Social media

Can everyone access your social media posts?

Why it’s important

Pauline is blind and relies on a screen reader to read the image alt text posted on social media.
Zion is dyslexic and has difficulty reading the uppercase hashtags.
Mark is deaf and can only watch videos posted on social media but is unable to listen. He is unable to join the social media conversation about the video content.

Use alternative text (alt tags) to describe images and ensure users understand what is happening in the picture. Alternative text doesn't need to be very long, but should describe what the scene is and how elements of the image appear.
Check that all videos have closed captions and an audio description (or a link to a version that has audio descriptions).
Capitalize the first letter of each word when using a hashtag, also known as using “CamelCase.” Capitalizing each word makes it easier for assistive technology to read hashtags as intended.
Use emojis and emoticons sparingly. Place emojis toward the end of posts so they do not interrupt other information in the text. Emoji's can be difficult to discern and their absence makes for better legibility.
Maintain accessible colours for people with low vision or colourblindness. The more contrast there is between text and background, the easier the text is to read.
Avoid using custom fonts as assistive technologies cannot translate these font styles intelligently.
Avoid using unfamiliar acronyms that would sound unusual if read by a screen reader or may confuse some readers. Where possible try to spell out the acronyms instead.
If linking to external content and you don't know whether it's accessible or not make sure your audience is aware of these limitations. Provide a note explaining the limitation, for example the photo is untagged or the video will auto start.

Last modified: 29 October 2021