Social Media Accessibility

Accessible social media content is crucial for fostering inclusivity and ensuring equal participation for all individuals, regardless of ability. By implementing accessibility features such as alt text for images and closed captions for videos, creators can make their content more accessible to people with disabilities.

At UMSL, digital spaces are designed to help our community discover, engage, and connect. To do this accessibility must be part of the process from the start. With social media evolving constantly and reaching a wide, diverse audience, creators should use platform-supported accessibility features and incorporate accessible practices into everyday content development.

This page provides an overview of general best practices for digital accessibility, as well as platform-specific guidance to help campus creators build inclusive, compliant, and user-friendly social media content.

General Best Practices

All images should have Alternative Text, often referred to as alt text, which allows for screen reader users to access and engage with visual information by providing a text description of the image. You can add alt text for images on Facebook, Instagram,  X (formerly known as Twitter), and LinkedIn. To learn more about alt text visit Images in Documents.

In addition to alt text, some posts may benefit more from more detailed Image Descriptions included in the caption or the text body of the post. Alt text is a high-level accessibility feature that provides a concise, often no more than two sentence description of an image, Image descriptions by contrast, expand on the information provided by alt text by including more details relevant to the full context of the post.

  • If alt text or image descriptions are automatically generated be sure to review and edit the descriptions to accurately capture the meaning and context being conveyed by the image.
    • If you are including alt text in the field provided by the social media platform, it is then redundant to also include it verbatim in the post description, as people using screen readers will then have to hear the same description twice. Image descriptions should enhance, not replace, the required alt-text.
  • Image descriptions should provide additional context: setting, significant visual details, or identities of individuals when relevant and respectful, which goes beyond what is conventionally required of alt text.
Text and icons, in order to be easy to read, must have sufficient contrast between foreground and background colors. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) require a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal sized text, and 3:1 for large text. This means the text has to be 4.5 times brighter or darker than the color background in order to be WCAG compliant. To learn more about color contrast visit Visual Characteristics in Documents.

All video content should have captions of the audio to make the content accessible to Deaf and hard of hearing individuals, as well as non-native English speakers and others who benefit from captioning. Captions can either be closed (where they can be toggled on and off by users) or open (where the text is embedded into the video itself and cannot be turned on or off.)

  • Auto-captioning is available on most platforms, but be sure to manually review and edit them for accuracy. Captioning recommendations for individual platforms will be provided further on in this page.
  • Videos and other media should not automatically play on default. This type of content can be a barrier for those with cognitive impairments, photosensitive epilepsy, ADHD, and other conditions. Users should have the ability to pause videos and other media. If media plays by default and this feature cannot be turned off, users should be made aware of this, e.g., “This video will automatically play in a new window.”

Not all platforms allow alt text for GIFs. If a platform doesn't allow for alt text on GIFs, then the content will be inaccessible to individuals who rely on screen readers to perceive visual content. 

If using GIF content in a social media post, do not solely rely on the GIF to communicate your content. Before posting ensure that the post can be understood through its text content alone. Consider adding a brief description in brackets at the end of the post to serve as alt text for the GIF if using a platform where alt text is not supported for GIFs.

If using hashtags, do not place them within sentences or paragraphs. Instead, include all hashtags at the end of the caption so screen readers can read the full message first, ensuring greater clarity and accessibility for all users.

When writing hashtags be sure to use Pascal Case (often mistakenly referred to as Camel Case),  capitalizing the first letter of each word in a hashtag. This formatting ensures that people using screen readers will hear the words separately instead of hearing one long unintelligible string. 

Limit the use of hashtags in each post as screen readers will read all hashtags out to users. 

Common UMSL social media hashtags include: #WeTransformLives #UMSLProud #TransformUMSL #FindYourMore #UMSLTritons

Limit the use of emojis. Screen readers announce the name of every emoji, and posts with too many emojis placed within sentences can obscure meaning and make information confusing for people using screen readers. If you choose to include emojis, use no more than three and place them at the end of the caption to maintain clarity and accessibility.

Similarly,  emoticons created through keyboard inputs, e.g., ;^) will be read as "semicolon carat right parenthesis" instead of interpreting it as a winking smiley face with a nose. You could add a parenthetical description like (winking face) to clarify meaning, but it would be easier and more accessible to avoid the use of emoticons in social media posts altogether. 

When using hyperlinks in social media posts keep in mind accessible practices with links. Link text should be unique within a page, should be meaningful when read out of context, and should help users to know something about their destination if they click on it. For more information on hyperlink best practices visit Links in Documents.

If posting a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) directly, as some platforms do not allow embedded hyperlinks, keep the URL as short as possible. Screen readers read URLs aloud in full, so shortening them helps improve clarity. Whenever appropriate, precede the URL with meaningful text that identifies its purpose so users know what it links to before hearing the address.

Avoid acronyms when possible, or define them on first use, and ensure your meaning is clear and straightforward. Using plain language helps readers quickly understand your message and reduces barriers for individuals with cognitive, learning, or linguistic disabilities.

The following resources cover a variety of subjects relating to digital accessibility in social media. 

Platform Specific Guidance

When you upload an image for a Facebook post, alternative text will be automatically generated for the image. Before posting you will need to manually double check to ensure the alt text is accurate. For video captioning on Facebook, you can either edit the automatically generated captions created by Facebook, you can manually write out your own captions, or you can upload a SubRip (.srt) file for your video.

Refer to the articles below for best guidance on creating accessible content with Facebook.

For more information review Meta's guide for Creating Accessible Content.

When you upload an image for an Instagram post, alternative text will be automatically generated for the image. Before posting, you will need to manually double-check to ensure the alt text is accurate. For video captioning on Instagram, captions are auto generated, and you can edit them for accuracy.

Refer to the articles below for best guidance on creating accessible content with Instagram

For more information review Meta's guide for Creating Accessible Content.

LinkedIn's mobile app is not fully supported for accessibility, but new features are being rolled out with time so things may change. 

Refer to the articles below for best guidance on creating accessible content with LinkedIn. 

While YouTube has features to support accessibility, there is still room for improvement. 
Currently Youtube lacks:

  • Comprehensive audio descriptions: For visually impaired users, detailed audio descriptions of visual elements are vital, and YouTube does not yet offer this feature universally.
  • Enhanced caption customization: Users have limited control over the appearance of captions, such as size, colour, and font.
  • Real-time caption editing: The ability to edit captions in real-time during live broadcasts would significantly enhance accessibility for live content.

Refer to the articles below for best guidance on creating accessible content with YouTube.

Social Media at UMSL

Social media is an excellent way to communicate with a wider audience. Review our social media guidelines to learn more about best practices and guidelines for social media managers across campus. Curious what accounts already exist? Check out the UMSL social media directory and our UMSL Athletics social media accounts.

Questions about UMSL's social media presence or are you interested in collaborating? Please contact Valerie Furlong at vfurlong@umsl.edu or send us a DM.