For many people, social media is a part of their everyday routine with no problems. They may log onto their favorite platforms multiple times a day, and it may be the first and last thing they see each day.
Though we all have different experiences online, there are some who have a more difficult time than others. A large population around the world has one or more impaired senses, which makes it hard for them to enjoy the same things we do online.
The World Health Organization estimates that around 1.3 billion people have some form of vision impairment, with approximately 253 million of them experiencing severe vision impairment or complete blindness. This means that a large portion of the global population has to use text-to-speech programs or screen readers in order to be able to use the internet and other digital platforms.
A significant portion of the population is being excluded from enjoying the benefits of the internet because website creators are not taking their needs into consideration.
There are social media features and best practices that ensure that anyone can access your content.
Why is it important to make social media accessible?
It is important to create content that is accessible to everyone so that everyone can enjoy it. This means that it is important to recognize that you need to make changes and learn how to be inclusive. Inclusive content creation makes you a better person and a better marketer.
This means that everyone can access your content. If you do not have accessible social media practices, you are excluding audience members who are unable to hear, see, or read your work.
How can you make sure social media is accessible? By using inclusive practices and making them part of your routine.
We have the tips and best practices to help you!
Now that you know why social media accessibility is important, let’s talk about how to create posts and strategies that are inclusive for everyone.
1. Use plain language
Use clear and concise language in your posts. This type of writing is called plain language. Using simple words and uncomplicated language makes it easier for your audience to understand your content quickly. Plain language also helps people with cognitive disabilities understand your message.
Writing in plain language involves:
- Short and sweet sentences
- Active voice with uncomplicated words audience members are familiar with
- Leaving out details that complicate sentences
- Avoiding jargon and slang
- Avoiding technical terms if possible
This is not the time to use flowery or overly complicated language. You want to be clear and to the point, like Hemingway. In fact, you can even use Hemingway App to make sure your writing is clear and concise.
2. Use person-first language instead of ableist language
Do not describe people or groups of people in negative terms based on their disabilities, challenges, or how they look. Treat people with respect and use language that includes everyone. If you make negative comments about someone’s identity–even without meaning to–you run the risk of making that person feel excluded.
Person-first language looks like this:
- “A person with a disability”
- “A person with special needs”
- “A person who is deaf”
If someone is being featured in your organization or if you have interviewed them, ask them how they would like to be identified.
3. Use inclusive terms and phrases
Many people with disabilities find that slang terms and phrases can be harmful and reinforcing negative stereotypes.
About 20% of American adults suffer from mental illness annually, as stated by the National Alliance of Mental Health (NAMI). It is important to avoid words that have a negative connotation towards people with mental health conditions or substance abuse problems.
- Instead of saying “that’s crazy,” say “that’s wacky!” or “that’s shocking!”
- Instead of saying “I’m so addicted,” say “I’m so into this!”
- Don’t refer to something or someone as “OCD,” “bipolar,” “hysterical,” or “psycho.”
Make simple word choices that highlight inclusivity:
- Use gender-neutral pronouns.
- “We support” instead of “We stand with…”
- Avoid “able-bodied” as it implied that people with disabilities are broken.
If you are unsure about which word to use, always choose a more precise word without bias. Have someone else review your writing before you publish it to make sure it does not alienate any readers.
4. Offer accessible social media descriptions
Alt text and image descriptions are important for people with vision impairment and other disabilities because they provide written context that describes the visual elements of images and graphics. Also, if a webpage fails to load the image, alt text will specify what’s missing.
All of the following social media platforms offer a section for alt-text on images and GIFs: Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, and Facebook. If the social media platform you’re using doesn’t have a section for alt-text, simply include a descriptive caption at the end of your body copy.
Provide accessible social media image descriptions using these tips:
- Don’t start with “image of” or “photograph shows.” Screen readers announce that before reading the image description.
- Mention colors if it’s relevant to the photograph.
- Keep it short, and use correct spelling and grammar.
- Convey humor transparently so that everyone’s in on the joke.
- Transcribe text in the photos. If the image has important text (like a meme), include the text in the description.
- Write in plain language. Be descriptive but don’t insert your own opinions into it.
Your alt text descriptions should accurately convey the meaning of the image. The WebAIM website offers a comprehensive guide on how to write alt text.
5. Include representation in your photos and videos
It’s time for platforms like Twitter to take a stand. It is essential that people from underrepresented backgrounds are represented. In recent years, we have seen more representation in TV shows and movies, and social media should be no different. Twitter should take a stand on this issue.
If you can afford it, hire a photographer or artist with a disability to create original images. Otherwise, use stock photos that include people with disabilities.
There are many free or low-cost databases that offer inclusive photography (just don’t forget to add attribution):
6. Caption your video content
Video content must have captions for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Also, think about how often you watch videos without sound. If you’re in a noisy place or don’t have headphones, you probably turn off the audio. You’re not the only one—69% of consumers do this. In fact, more than 80% of consumers said they’re more likely to watch a whole video if it has captions. And about 50% of consumers expect captions to be provided.
It’s easy to use closed captioning service on any social media platform:
- You can use apps like Clipomatic or Zubtitles to automate your subtitles.
