Social media has the power to bring people together鈥攂ut when you do not use accessibility best practices, social media has the power to exclude.
It's important to note that social media platforms often present accessibility challenges. Individuals relying on screen readers encounter difficulties due to the absence of headers, limited keyboard shortcuts, missing alternate text for images, inadequate colour contrast, and videos lacking closed captions.
Key considerations for accessible social media
Always add alternative (alt) text
Descriptive captions and alternative text (known as 鈥alt text鈥) allow people to visualize images when they can鈥檛 see them. It鈥檚 important to add alt text, as accessibility tools read them to describe images for users. Leaving it blank will cause a screen reader to announce it as 鈥渋mage,鈥 creating a poor experience.
Video captions
Adding captions or subtitles to videos is crucial for users with hearing challenges. Captions also enhance the viewing experience for users watching in a non-native language or sound-off environments. There are two types of captions: closed and open. Users can turn closed captions on or off, and they are added natively within social platforms (usually as a .srt file). Open captions are 鈥渂urned in鈥 when creating the video, and always visible.
Write using accessible text
Prioritizing clarity in writing makes text more accessible and understandable. And that benefits everyone, regardless of their challenges. When writing post copy, consider the reading experience for others. How will it impact users using accessibility tools like screen readers? What about users learning English as a second language or users with learning disabilities?
Create accessible visuals
Just like text,听social media visuals听can also present accessibility challenges. Fortunately, there are many easy ways in which visuals can be made accessible and inclusive for all by being mindful of colour contrast, avoiding flashing or excessive movement in animations and steering clear of excessive text in images. View U蓝莓视频鈥檚听social media guidelines听for best-practices in creating accessible visuals.
Stay up to date on platform accessibility features
Good news: Accessibility has become a bigger priority for many social media platforms in recent years,听such as the ability to include alt text and auto-generated captions. It鈥檚 important to be familiar with each platform鈥檚 accessibility features and resources. Access U蓝莓视频鈥檚听social media accessibility guidelines听for an overview of what is available across platforms.