Over 40 million Americans, or 12.7% of the population, had a disability in 2017, according to the US Census. We aim to make our social media content reach everyone, including those with visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments. This guide will show you al about social media video accessibility. We'll also cover writing good alt text and image descriptions, and making sure your content is for everyone on different platforms.
Key Takeaways
Over 40 million Americans, or 12.7% of the population, lived with a disability in 2017.
People with disabilities often use assistive technology to access digital content.
Ensuring content is inclusive across various social media platforms.
What is The Importance of Accessible Social Media Content?
Diversity and inclusivity is crucial today. In 2017, over 40 million Americans, or 12.7 percent, lived with a disability. This includes issues with vision, hearing, thinking, or moving. Many use tools like screen readers and closed captions to get online content. Our organization values everyone, so our social media must be for all. It's key that our content is easy for everyone to use, no matter their abilities.
Statistics on People with Disabilities
The CDC says the top disabilities in adults in the U.S. are:
Type of Disability
Percentage of Adults Affected
Mobility Disability
13.7%
Cognitive Disability
10.8%
Hearing Disability
5.9%
Vision Disability
4.6%
These numbers show why we must make our social media easy for everyone. By doing so, we can connect with more people and build a diverse community.
What Are Best Practices for Creating Accessible Social Media Videos?
Start by using plain language when making social media videos. Write clearly with short sentences and paragraphs. This helps users with cognitive disabilities or those not fluent in English understand better. Avoid using industry jargon or complex words that might confuse people.
Include Subtitles, Closed Captioning, or Transcripts
Accessible Designs for Everyone. Source: Interaction Design Foundation Make sure your videos are easy to watch by adding subtitles, closed captions, or transcripts. This helps people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have limited vision enjoy your videos. Many platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok have tools to add captions easily. Adding captions makes your videos more accessible to everyone. You can also invest in a third-party editor like this HitFilm Pro review. By following these tips, you can make your social media videos reach a wider audience. Using plain language and captions or transcripts makes your videos more inclusive and engaging for everyone.
Why Write Effective Alt Text and Image Descriptions?
Making social media content accessible is more than just using captions and subtitles. Alt text and image descriptions are key for users with visual impairments or screen reader users. They help make your images inclusive and engaging for everyone.
Alt Text Best Practices
Alt text gives a text description of an image in your social media post. When writing alt text, focus on the main parts of the image. Keep it under 125 characters, skip unnecessary details, and use dashes for acronyms. Always end with a period for screen readers.
Image Description Best Practices
Image descriptions give a detailed view of your visuals. Put them in captions, the post body, or the first comment for best social media video accessibility. Describe the colors, layout, and any people or objects in the image. This helps users fully understand the visual content. Using alt text and image descriptions makes your social media images reach a broader audience. It includes those who use screen readers or have visual impairments. This effort shows you care about digital accessibility and inclusivity.
How Do You Implement Social Media Video Accessibility?
The innovation of technology has made things more inclusive.Social media is always changing, and making sure everyone can use it is key. Even though Instagram has tools like custom alt text, some features like Instagram Stories don't have basic social media video accessibility yet. But, there are ways to make sure your videos are for everyone. Adding closed captions or subtitles to your videos is a great idea. This way, people who are deaf or hard of hearing can watch your videos too. Also, sharing your videos on different platforms helps reach people with different needs. For example, put captions on a video for Instagram and a full transcript on YouTube. This way, you make sure everyone can enjoy your social media video accessibility.
Platform
Accessibility Features
Workarounds
Instagram
Custom alt text
Use editing/captioning apps for video captions and video transcripts
Instagram Stories
Limited social media video accessibility tools
Utilize editing/captioning apps for social media video accessibility
YouTube
Automatic captions, transcript support
Ensure accurate video captions and video transcripts
Keep up with the latest in accessibility and find creative ways to make your videos accessible. This way, you'll make sure your social media video accessibility is great, reaching and engaging with everyone.
Why Create Accessible Content Across Platforms?
Accessible social media platforms can cater to people with special needs. The social media world is always changing. It's important to keep up with new social media video accessibility features and tips. This guide will be updated often to keep the info fresh and useful. Making sure your content is accessible on all platforms is key. Use camel case for hashtags in your posts to make them easier to read with screen readers. Also, tell people what kind of content you're sharing. This helps users with disabilities understand your posts better. It's vital to use the social media video accessibility tools each social media platform offers. Add alt text and image descriptions on Twitter and Instagram. Use closed captions or transcripts for videos. These steps help make your accessible social media content inclusive and cross-platform accessible. Your aim should be to make your social media as accessible as possible, no matter the platform. By staying updated and following best practices, you can give everyone a better inclusive social media experience. An agency, like one in this Fishbat review, can help you boost social media video accessibility.
What Are Additional Resources for Accessibility?
Creating accessible social media platforms and content can attract more users. We've looked into making social media more accessible. But there's always more to learn. I'm excited to share some extra resources to help you improve your social media accessibility. For a deeper dive into federal social media video accessibility guidelines, check out the Digital.gov's Federal Social Media Accessibility Toolkit Hackpad. It covers alt text best practices and captioning requirements. The W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are key for understanding web accessibility. They offer a detailed framework to make sure your online content is accessible to everyone. WebAIM (Web Accessibility in Mind) is great for practical advice. Their guides and articles share insights from people with disabilities. Don't forget to look into the Alt Text Guide, How to write alt text for memes, and the Alt Text guide from the Perkins School for the Blind. These resources give specialized advice on making effective alt text and image descriptions for social media. Using these resources can help make your social media more inclusive. Accessibility is a journey, but with the right tools and knowledge, you can make sure your platforms welcome everyone.
Conclusion
By following the best practices in this guide, you can make sure your social media is open to everyone. This includes adding alt text and image descriptions, and using subtitles and closed captions in videos. These steps make your social media more welcoming for everyone. Remember, making things accessible is an ongoing task. Keep up with new tools and updates from platforms. Being committed to inclusive design means you can offer a great social media experience to all your followers. Focus on social media video and image accessibility to lead in inclusive social media. By focusing on social media video accessibility, you grow your audience and make the internet more inclusive. Your hard work in making social media accessible will pay off. You'll gain a loyal, diverse, and active audience.
FAQ
What is the importance of accessible social media content? Over 40 million Americans, or 12.7% of the population, lived with a disability in 2017, says the US Census. They use tools like screen readers and closed captioning to access digital content. As a diverse and inclusive group, making sure our social media is accessible is key. This includes those with visual, auditory, or cognitive impairments.
What are the best practices for creating accessible social media videos? To make social media videos accessible, use simple language and add subtitles or transcripts. Clear, short sentences help users with cognitive disabilities or non-native English speakers. Captions or audio descriptions let deaf, hard of hearing, or visually impaired users enjoy the content fully.
How do I write effective alt text and image descriptions? Alt text gives a text alternative for images and other non-text content on social media. Describe the image in the context of the post, keeping it under 125 characters. Use dashes for acronyms and end with a period. Image descriptions should be detailed, including color, layout, and people's appearances. Put them in the caption, post body, or first comment for better social media video accessibility.
How can I ensure my content is accessible across different social media platforms? Social media platforms change often, adding new social media video accessibility features. Instagram now lets you add custom alt text, but some features like Stories lack basic tools. Use editing and captioning apps to make your videos accessible. Posting in various formats across channels helps reach users with different needs.
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