Best Practices for Accessibility in Social Media Design

Since you're viewing this on social media, this post is for you. It's for everyone who posts on social media. Many folks — including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders and those in the disability and accessibility space — don't realize how easy it is to make social media content accessible. Here's a reference guide to help you remember. Pick one thing. Start there. Make it a habit. Once you do, move on to the next thing. I suggest starting with hashtags. Super easy. I'm always learning and evolving my accessibility efforts. I used to be a little more freewheeling about using animated GIFs and emojis. Animated GIFs can be a problem for me. Now, I only post them on social media platforms that don't automatically play them. (Facebook and Twitter.) Another thing I used to do was add an opening line to arouse curiosity. Then, I'd enter a few blank lines after that. Thankfully, I quickly learned this is a problem for some disabilities where a lot of scrolling is a challenge. Here are the dos and don'ts in the image. (If you need an image with larger text or different color background, please reach out. A black or white background doesn't work for some folks. So, light purple it is.) - Skip the fancy font generator. Don't use fancy font generators or unreadable fancy fonts. - Be thoughtful about using emojis. Don't overuse emojis. - Be descriptive yet concise in describing images (alt text). Don't fill alt text with useless keywords. SEO. Blah. Blah. Blah. - Describe images in alt text. Don't use automatic alt text. - Limited use of animated GIFs. Don't use them in signatures, avatars, or comments. The motion is sickening for some folks. Add alt text, too. - Use one blank line between paragraphs. Don't use a lot of blank lines or omit blank lines between paragraphs. - Use sentence case. Don't use all caps because it has no visual shape. Please stop yelling. - Capitalize the first letter of each word in hashtags and user names. #CamelCaseRocks. The other hashtag is #YouCannotReadLowercaseHashtags in all lowercase - Check the color contrast on your images and text/background with a free tool. Don't assume an image or text/background pairing is accessible for everyone. - Caption your videos accurately. Don't let autocraptions do all the work. Edit them. - Provide transcripts for podcasts and videos with short paragraphs and speaker identification. Don't publish transcripts with big blocks of text. I hope this image is an improvement based on feedback. I changed the font. I change the light grey to light purple. P.S. What will you do differently after reading this? Comment below. Want training on how to make your content accessible? ✉️ me 🔔 Tap the profile bell now 👉 Find more #MerylMots content #SocialMedia #DigitalMarketing #Accessibility Image: Dos and don'ts for accessible social media with the left side listing what to do and the right side showing what not to do to make social media content accessible.

Accessibility should be the floor—not the ceiling. Because if your product only works for neurotypical users, you’re likely excluding 1 in 5 people—if not more. Neurodivergent users face common friction points: → Cluttered UIs and chaotic flows → Overstimulating motion or color → Abstract microcopy → Long, unstructured content with no alternatives These aren’t edge cases. They’re signals that your design may be leaving users behind. So what helps? → Chunk content to reduce cognitive load → Stick to consistent, literal layouts → Give users control over fonts, contrast, animation → Build calm, quiet defaults → Offer alternatives—audio, video, spacing, keyboard access These aren’t “extra” work—they’re simply good design that can help anyone. What are your go-to accessibility strategies? #accessibility #neurodiversity #uxdesign ⸻ 👋 Hi, I’m Dane—I love sharing design insights. ❤️ Found this helpful? 'Like’ it to support me. 🔄 Share to help others (& save for later). ➕ Follow me for more like this, posted daily.

