Accessibility Features on Social Media Can Benefit All
Social media should be usable and accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. Particularly as an influencer or a brand, it’s important to use the specific accessibility features offered on each social media platform so that people with visual or hearing conditions can also be exposed to your content.
CDC Vision and Hearing Loss Statistics
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the U.S.:
Vision disability is one of the top 10 disabilities among adults (18+), and one of the most common disabling conditions among children.
12 million people (40 years and older) have vision impairment.
Hearing loss is the third most common chronic physical condition.
From 2001–2008, about 30 million people (12 years and older) had hearing loss in both ears, and about 48 million had hearing loss in at least one ear.
Why Accessibility is Important
Social media has become the new way to disseminate information to large audiences. But we must be cognizant of how we’re creating content to ensure everyone has equal access to it. At the end of the day, we must be as inclusive as possible as social media becomes increasingly prevalent in the marketing world. You don’t want some of your audience to miss out on the photos you’re sharing or videos you’re posting! Plus, the more people your content is exposed to, the higher your reach, impressions, and overall engagement will be.
Accessibility Guidelines to Implement
These accessibility guidelines can help you create inclusive and beneficial social media posts for all:
Use plain language.
Written content should be clear and easy to understand.
Use CamelCase, when possible.
Capitalize the first letters in compound words so they’re easier to read.
i.e. #FoodieTribe or #NationalDonutDay
Avoid using acronyms, if possible.
Some acronyms may not be universally understood.
If you do need to use an acronym, spell out what it stands for the first time you use it.
Add captions to describe what’s happening in the photo.
A descriptive caption can help someone who’s visually impaired to understand your post.
Include closed captioning for video content.
Closed captioning provides subtitles for the words being spoken so people with hearing conditions can still consume all of the information.
Use emojis sparingly and appropriately.
For those using a screen reader, emojis are read out loud to them with a description (i.e. “🙏” is read aloud as: “Hands pressed together,” as opposed to “praying”).
These emoji descriptions can alter the original meaning of the caption, which can be confusing.
Be conscious of how emojis are translated by the screen reader to those who are visually impaired.
For more detailed information on how to implement accessibility features on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, please visit their websites. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us or DM us!