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Social Media Accessibility

Given its broad reach, ensuring your social media content is accessible is crucial. If platform limitations prevent sharing accessible content, be prepared to offer the content in accessible alternatives. Follow these best practices to develop accessible content. 

Text

  • Provide Contact Information: Contact information is crucial for your audience to contact you with questions or for support regarding your content.
  • Limit the use of emojis: Use emojis sparingly, as they can be disruptive for assistive technology users.
  • Use camelcase for hashtags: Capitalize the first letter of each word in hashtags for better readability (e.g., #SocialMediaAccessibility).
  • Write in plain language: Use clear and simple language to make your content easy to understand. 
  • Define Acronyms: Define acronyms the first time they are used, as not all members of your audience may understand them. 
  • Share the Content Across Multiple Platforms: Ensure your audience can access the same content on their preferred platform. For example, post social media content and repost it on your website or newsletter. This practice helps if certain features on social media are inaccessible, as providing the same content on different platforms increases its availability.

Images

  • Write Descriptive Alternative Text for Images: Describe the purpose, intent, and other important details of the image for users who cannot view the image.
  • Provide Detailed Descriptions for Complex Images: For complex images (e.g., infographics, flyers) that cannot be fully described within the alternative text due to character limits, include detailed descriptions in the caption to provide additional context and information.
  • Avoid Flashing Images: Do not use images or graphics that flash or flicker.
  • Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast: Create images and graphics with sufficient contrast to be easily readable. 

Video/Audio

  • Review Captions and Transcripts for Accuracy: Review and edit captions and transcripts for accuracy and error free. 
    • Caption or transcribe key audio information, including music and sound effects.
    • Pro-tip: Use auto-generated captions as a starting point, but always edit them for accuracy and accessibility. 
  • Add Voice-Over for Visual Content: For videos with no audio that convey information visually (e.g., video clips or images), include narration or a voice-over to describe the visual content.
    • Include descriptions of key visual elements in the video, such as on-screen text or essential visuals needed for understanding the content.
  • Use Text-to-Speech: This feature converts on-screen text into audio, allowing users with visual impairments or those unable to view the screen to understand the content. 
  • Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast for Text and Visuals: Text and visual elements edited onto a video should have sufficient contrast between the foreground and background to increase readability.

Training Resources

Platform Specific Guidance:

Facebook

Instagram

Twitter/X

TikTok

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Inquiries about the CCC Accessibility Center may be directed to: accessibility@ccctechcenter.org

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