- YouTube and Vimeo both have built-in ways to do closed captioning.
- On Facebook business pages, click the “Video Options” button and toggle over to “Add Captions.”
- On Facebook, just manually add in your own captions.
- TikTok offers auto captions.
- On Instagram click “Advanced Settings,” tap “Accessibility,” and turn on “Show Captions.”
Even if you use auto-captioning services, you should still read everything over yourself to check for accuracy. Auto captioning is often not precise, and you don’t want to end up with inaccurate captions.
If you choose to transcribe your audio by hand, here are a few tips from Netflix:
- Keep original dialogue consistent in the transcript.
- All audible lines need to be transcribed.
- Identify multiple speakers in the transcript by putting their names in brackets.
“Why are you crying?” asked William. “I broke my leg,” Laura said through her tears.
7. Talk emoji to me
Since their creation in 1999, emojis have become a huge part of the digital landscape, especially on social media. They’re seen in mainstream marketing, available as icons in email services like Gmail and built into text entry fields across social platforms.
A recent study found that nearly half of all posts on Instagram during the first half of 2019 used emojis in their captions. Their findings also showed that posts with more emojis usually had higher levels of engagement. However, if you want your social media content to be popular and inclusive, you should keep in mind that when someone uses a screen reader or text-to-speech program to read an emoji, they hear the assigned description for that character. For example, the heart emoji is read as “black heart suit.”
If you frequently use emojis, you may be causing inconvenience for those who are visually impaired.
If you’re using an emoji like ” Palm Tree, Smiling Face With Sunglasses, Tropical Drink, Woman Dancing: Medium-Light Skin Tone, Party Popper ” as the caption on your vacation photos, it might look cute to you, but to anyone using a screen reader, it just sounds like a string of random numbers and symbols.
To keep your emoji usage accessible, be sure to:
- Use emojis in moderation. If you are going to use emojis, limit yourself to two or three so you don’t bring down the readability of your content.
- Place emojis at the end of social posts. The more important information should be consumed by the user first. Interjecting emojis in the middle of sentences or paragraphs could mix up the messaging once it’s read aloud by a screen reader.
- Avoid using emojis in your social profile name.
- Resist changing the color on customizable emojis. Every unique icon gets descriptor information. That includes skin tones. If you can’t stand the Simpsons look, try to make your customized emoji the only one in your post.
You can check the description of any emoji on emojipedia.org. This is especially helpful for custom-colored emoji or ones that are platform or device specific. The site is also the best way to stay up-to-date on when new emojis, like the long-awaited accessibility icons, are being released.
8. We love a good hashtag moment
Hashtags are a popular way to label content on social media, and using them in an inclusive way is easy.
If you publish a post with the hashtag #SocialMediaRocks, the accessibility program will read it as three separate words instead of one amalgamated mess.
9. Make graphics accessible for people with vision impairment
Approximately 12 million individuals who are over the age of 40 living in the United States have some type of vision impairment, as stated by the CDC. People with color blindness or other types of vision impairments, such as weak eyesight, can only see specific colors.
Don’t just use color to show what something means. For example, if you have a picture where bad things are red and good things are green, it wouldn’t make sense to people who can’t see colors. Try using other things like patterns, symbols, or words to show what something means.
Inclusive graphic tactics include:
- Layering crosshatch, dots, or stripes over sections of a bar or pie chart to differentiate meaning.
- Labeling each part of a chart with words and percentages.
For more ideas, consult Microsoft’s Design guide.
10. Be careful placing text over images
Your graphics should be accessible to everyone, including those with color blindness. Choose colors with enough contrast between them to be easily readable.
If you don’t create enough contrast in your graphic, the text will disappear into the background for people with vision impairments.
The U.S. Web Design System’s legal standards for colors should be met before using the colors for a company’s brand or graphic.
You can also make your life a little easier by using an accessible color palette tool:
11. Create trigger warnings
Trigger warnings inform people about sensitive topics in the content they are about to engage with. This is important because people never know what others are going through, and these trigger warnings allow people to choose whether or not they want to see the content.
Around 12 million people in the US will suffer from PTSD in a given year. Unfortunately, many people will suffer from trauma at some point in their lives. Having trigger warnings can help to make the internet a more trauma-informed environment. If you think your post might contain something that could trigger someone’s traumatic memories, include a warning at the beginning of the post using the terms “trigger warning” or “TW.”
Consider adding trigger warnings for sensitive topics like:
- Violence
- Sexual assault
- Blood
- Self-harm
- Eating disorders
- Abuse
12. Keep up-to-date on accessibility best practices
It is important for everyone who uses social media to be aware of the best practices for accessibility. This is especially important for professionals who use social media as part of their job.
Many social media accounts offer accessibility resources, including:
If you want to make your content accessible to everyone, you can consult free resource hubs like Accessible Social. They offer advice to creators on how to make their content inclusive. Additionally, the Federal Social Media Accessibility Toolkit is a great resource that is definitely worth your time.
No one is going to be perfect when it comes to being inclusive online. The more people that create inclusive content, the more likely it will be for accessibility best practices to become a norm used by both industry professionals and casual social media users alike.
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