A guide for content creators on ensuring accessibility and ADA compliance
As a content creator, your content reaches a diverse audience, including people with disabilities. Ensuring the accessibility of your work is not only a legal requirement but also a way to create more inclusive communities and enhance your reputation among your followers. Here’s why this discussion matters:
First, people with disabilities rely on social media to connect with the world. By making your content accessible, you contribute to a more inclusive online environment. Second, accessibility is mandated by law through the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), so it’s important to make every effort to comply. We created this guide to help you enhance your content’s accessibility and stay compliant.
Built-in features for accessibility
Fortunately, there are built-in tools that can help you achieve accessible content and ADA compliance. For example:
Alt Text for images
Alt text provides a textual description of images, charts, or other visual elements, allowing screen readers—assistive technology used primarily by people with vision impairments—to convey this information audibly to users.
When posting an image, add descriptive Alt Text to communicate what the image shows. To do this manually, right-click on an image or object and select “View Alt Text.” You can edit or approve the text that is displayed. Consider the image’s content and purpose when reviewing and revising the text.
Voice to Text
The Voice to Text sticker on Instagram will automatically create captions in your reels, enabling individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand video content.
When creating or uploading a reel on Instagram, click the ‘Sticker’ icon on the editing screen and choose ‘Captions’ from the dropdown. You can change the appearance of the captions by cycling through the options at the bottom and editing any errors manually by clicking on the caption box.
Most platforms also allow you to upload caption files or manually add captions during video editing for the same effect.
Considerations for text accessibility
It may seem like common sense, but especially when creating or adding content using your phone, take extra care to choose legible fonts and appropriate font sizes to ensure readability for all users. Be sure to avoid decorative fonts that may be difficult to read. Another way to improve readability is to make sure that there is sufficient contrast between your text colors and background colors.
Making all visuals more accessible
When you are sharing visuals other than photos, such as infographics, charts and graphs, give readers another way to discern and understand their meaning. Add a description to accompany the image that clearly and concisely explains the information or data you are presenting.
Be mindful of emojis
When it comes to accessibility, there are some important considerations to keep in mind about emoji use. While emojis can enhance the experience, they should never replace words. Even though emojis are descriptive, relying solely on them can lead users to misinterpret your meaning.
Screen readers read only the alt text description of an emoji. If you use an emoji without accompanying text, it increases the cognitive load for users who rely on screen readers. Using too many emojis can overwhelm readers, especially when screen readers read out the Alt Text descriptions. Multiple emojis can lead to a confusing auditory experience for screen reader users.
Accessibility benefits all users by creating better, more robust experiences. By implementing these simple steps, you help to create a more welcoming online space and illustrate that you care about your audience. Do you have questions about how to make your content more accessible? Our team can help. Send us a message here.
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This post was contributed by writer Jodie Dello Stritto for Hello Social Co. Jodie is a freelance writer based in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.