Your school's social media accounts are vital for connecting with both new and existing families, but while website accessibility is often prioritized, social media accessibility is usually overlooked.

One in six people worldwide lives with a disability, many of whom regularly engage with social media platforms that play a big role in bridging communication gaps. Platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Instagram—and yes, even TikTok, are important channels for staying connected and promoting inclusion.

And now, with recent updates to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), to meet the ADA requirements, your school's social media content should be as accessible as your website after the new compliance deadlines.

So what does that mean, for your memes?

Before you post, it’s important to consider how the new social media accessibility guidelines impact the way your content uses emojis, hashtags, and more.

Here are some best practices for ensuring your school’s social media is accessible, inclusive, and engaging for all.

Social Media Accessibility: Engagement for All

Listen up, social media managers: Accessibility should be an integral part of your school's social media strategy because it ensures that all members of your community, including those with disabilities, can engage with and benefit from your content. So if you want everyone to be able to like, share, and follow...

Always Add Alt Text

Alt text, short for alternative text, is a written description of an image that helps visually impaired users understand what the image is about. Just like on the web, alt text lets screen readers read the words aloud for people with disabilities.

Here's how to effectively use alt text on social media:

• Describe the Image Clearly: Describe what the image shows in clear, simple language. If the image includes people, mention who they are, what they are doing, and any important objects or actions. For example, instead of writing "students," you could write "Three students sitting at a table, working on a science project with test tubes and beakers."
   
• Context and Purpose: If the image captures emotions or reactions that are important to understanding the content, describe those as well. For example, "A student smiling proudly while holding their award."
   
• Keep It Concise: Alt text should be descriptive yet concise. Aim for one or two sentences in plain language that convey the essential information. For example, "A group of students playing soccer on the school field during recess."
   
• Avoid Redundancy: If the post caption already describes the image, there's no need to repeat it in the alt text. Instead, provide additional context or details not mentioned in the caption.

Pro Tip: Low on time and brainpower? You can use AI to generate alt text quickly—just don't forget to check your work! (Can you catch the error?)

Adding Alt Text on Social Media Platforms

Instagram: Given its focus on visual content, Instagram’s compatibility with screen readers is essential. Alt text is created automatically, but it's far from perfect. When you create a post, Instagram lets you add or edit alt text by clicking "Advanced Settings" and selecting "Write Alt Text." (And yes, you should add alt text to each image in a carousel post.)

YouTube: YouTube adds captions automatically, but they’re not always 100% accurate. Adding them yourself provides an extra accessibility layer and can optimize your video content even further.

X (Twitter): X allows you to add alt text by clicking the "Add description" button after uploading an image. X provides AI-generated captions for images, but users must enable this feature.

Facebook: Facebook adds AI-powered, automatic alt text to posts, making images more accessible to screen readers. The platform provides an option to add alt text during the image upload process; just click the "Edit" button on the image and select "Alt Text" to enter your description.

TikTok: TikTok, popular with Gen Z, offers several accessibility features like auto-captions, text-to-speech, animated thumbnails, and photosensitivity warnings to give fans a heads-up about the post's content.

LinkedIn: On LinkedIn, you can add alt text to images by clicking the "Add alt text" option when you upload an image to a post.

• Did You Know? Scheduling platforms, like Sprout Social, are also starting to allow you to write alt text directly from the scheduler and even have a feature where AI will help you write it!

Writing Captions For Social Media Posts

We all know captions can help viewers understand the content better, especially in noisy environments or when the audio quality is poor, but captions make videos accessible to a wider audience, including non-native speakers, the Deaf community, and people who prefer to watch videos without sound.

Besides, more than 80% of videos on Facebook are watched on mute, and videos with captions have 16% more reach, 15% more shares, 17% more reactions, and 26% more click-throughs than videos without captions!

Emojis and Memes

Memes and emojis are popular, but they can actually create some social media accessibility issues. Make sure your memes and emojis are inclusive and easy for everyone:

• Don’t Use Emojis as Bullet Points: Screen readers read each emoji’s alt text aloud, which can make a list confusing and difficult to follow. For example, if you use a check mark emoji (✔️), the screen reader will say “checkmark” before reading the list item.
   
  • Instead, use standard bullet points or numbers for lists to keep them clear and easy to understand.
     
• Place Emojis at the End of Sentences: Adding emojis in the middle of a sentence can disrupt the flow for screen readers. For example, “I’m so excited 😊 about the open house” would be read as “I’m so excited smiley face about the open house!”
   
  • Instead, place emojis at the end of sentences or captions to avoid breaking up the text.
     
• Limit the Number of Emojis Per Post: Using too many emojis can be overwhelming and confusing for users relying on screen readers. For example, “Great job!!! 👏👏👏👏👏” would be read as “clapping hands clapping hands clapping hands clapping hands clapping hands.”
   
  • Instead, stick to using no more than a couple of emojis per post to keep it simple and clear. For example, “Great job! 👏”

Describe the Content & Context of Memes

When posting memes, add alt text that describes the visual content and explains the humor or message. Just be sure to provide enough detail that the joke or point of the meme is clear to those who can’t see it.

For example, “Image of a cat looking surprised, with the text ‘When you realize it’s Monday again!'”

Avoid ASCII Art

ASCII art uses characters to create images, which can be very confusing when read aloud by screen readers. For example, a smiley face made of characters like :) can be read as “colon parenthesis.” If you want to share this kind of message, post it as an image and add descriptive alt text. This way, screen readers can convey what the image represents.

User-Friendly Hashtags

Hashtags are an important part of connecting themes and communities across different posts and channels, but make sure you’re using hashtags across your social media channels wisely, including,

• Capitalize the first letter of each word in your hashtag to make it readable. For example, #MySchoolEvent is easier to read than #myschoolevent.
   
• Similar to emojis, adding hashtags in the middle of sentences can disrupt the flow for screen readers. Place hashtags at the end of your post instead of within the text.
   
• If you need to use several hashtags, place them in a separate comment rather than in the main post. This keeps the main content cleaner and easier to read.

St Paul’s School for Girls uses a lot of these best practices with this video post on Facebook—captions, a descriptive caption, and placing the hashtag and the end with proper capitalization.

Creating Accessible Visuals

Visual content is a key part of social media, but it needs to be accessible to all users, including those with visual impairments. Here are some best practices:

• Check Your Color Contrast: Make sure there's a high contrast between text and background colors so users with low vision or color blindness can read your text.
   
• Avoid Text on Images: Text placed directly on images can be hard to read. If you must put text on an image, you can always place a solid-color background on the text so it’s more readable.
   
• Avoid Flashing or Excessive Movement: If possible, use static images instead of animations. Too much motion can cause problems for people with epilepsy, migraines, or vestibular disorders. If you do use animations, make sure they don’t have rapid or repetitive movements. TikTok will often have photosensitivity warnings to give fans a heads-up about the post's content.

Key Takeaways

Follow these guidelines so you can make sure your school's social media content is more accessible. Whether it's on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, or any other channel, you want all your fans and followers, including those with disabilities, to enjoy and understand your content without confusion or frustration.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Connor has spent the last decade within the field of marketing and communications, working with independent schools and colleges throughout New England. As Finalsite’s Senior Content Marketing Manager, Connor plans and executes marketing strategies and digital content across the web. A former photojournalist, he has a passion for digital media, storytelling, coffee, and creating content that connects.