straightforward as adding alt text to images, or using captions for videos. Even just writing clear, easy-to-read posts is a good place to start. These small changes can make a big difference in how people experience your content.
Understanding social media accessibility
Social media accessibility involves practices that ensure everyone can use and enjoy online platforms. It's all about removing barriers and creating a more inclusive digital space.
Importance of accessibility on social media
In simple terms, creating inclusive social media content means presenting images, videos, and text in a way that all users can access and understand. This includes people with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities. Accessible posts use clear text, image descriptions, captions, and simple layouts. It involves using plain language wherever possible, and avoiding jargon.
Making social media accessible is crucial. It means more people join conversations and connect online. You reach a wider audience and show you care about inclusion. Accessible content often performs better too. It’s easier for everyone to read and engage with.
Harvard demonstrates this well with a requirement for their accounts to share only accessible content and follow digital accessibility guidelines.
Legal implications
Accessibility isn't just a nice thing to conside. There are laws that require digital accessibility for certain types of websites. For example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to many online spaces, and section 508 sets rules for federal agencies. Not following these can have significant implications.
Other countries have similar laws, too. It's all about stopping discrimination and making sure everyone has equal access. It makes sense that, as social media grows, so does the focus on making it accessible. Some platforms even offer built-in accessibility tools. These are one handy way you can create accessible content.
Platform-specific accessibility features
Depending on the social media platform, there are various tools you can use to make content more accessible. These features are an important way to help all users engage fully with posts, images, and videos. Making visual content accessible by using features like alt text, closed captions, and audio descriptions is crucial for fostering inclusivity in digital communication.
In this section, we’ll get into the different accessibility options available on the biggest social media platforms. Most platforms have fairly good accessibility standards, but you might need to dig into the advanced settings to find what you need.
Facebook provides several accessibility options. For example, you can add alt text to images when posting, making them readable for screen readers. To do this, click "Edit" on an image and select "Alternative Text".
For videos, Facebook offers auto-generated captions. A word of warning: it's worth checking these before you post, as they often get a bit scrambled! To avoid any unnecessary frustration for viewers, always edit captions for accuracy. Alternatively, the platform also supports closed captions files you upload yourself.
Facebook's text-to-speech feature can also read out post content. You can find this in the "Accessibility" section of your Facebook settings.
Like Facebook, Instagram lets you add alt text to images, though you'll need to do a little digging to find it. When uploading a photo, tap "Advanced Settings" and then "Write Alt Text". You can also add it later by editing the post.
For Instagram Stories, you can use the "Create" mode to add text that's readable by screen readers.
Instagram also has a custom keyword feature that lets you filter out potentially upsetting content. This can be helpful for users with particular sensitivities.
X
X also supports alt text for images. When composing a post with an image, click "Add description" to input alt text.
For videos, X's Media Studio lets you add captions. You've got two options here: you can either upload .SRT files or create captions directly in the platform.
X also goes a little further by offering a setting to make images more accessible. It increases color contrast and makes buttons easier to see. You'll find it in the "Accessibility" section of the settings.
LinkedIn also allows you to add alt text to images in posts and articles. When uploading an image, click "Add alt text" below it.
For videos, LinkedIn supports closed captions. You can upload a .SRT file when posting a video. The platform also offers auto-captioning for some video types (as always, check for accuracy before posting!)
LinkedIn's "Accessibility" settings let you adjust text size and contrast. This can make the platform easier to use for those with visual impairments.
TikTok
TikTok has an auto captions feature for all videos. Just click the "Captions" button on the right of the screen once you've recorded or uploaded your video. You can then review the captions before publishing the video.
You can also write your captions manually by using the text editing tool directly onto your videos. The best advice is to let TikTok do the hard work with its auto generated captions, and then edit them to ensure they make sense.
Tools and resources for enhancing accessibility
Making social media content accessible is actually surprisingly easy, since there are a lot of tools and resources to help you along the way. Let's look at some key options to improve accessibility.
Accessibility checkers
Several tools can check your social media posts for accessibility issues. For example, WAVE is a great web accessibility tool that works on social media pages. It's good at spotting any accessibility hiccups like missing alt text on images.
The Accessibility Insights extension for browsers can also spot issues in social media layouts. It focuses on things like color contrast and keyboard navigation.
Educational resources
If you want to learn more about digital accessibility, you can even take a course. W3C Web Accessibility Initiative offers free online courses on digital accessibility, and these will teach you all you need to know about best practices for social media.
The Social Media Accessibility Toolkit from Explore Access also gives tips for different platforms. It explains how to add alt text, use captions, and create accessible hashtags (this involves tricks like capitalizing the first letter of every word, to make the hashtag easier to read).
