How To Design More Inclusive Social Content

Social media accessibility is no longer a niche topic, thanks in part to some recent product updates and releases by a couple of platforms. It’s something all social media marketers should educate themselves on. So let’s dive into the topic.

There are many barriers that users with disabilities face when using social media platforms. Inclusive design in social media refers not just to designing the platform to be more user-friendly for all users, but it also means that marketers should design their content to be accessible to all users, regardless of their background or abilities.

Social media has a lot of benefits for people; it can spark interesting conversations, educate and entertain. But inaccessible content can prevent those with disabilities or unique needs from engaging, causing them to feel shut out of conversations or unable to access important or critical information.

It’s estimated that one billion people in the world experience some form of long-term disability. When you account for temporary or situational disability, that number drastically increases. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 33% of the global population has hearing or sight impairment. Since users primarily consume social content through audio and visuals, this makes accessibility crucial.

The answer is simple: better engagement. Plus, when you make your content more accessible, it can benefit all users, not just those with a disability. For example, most users watch video content with the sound off. So creating accessible content, such as adding closed captioning or text overlays to videos, truly benefits all.

1. Add Alt Text: Alternative text, shortened to alt text, allows people to visualise an image when they can’t see it. Accessibility tools will read the alt text to users who have this feature turned on for their device. Leaving your alt text blank will cause the accessibility reader to announce it as "image." This means that someone with visual impairment won’t be able to interact with your post well.

Adding alt text can also improve your search rankings in social apps.

Here are some best practices for adding alt text:

• • • Describe what is actually in the image (so if you have a bar chart, explain what the bar chart shows, don’t just put “graphic of a bar chart” as your alt text)
    • Skip saying “photo of” or “image of” (most screen readers prefer you don’t)
    • Include humour; alt text doesn’t have to be overly formal and should explain any jokes or subtleties conveyed in the visual
    • Transcribe any text in your image
    • Don’t forget to add alt text to gifs too
    • Describe content and context for memes
    • Be concise as it often takes longer to narrate alt text than to read it, so keep that in mind
    • Don’t misuse alt text for other purposes, such as hiding easter eggs or to create memes

2. Add Video Captions Or Text Overlays: Adding captions or subtitles to your videos will improve the experience for users with hearing challenges. It can also improve the viewing experience for those watching with the sound off or for those viewing a non-native language.

There are 2 types of captions: closed and open. Closed captions can be turned on or off by users. Open captions are “burned in” when creating the video — they are part of the video itself.

While closed captioning is preferred for accessibility, open captions can be used if closed is not available or if a brand has a strict design style to apply to their captions.

3. Write Accessible Copy: Prioritise clarity in your writing so that your posts are easy to understand and more accessible. This benefits all users, regardless of their challenges or disabilities.

The most important thing is to consider the reading experience for others. Ask yourself questions such as, “How will this copy impact users who are using accessibility tools such as screen readers?” or “What about users learning English as a second language?” or “How will it affect those with learning disabilities?”

Here are some top tips for inclusive copy:

• • • Write in plain language that can be understood after the first reading/hearing
    • Don’t use fancy fonts as these can be non-legible for screen readers
    • Use abbreviations carefully as these can trip up some readers and add periods or spaces in between the letters
    • Don’t alternate lowercase and capital letters as this reads as gibberish for screen readers
    • Avoid using all caps where possible as screen readers don’t understand the context of why
    • Don’t replace letters with asterisks as this interrupts the flow for screen readers
    • Write hashtags in Pascal Case, for example #FlowerMarket
    • Place hashtags at the end of a post caption; don’t place them in the middle of a sentence as this creates interruptions for screen readers
    • Block out hashtags in a separate comment as huge groups of hashtags aren’t great for accessibility
    • Use inclusive language, such as gender-neutral pronouns and terms, diverse emojis and diverse voices; avoid ableist language
    • Don’t use more than 3 emojis in a row and don’t use them as bullet points
    • Place emojis at the end of sentences, rather than in the middle of a sentence

4. Create Accessible Graphics: Alt text isn’t the only way accessibility tools help those with vision impairments. Here is how to design better, more accessible visuals:

• • • Check your contrast; the contrast between text and the background should be at least 4.5:1, according to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; you can try the free colour contrast analyser at www.tpgi. com/color-contrast-checker
    • Avoid placing text on images that make it difficult to read
    • Don’t depend on colour to convey meaning as this can be difficult for those with colour blindness; instead also rely on symbols, patterns or labels
    • For animated images, avoid ones with flashing or excessive movement as this can trigger epilepsy, migraines and other issues for people with vestibular conditions
    • Don’t add excessive text to images and save large amounts of text for your copy or caption

5. Pay Attention To Accessibility Updates: Make social accessibility a bigger priority for your brand by staying up to date on platform accessibility features.
6. Embrace Feedback From Users: No one is expecting you to be an expert in accessibility, but it is good to do your best to stay informed on the topic. If you happen to make a mistake, graciously accept any feedback you get and learn from it for the future.