Design can only be termed good if it reaches all. Creating beautiful and innovative designs is a key goal for graphic designers. However, even the most visually appealing designs can be inaccessible to some users if they don’t consider various accessibility needs. Low contrast between text and gaudy backgrounds can make it difficult for people with visual impairments or colour blindness to read the content. Decorative fonts can be hard to read for everyone, especially for people with dyslexia or other reading disabilities. So, what do we do to make designs more disability inclusive? 🔍 Understand Diverse Needs: Begin with empathy. Get to know the unique needs and challenges faced by people with disabilities. This understanding will guide your design process to be more inclusive. 🖼️ Accessible Visuals: Use high-contrast colors and clear fonts to make text and images easily readable. 🗣️ Alt Text Matters: Provide descriptive alt text for all images to ensure that screen readers can convey the content to visually impaired users, making your designs more inclusive. 🎨 Responsive Design: Design with flexibility by creating layouts that adapt seamlessly across different devices and screen sizes, including those used by people with disabilities. ♿ Universal Symbols: Use universally recognized symbols and icons to communicate important information. 💬 Inclusive Language: Choose words that respect and acknowledge people with disabilities. Avoid ableist language and ensure your message is positive and empowering. 👩💻 User Testing with Disabled Communities:  Involve people with disabilities in your testing process. Their feedback is invaluable in creating designs that truly meet their needs. Embracing disability inclusion in our designs is the next step to making the world a better place. Let me know of more design inclusive strategies in the comments below! #inclusive #design #accessibility #uxdesign #a11y #disabilityinclusion #universaldesign #webaccessibility #empathyindesign #userexperience #designthinking

Nearly everyday, I unfollow folks here, because of content that is either inaccessible for me, or content that physically causes me pain.  Let me explain each one in a bit more detail. I am colorblind.  If graphics or images are shared without an image description, I may very well not be able to see what others see.  Colorblind folks don't use screen readers... so even if you are entering alt text in your graphics online, I can't see them. I am neurodivergent.  I don't often get sarcasm unless it is directly a quote from a movie or show that I regularly watch.  While I am quite possibly the BIGGEST gigglebox that you'll ever meet and I thrive on laughing, I'm often left feeling confused by posts that are sarcastic, or covertly making fun of something or someone. I am physically disabled with multiple rare diseases that cause pain and damage to my joints and physical movement in general.  These posts that are SUPER long due to unneccessary spacing are brutal on my hands.  The more mouse clicks and scrolling I need to do in a day means the less time I can hold off on my pain medication... and that means the less I can do the things I would like to do before I have to listen to my body and stop.  And yes - my pain is bad enough that I am in pain management for relief. What can you do to be more accessible?  Let's use my examples, as accessibility is such a vast field: 1. Always provide both alt text and image descriptions.  An image description goes into more detail than alt text.  It explains the image and its relation to a post.  It can include emotions, actions, or intentions you are trying to convey.  If it's a graphical representation of data, it should be a readable format of the data presented. 2. If you're using humor or sarcasm in your content, include some context for folks that may not understand what you mean.  Whether you add a quick note at the end of the post to explain your humor or sarcasm, or you explain within the post, it's so helpful... for not only neurodivergent folks but also folks who don't speak English as their first language or are from a different country and/or culture than you. 3. There is absolutely no need to write one sentence per line.  I know it may look cool, or some marketing bro said to do it.  But think about how much additional effort that is for folks to consume your content.  You may think I'm exaggerating, but I did an experiment before.  It took me like 9 scrolls to read content that, when I reformatted it similar to this post, it only took like 1 scroll.  That shit adds up in a day.  Find a good balance between avoiding HUGE walls of text, but also not 5 words per line. I hate to unfollow cool folks, but I have to protect my mental and physical health.  It's like a slap to the face if I am repeatedly being told [visually] that I don't belong, that spaces aren't welcoming me. Much love, friends. 💜 #Accessibility #DisabilityInclusion #ChronicPain #Neurodivergent #Belonging  

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) Let’s talk about what accessibility really means and how you can take steps today to create more inclusive digital spaces. Accessibility isn't just a tech issue; it's a human issue. It’s about making sure disabled people can fully participate in online life, work, learning, and connection. Here are 6 simple things you can start doing right now: 1. Add alt text to every image you post 2. Use meaningful link text (not “click here” describe where it goes) 3. Check color contrast to ensure readability 4. Make content keyboard navigable; not just clickable 5. Use plain language for clarity 6. Caption your videos, always These small changes aren’t hard, but they make a massive difference. And remember: Accessibility without inclusion is performative. If you care about accessibility, hire disabled people. Bring us in as designers, developers, testers, consultants, creatives, and leaders. You don’t need to be an expert to start. You just need to care enough to take action. Image Description: A graphic with a notepad-style checklist on a purple background titled “Accessibility Things to Do.” It lists seven accessibility actions: Add meaningful alt text to your images, Add image descriptions of images on posts, Use descriptive link text (not “click here”), Check color contrast to ensure readability, Make content keyboard navigable, Use plain language for clarity, and Always, caption your videos. Decorative sparkles appear in the corners, and a website placeholder is shown at the bottom. #GAAD #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #A11y #DigitalInclusion #ADA #WCAG #DisabilityJustice #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #HireDisabledPeople #AccessibilityMatters