WebAIM is another great go-to resource for accessibility, with lots of articles on writing clearly for accessibility. This will get you on the path to creating posts everyone can understand. They also have a color contrast checker for your visuals.
AbilityNet is a UK-based charity aiming at making digital world more accessible. We found some helpful advice on their site about emojis, explaining why it isn't a good idea to replace entire words with emojis. The example they give is around using the 'scream' emoji in place of the word 'scary'. "For a screen reader user a post may read 'Halloween was so - face screaming in fear - this year'. Use an emoji at the end of a sentence so your message is clear for all."
Benefits of accessible social media content
We’ve already touched on some of the benefits of creating accessible social media content, but it’s worth spelling out the positives, as they’re quite wide-ranging.
Brushing up on accessibility opens up new opportunities for brands and users alike. Ensuring accessibility in every social media post is crucial to reach a wide audience, and it improves the overall social media experience for everyone.
Expanding audience reach
Like we said in our introduction, accessible content helps you reach more people. By making your posts easy to understand and interact with, you can reach a wider audience that includes people with different abilities and needs.
To start with, using alt text for images lets screen readers describe visuals to users with visual impairments. Meanwhile, Captions on videos allow deaf viewers to follow along easily.
These practices also help users with temporary limitations, like someone browsing without sound in a public place. By removing barriers, you invite more people to engage with your brand.
What's more, alt text captions are good for SEO because Google reads them too. Your content is therefore more likely to appear on search results.
Enhancing user engagement
When your content is accessible, more people can interact with it and find a connection with the stuff you're posting. This leads to higher engagement rates across your social platforms.
Accessible posts are often clearer and easier to understand for all users.
This has simple rewards, like more likes, comments, and shares. It also means people are more likely to stick around when they're viewing your feed.
At a marketing level, you'll find that people are more likely to click with your messaging, which will hopefully lead to higher click-through rates to your website.
Improving brand reputation
Prioritizing accessibility shows that you care about all your customers. This can be a big deal for your brand's image and it can help you build customer loyalty.
Users appreciate brands that make an effort to include everyone. They're more likely to view your company as socially responsible, innovative, and customer-focused.
This positive perception can lead to increased brand loyalty and word-of-mouth recommendations. It may also attract new customers who value inclusive practices.
Ultimately, making accessibility a priority is a good way to demonstrate your commitment to diversity and inclusion. This can set you apart from competitors and strengthen your brand's reputation.
Common challenges and solutions in implementing accessibility
Making social media content accessible isn't tricky when you know how, but you might run into a few challenges here and there.
Let's look at two big hurdles and how to tackle them.
Resource limitations
Many companies struggle with limited time, money, and staff to make their social media accessible.
For example, checking and fixing auto captions might not take that long on one video, but it adds up when you have lots of social media content spread across multiple platforms.
To get ahead of this, it's best to start small. You could focus on nailing accessibility for new content before you tackle the archives.
Make the most of free tools to test your posts, but remember they aren't perfect and might not pick up on issues that affect real users!
Make sure you train your team on basic accessibility. A big part of getting this stuff right is just knowing that accessibility options are available, and remembering to include them before hitting publish.
And this probably goes without saying, but if you're a new business, it's definitely easier to build accessibility into your social media strategy from the start than to update all your content later on.
Staying updated with best practices
Accessibility guidelines change as tech evolves. It's hard to keep up, but vital.
You can stay current by checking in with accessibility experts on social media, or finding online communities focused on digital accessibility. There are also webinars or workshops on social media accessibility.
To make sure you don't miss anything, set up some Google Alerts for new accessibility standards. Oh, and make sure you check in on your accessibility practices regularly. Consider reviewing your practices quarterly to spot areas for improvement.
Frequently asked questions
Let's end by exploring some common questions about creating accessible social media experiences.
How can organizations create a checklist to ensure their social media channels and content are accessible?
OK, here's your to-do list: start with platform-specific accessibility features. That means alt text, captions, and transcripts. Next, check readability and color contrast. Make sure you're using clear language, and use accessibility tools to check everything looks good. If you're able to get feedback from real users on accessibility, that's all the better. Update the checklist regularly as platforms change.
Can you list some commonly accepted rules for accessibility on social media?
There are some things that are big no-nos when it comes to accessibility and social media posts. For example, fully capitalized text can be hard to read. Acronyms and jargon aren't great either. Instead, go for font sizes that are user-friendly and make sure text is easy to read against backgrounds. For example, bright colours paired together can be really hard to read! These are just a couple of simple things to look out for, but there are plenty more ways you can make your posts and channels more accessible.
