Tips for Making Social Media Posts Accessible

Did you know that 7 out of 10 Americans use social media, but 1 in 4 Americans live with a disability? Unfortunately, without accessibility, many people with disabilities can’t fully connect with your content.

And so, whether you’re a business owner, part of an organization, or an individual, consider making your social media posts accessible. Accessibility helps bridge the gap and create an inclusive online space where everyone can engage and belong.

As noted in our previous article on ‘Preventing ADA Website Accessibility Lawsuits‘ without accessibility, you can get sued. In that article, we discussed how to improve your site accessibility.

And so, in today’s article, we will focus on social media by giving you tips for making Social Media Post Accessible.

The platforms we will focus on include:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Youtube
• Pinterest

With that said, let’s get started.  How to make social media posts accessible?

There are several ways to make your content accessible on almost every platform. Let’s focus on each platform and highlight steps for making social media posts accessible, and we will start with Facebook.

1. Facebook

Here are the procedures to create a Facebook post that is accessible:

After you’ve shared a photo, change its alt text.

1. To open the image, click on it.
2. After that, select Change Alt Text by clicking ‘…’ in the top right corner.
3. A new page will open. In the text box, change the alt text. Alternatively, you can simply click Override-generated alt text.
4. Click Clear to restore the automatically created text as your edited alt text.
5. After you can now ‘Click Save‘ to save your changes.

Add captions to your video.

1. Log in to your Facebook account and go to your timeline or Feed.
2. Open a file selection window by clicking on “Photo/Video” at the top of your timeline or Feed.
3. Select the video file to upload and then click “Post” to start uploading it.
4. Wait for Facebook to process the video. After which, locate it by clicking on the date and time.
5. Once you’ve found the video, click on the three-dot menu icon (…) in the post’s top right corner and select “Edit video” from the dropdown menu.
6. Scroll down the editing menu until you find the section labelled “Upload SRT files” Below that, click on “Choose File” to select a .srt file from your computer.
7. Navigate to the location where you have the .srt file stored on your computer and select it. Once you’ve chosen the .srt file, click “Open” or “Save” to confirm your selection.
8. After selecting the .srt file, click “Save” to add the captions to your video. Facebook will now display the captions whenever someone watches the video.
9. Repeat steps 4-8 to add captions in other languages, select the video, click “Edit video” choose the .srt file, and save the changes.

And that’s it!

Editing Photo’s alt text before posting

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to edit alt text for a photo on Facebook before posting:

1. Log in to your Facebook account and go to your Feed.
2. Select a photo to upload by clicking on “Photo/Video” at the top of the Feed.
3. Hover over the selected Photo, and a small “Edit” button should appear. Click on “Edit“.
4. A menu will appear on the left side; select “Alternative text” in the menu.
5. On the left side of the Photo, you will see the automatically generated alt text. If you want to edit it, click on “Override generated alt text“
6. A text box will appear – write or modify the alt text for the Photo. If you wish to revert to the automatically generated text, click “Clear“.
7. Write the modified alt text in the text box. Ensure the alt text accurately describes the content of the Photo for accessibility purposes.
8. After editing the alt text, click “Save” in the screen’s bottom left corner to apply the changes.
9. You can now post the Photo on Facebook, and the modified alt text will be associated with the image.

And that’s it!

How to turn captions on for videos on Facebook

Well, the procedure for this is quite simple.

To enable captions for videos on Facebook, follow these steps. First, click on your profile picture in Facebook’s top right corner. Then, select “Settings & Privacy” and click “Settings” Scroll down and find “Videos” in the left column. Click on it. Next, locate the “Always Show Captions” option and click “Off” to enable it.

Finally, select “On” to turn on captions for Facebook videos, but remember that this setting applies only to videos watched on a computer. These steps will help you ensure that captions are displayed for videos on Facebook, enhancing accessibility and inclusivity for viewers.

And that’s all about Facebook; let’s move on to Instagram.

2. Instagram

Now let’s have a look at how you can make posts accessible on Instagram.

Adding subtitles to Instagram Videos and Stories

Instagram has recently introduced a new accessibility feature that automatically adds captions to IGTV videos in 16 different languages. This incredible tool is easy to use. Follow these steps to get started:

• Open the Instagram app on your device and navigate to the settings.
• Tap on “Account” in the settings menu.
• Look for the “Captions” option and toggle on the “Auto-Generated Captions” feature.
• Once you have activated auto-generated captions, you must also enable auto-captioning in your IGTV settings.
• To do this, begin by uploading your IGTV video as usual.
• After uploading the video and selecting a cover photo, you will see a screen with various options. Click on “Advanced Settings” situated at the bottom.
• Within the advanced settings, switch on the “Auto-Generated Captions” feature and tap “Done” to save the changes.

Congratulations! Your IGTV video will now display black-and-white text captions at the bottom of the screen.

How to manually include alt text on Instagram

Follow these quick and easy steps to include alt text manually:

• Select an existing photo or take a new photo, then upload it to Instagram.
• If necessary, Edit the image, and tap “Next” to proceed.
• Select “Advanced Settings” on the next screen to access additional options.
• Under the “Accessibility” header menu, locate and tap on “Write Alt Text“.
• A text box will appear – in that box, enter your alt text. Describe the image’s content concisely and accurately, providing relevant details that help visually impaired users understand the image.
• Once you have entered the alt text, click on “Done” to save your changes.