Accessibility should be seen as necessary, mandatory, and crucial. Here are 8 tips for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). Before I dive into these simple tips, let’s quickly learn about GAAD. The main purpose of GAAD is to get everyone talking, thinking, and learning about digital access and inclusion, and the 1 Billion+ people with disabilities. GAAD is celebrated annually on the third Thursday of May, so this year it's on May 15th (today!). A disabled person should be able to experience the internet, apps, social media, and all digital spaces like anyone else, but unfortunately, many websites and digital spaces are still inaccessible. So here are 8 easy tips for digital accessibility: 1. Color Contrast Accessible content generally has high contrast between the background and text colors, which makes it easier to read. For example, using a black background with white text will be accessible for most people. There are exceptions to this guidance as those with colorblindness and conditions like Irlen Syndrome may have other needs. 2. Closed Captions When hosting virtual meetings, always provide closed captions. Also, provide captions for content that you produce online. Please provide fully accurate captions instead of relying on automatically-generated ones. 3. Image Descriptions (IDs) Write IDs to help blind and low vision people learn what an image looks like. This is especially important when an image conveys information, such as an event flyer. You can add IDs within a post or in the comments. 4. Audio Description (AD) Audio description is helpful for those with vision disabilities. AD describes visual content in enough detail so that people don't miss out on information. Include AD in videos and verbally describe images in presentations. 5. Transcripts Transcripts are wonderful for business because they allow you to improve your SEO rankings since your audio or video content has been turned into words. Transcripts also help make content accessible for the D/deaf and hard of hearing, those with other disabilities, and more. 6. Label Buttons Unlabeled buttons on apps and websites create access issues. This is very important for screen reader users. Each user needs to be able to easily determine what a button does and also find the buttons. 7. Pascal Case Hashtags Capitalize each word within a hashtag to ensure a screen reader can understand it. Example: #DisabilityAwareness 8. Include Diverse Images Many times, disabled people don't see themselves represented in the world. This is especially true for disabled people of color. Use diverse images in media representation, advertisements, images on social media, and more. Did you know about Global Accessibility Awareness Day? Will you use these tips? cc: GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day) Foundation PS: For more accessibility tips, check out my free accessibility ebook (linked at the top of my profile)! #Accessibility #GAAD

Did you know design reviews can include accessibility? They should, but they often don't. A lot of accessibility issues get baked in early, during the design phase. And by the time a developer is building from that design, it's already too late to catch some of the easy stuff. That's why you should run a quick accessibility design review before handoff. Here's a checklist of some things to look for - contrast, headings, alt text guidance, and more. Let me know if there's anything that should be added! And if you prefer your content as text, read on.... 7 Checks Design Review Accessibility Checks for Every Design Review Catch common issues before handoff Check 1 – Check Color Contrast Can everyone read this? Make sure text stands out from the background. That trendy white on light grey? It has to go. Check 2 – Check Heading Structure Size isn’t everything Use annotations, styles, or naming conventions so it’s clear which level each heading should be, H1–H6. Check 3 – Check use of color Not everyone sees color in the same way Don’t rely on color alone – use underlines, icons, text labels, or patterns to show links, states, and status. Check 4 – Check form fields for labels Placeholders are not labels Every form field should have an always-visible and persistent label. Check 5 – Check for visible focus states Don’t make devs do design Designs should clearly show focus states for buttons, links, inputs, and other interactive components. Check 6 – Check for alt text guidance Don’t leave devs guessing about alt If an image or icon needs alt text, describe what it should be. Build that thinking into the design process. Check 7 – Check for animation options Not everyone loves autoplay Avoid excessive animation and motion-triggered effects. If motion adds value, make it optional or easy to pause. Great accessibility starts in design Save this checklist for your next project Juggling accessibility across multiple websites? We built AAArdvark just for you. Give it a try for free – no credit card required. a20y.com