Accessibility Tips for Social Media

Describe Your Images

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn  all allow you to add alternative text (alt text) to images. Alt text helps people using screen readers understand what an image shows. A screen reader will read the alt text word for word, so make sure your description is clear and easy to understand.

Pro tip: Turn on the screen reader on your smartphone and listen to the descriptions. This can help you get familiar with how the software works.

Hashtags can be written in lowercase, uppercase, or a mix of both. To make hashtags easier for screen readers, use “camel case.” This means capitalizing the first letter of each word in the hashtag. For example, write #SocialMediaTips instead of #socialmediatips. This helps the screen reader say each word clearly, making hashtags more accessible to everyone.

Use Emojis in Moderation

Emojis are very popular on social media, but they can affect how people using screen readers understand your message. For example, a screen reader might read the clapping hands emoji ???? as "clapping hands," and if used too often, it might confuse the message.

Here are some tips for using emojis in an accessible way:

• Limit yourself to 1 emoji (if possible).
• Place spaces between emojis and words.
• Put emojis at the beginning or end of a sentence.
• Keep in mind that not all emojis are read the same by all screen readers.

Utilize video captioning tools

Utilize Video Captioning Tools

Captions make your content more accessible to everyone, especially to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They also help people who are in noisy or quiet places but still want to enjoy your content.

Platforms such as  YouTube and Vimeo have tools that make it easier to add captions. If you need help, you can also use professional captioning services. Some popular options are:

• Rev
• 3Play Media
• White Coat Captioning

Additional resources

Here are more resources to help make your social media accessible to everyone:

• Facebook Accessibility Support Features
• Twitter Accessibility Support Features
• Instagram Accessibility Support Features
• LinkedIn Accessibility Support Features
• Use the search function in our GSM Community Facebook Group for great discussions on implementing better accessibility practices
• We hosted a webinar with communication and digital accessibility experts from Minnesota IT Services earlier this year. Here’s how you can watch the replay.

Use the search function in our GSM Community Facebook Group for great discussions on accessibility.

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