Inclusive social media, a checklist
By: Vera Martins
Tags: Inclusive, Inclusion, Accessibility, Resources, Social Media

#CamelCase

#dontyoudaretellingmethatthisisaneasyread

Let’s try this again

#DontYouDareTellingMeThatThisIsAnEasyRead

Writing your hashtags in camel case helps the screen readers to interpret them (and everyone, honestly).

This tweet explains it like no other:

a tweet from Jon Gibbins explaining the importance of CamelCase

Hashtags and mentions should be at the end

Yes…we need to resist our urge to use hashtags and mentions between our comments or copy. This is a habit that can disrupt the copy because ‘#’ and ‘@’are read aloud by screen readers.

You need to chill with those emojis

(I’m so guilty…)

Emojis and emoticons ( i.e. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ) are read aloud by assistive tools. That means people will hear things like “loudly crying face” or “pile of poo.”

Visit Emojipedia to find out the real meaning of the emojis that you use, some of them will surprise you 😃

Check your font size

On print, on-screen (mobile apps and websites), everywhere.

Pay special attention when using text on/ as images or videos (it’s better not to but ), make sure it’s legible.

Take it easy with the caps

Full-caps can be difficult to read and misinterpreted by screen readers.

Avoid special characters

In addition to reduced legibility, assistive tools read special formatting very differently:

a tweet from Kent C. Dodds demonstrating the impact of special characters

Write in plain language

Avoid jargon, slang, or technical terms unless they are strictly necessary. Consider how screen readers will read your content. What about people that their second language is your brand’s first language? Or those with learning disabilities or limited familiarity with the subject matter?

You can do this without compromising your brand voice, learn how.

Avoid saying “click here”

I learned this one when I started testing my designs with assistive technology.

Describe your calls-to-action, instead of “Sign up here” use just “Sign up”. When using the URL’s inside the copy use the most descriptive text on the sentence to show what people will be able to find.

People scan for URL’s to skip the biggest amount of copy as possible. Well, screen readers have this option too, so be mindful about it.

Limit line length

Short lines help the retention of your content.

Use inclusive language

Avoid ableist language, use gender-neutral pronouns and terms, like for example firefighter instead of fireman, share diverse voices and emoji, and evaluate text for assumptions of limited points of view.

Write descriptive alt-text/ image descriptions

According to WebAIM, missing or ineffective alt text is the most problematic aspect of web accessibility.

Some tips:

Skip saying “image of” or “photograph of.” The Royal National Institute of Blind People says most screen readers prefer you don’t.

Mention colour, if it’s essential to the understanding of the image.

Transcribe text if the image has text on it.

If you’re sharing some kind of visual data (chart, graph, infographic) include that data, so that people have all the information

Don’t forget GIFs. If the platform does not support alt-text, include a description.

Learn from the best: WebAIM offers tips and several examples, and copywriter Ashley Bischoff’s presentation is very helpful.

Where to find the specific fields for you to add alt-text to images on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Use a colour contrast of at least 4.5:1

But don’t rely on colour to convey meaning.

The ideal contrast between text colour and its background should be at least 4.5:1, as recommended by WCAG. For larger text that ratio decreases, but it increases for smaller text. The variations may seem subtle — but they make a big difference for different viewers.

Colour combinations to avoid are green and red or blue and yellow, as they are difficult to read.

Use solid backgrounds, text on images can be difficult to read.

Consider using patterns to differentiate data on your graphs, charts and infographics.

By Pablo Stanley

Include video captions

Captions are essential for people with hearing disabilities, as it gives them access to the information provided in the video.

They can also benefit people watching in their non-native language, or viewers in sound-off environments.

How to do it:

On YouTube, you can transcribe your video, upload a supported file or, in some cases, captions can be auto-generated. Errors can be corrected with the caption editor. For YouTube Live, automatic captions are available in English.

On LinkedIn, just upload a .srt file with your video.

On Instagram, since September 2020, automatic closed captioning is available for IGTV Live and IGTV. You can also use Cliptomatic to add captions to your Instagram Stories, and TikTok and Snapchat videos.

On Twitter, just upload a .srt file with your video. Adding automated captions to video is also coming to Twitter by early 2021.

On Facebook, you can just upload a SubRip (.srt) file or transcribe the video. Auto-generate captions are also an option and are available for Facebook Live and Workplace Live.

Add video descriptions

Unlike captions, descriptive language denotes the important sights and sounds that are not spoken.