What We Have Learned About Accessibility and Social Media

Social media accessibility is crucial in our digital world because more than 40 million people in the United States have a disability, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Research shows that "Americans with disabilities are three times as likely as those without a disability to say they never go online (15% vs. 5%). And while three-quarters of Americans with disabilities report using the internet on a daily basis, this share rises to 87% among those who do not have a disability." (Pew Research Center). This data explains that social media is inaccessible to the disabled community. Many disabled people are less inclined to go online or to use the internet since they cannot fully engage in their content.

With the help and partnership of disability justice organizations like Southern California Resources Services for Independent Living, we have come to understand the importance of using accessibility tools such as captions, alt text, image, and video descriptions on our social assets. It is imperative to include when companies or content creators create and publish social posts or videos to create a more inclusive environment for everyone. The following paragraphs describe how you or your company can incorporate these tools into your social media content.

Captions play a crucial role in ensuring accessibility and inclusivity for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. By providing a text-based representation of spoken content, captions enable people with hearing disabilities to engage with videos fully. Captioning goes beyond just providing the spoken words; it also includes descriptions of other essential auditory elements, such as sound effects, background music, and speaker identification. This additional information helps create a more immersive and inclusive experience for individuals who rely on captions.

Social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn offer the option to include captions in posts. This feature empowers creators to make their videos and multimedia content accessible to a broader audience, including individuals with disabilities. By adding captions, content creators demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity and expand their reach to a diverse and engaged audience.

In addition to captions, alt text or image descriptions play a significant role in making online content accessible to individuals who use screen readers. Screen readers are software programs that convert text and visual elements into speech, allowing people with visual impairments to access digital content.

Alt text is a short written description of an image or video that provides a textual alternative to the visual content. It is essential to describe the key elements and context of the image, allowing individuals using screen readers to understand the scope and purpose of the visual material. Alt text should be concise, descriptive, and focused on conveying essential information.

For more detailed descriptions, image descriptions (IDs) come into play. IDs go beyond the basic alt text and include salient features, identities, clothing patterns and colors, and environmental details. These additional details paint a more vivid picture for individuals who cannot see the visual content directly.

When it comes to videos, video descriptions (VDs) are crucial. VDs describe the action and imagery shared in video posts, ensuring that individuals using screen readers can comprehend the visual content even without the ability to see it. Including VDs in video posts is an excellent way to bridge the accessibility gap and ensure everyone can enjoy and engage with multimedia content.

By utilizing alt text, image descriptions, and video descriptions, content creators can create a more inclusive online environment for individuals with visual impairments or who use screen readers. It is a best practice to include these accessibility features in the captions of posts on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

In conclusion, embracing accessibility and inclusivity on social media is an opportunity to create a more equitable and engaging online community. Content creators can use captions, alt text, image descriptions, and video descriptions to ensure that individuals with disabilities can fully participate and benefit from their content. We are constantly learning more about disability justice, and this is where we are today. We are so grateful to continue to evolve together. Let's strive for a more inclusive digital landscape where everyone has an equal opportunity to connect and thrive!