3. LinkedIn

Generally, when it comes to making LinkedIn posts accessible, there are a few considerations you need to make to make that happen. In fact, it is only two:

1. Including descriptive alt text to all images
2. Turn on closed captioning when posting a video on LinkedIn from the desktop browser.

Adding alternative text to your images on LinkedIn:

• Start by uploading an image you want to post.
• Navigate to the Edit your photo screen and choose “Add alt text.”
• Provide descriptive text in the edit box, then proceed by clicking “next” to finalize your post. Remember that on LinkedIn, alt text must be within 120 characters.

How to turn on closed captioning when posting a video on LinkedIn from the desktop browser:

• Start by accessing your LinkedIn homepage on the desktop experience.
• Locate the share box at the top of the page and then click on the Video icon.
• A pop-up window will appear, so choose the “Select video to share” option and proceed.
• Choose the desired video from your desktop files to upload it.
• Once the video preview is visible, navigate to the top right corner of your screen and click the “Edit” button to access your video’s settings.
• Look for the “Select Caption” option and click on it. You’ll be prompted to attach a SubRip Subtitle (SRT) file.
• Select the appropriate SRT file from your computer and confirm your selection.
• If desired, add any additional text or hashtags to accompany your video.
• Finally, click the “Post” button to publish your video with closed captions.

After the video is uploaded, it will go through the processing stage. Once it’s ready to view, you will receive a notification. At that time, viewers can see the closed captions while watching the video.

4. Twitter

Here are some helpful tips to ensure that the images or videos you share are accessible:

• Alt Text for Images: Always include clear and concise alt text when sharing images. Aim for alt text between 150-250 characters to provide a meaningful image description for individuals using assistive technologies.
• Closed Captions for Videos: To cater to people who are deaf or hard of hearing, include closed captions in your videos. Closed captions provide a text-based representation of the audio content, making it accessible to a broader audience.
• Accessibility Check for Graphics/Images: Before sharing graphics or images, run them through an accessibility tool to identify any potential accessibility issues. These tools can help ensure that your visuals are accessible and can be understood by everyone.
• Use Emojis Thoughtfully: While emojis can enhance your message, it’s important to remember that not all users can see or interpret them. Limit the use of emojis and consider adding words alongside them to convey your message clearly, regardless of whether the emoji can be viewed.

Following these tips can make your shared images and videos more inclusive and accessible to a broader audience, fostering a more inclusive online environment.

5. YouTube

Here’s a guide on how to change the privacy settings for your videos on YouTube:

• Begin by signing in to YouTube Studio, which is accessible through your YouTube account.
• On the left menu, select “Content.” This will display a list of your uploaded videos.
• Point to the video you want to update. If you’re looking for your live uploads specifically, select the “Live” tab.
• Under the “Visibility” section, click the downward arrow to reveal a dropdown menu.
• Choose one of the following settings from the options provided: Public, Private, or Unlisted.
  • Public: Select this option if you want your video to be viewable by anyone on YouTube.
  • Private: Choose this option to restrict access to the video only to specific YouTube accounts you authorize.
  • Unlisted: With this option, your video won’t appear in search results or on your channel, but anyone with the video link can view it.
• Remember to save your changes once you have selected the desired privacy setting.

Note: Creators aged 13-17 have private video privacy, while 18+ creators have public privacy. Adjust accessibility and privacy settings as desired.

6. Pinterest

Adding Alt Text

• Log into your Pinterest business account.
• Click on “Create” at the top-left of the page, then select “Create Pin.”
• Add an image or video to create your Pin.
• Fill out the information about your Pin, including the following details:
  • Title: Add a descriptive title for your Pin that accurately represents its content.
  • Description: Provide a clear and concise description of what your Pin is about. To help users understand the content, use relevant keywords.
  • Alt-text: This is where you explain what people can see in the Pin. Write a descriptive text that conveys the visual information in the image or video. Be specific and provide meaningful details.
• Once you have filled out all the necessary information, review your Pin, and ensure that the alt-text accurately reflects the visual content.
• Hit the publish button to make your Pin live and accessible to a wider audience.

Adding Captions

• Captions provide visual information for individuals with hearing impairments and contribute to improved video engagement. Here’s how you can incorporate captions into your Pinterest posts:
• When creating a video Pin on Pinterest, make sure you have a caption file prepared. The most common format for captions is the SubRip Subtitle (SRT) file.
• Create or obtain a caption file that accurately represents your video content’s dialogue and audio elements.
• Upload your video to Pinterest by clicking on “Create” at the top-left of the page, then selecting “Create Pin.”
• Add your video to the Pin and fill out the necessary information, including the title and description.
• Before hitting publish, click on the option to add captions or subtitles. This may be labelled differently depending on the Pinterest interface.
• Attach the caption file (SRT) you prepared for your video. Pinterest will associate the captions with your video content.
• Review the captions to ensure they align properly with the video’s dialogue and audio.
• Finally, publish your Pin with captions to make it accessible to a wider audience.

Final Thoughts

To wrap it up, it is essential to note that making your social media post on whichever platform you’re using is essential. Accessibility is a crucial facet that enhances your reach, makes your content inclusive, and allows you to meet the ADA guidelines. This is why we have highlighted all the Tips for Making Social Media Posts Accessible.

And so, if you need help with solving your accessibility issue, you can simply reach out to Accessibility experts like Anblik.com to help you with that.