Social Media Accessibility: Making Content Everyone Can Use

Accessible social media content is content that people with disabilities can perceive, understand and engage with, including people who use screen readers, are deaf or hard of hearing, have low vision, colour blindness or cognitive differences. A significant share of any audience benefits. Many accessibility practices, such as captions on videos and clear text, also help everyone else, since many people watch without sound or scroll quickly on small screens.

Why it matters for businesses

• Larger reach: content that more people can use reaches more potential customers.
• Better engagement: captions and clear text help all viewers, especially on mobile.
• Brand reputation: inclusive practices reflect positively on a business.
• Legal context: accessibility laws such as the ADA in the US, the Equality Act in the UK, the Accessible Canada Act and Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act shape expectations for digital accessibility, particularly for websites. Social media expectations are evolving. This is general information, not legal advice.

Practical accessibility steps

Add alt text to images

Alt text describes images for people using screen readers. Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and X allow custom alt text. Describe what matters in the image, concisely: “Technician installing a heat pump outside a brick house” is better than “image” or the automatically generated description.

Caption all videos

Add accurate captions to every video with speech. Platform auto-captions help but often contain errors; review and correct them. Burned-in captions (part of the video) ensure they appear everywhere, while platform captions can be turned on and off by viewers.

Describe important visual content

If a video’s meaning depends on visuals without narration, add text on screen or a description in the caption.

Use readable text in graphics

Large fonts, strong contrast between text and background, and limited text per image. Avoid placing text over busy images. Free contrast checkers can test colour combinations against WCAG guidelines.

Do not rely on colour alone

If a graphic uses colour to convey meaning, such as red for bad and green for good, add labels or icons.

Write clearly

Plain language, short sentences and clear structure help people with cognitive disabilities and everyone else. See our guide to plain language copy.

Use hashtags thoughtfully

Write multi-word hashtags in “CamelCase”, such as #SmallBusinessTips, so screen readers pronounce them correctly. Place hashtags at the end of captions rather than throughout.

Be careful with emojis

Screen readers read emoji descriptions aloud. Several emojis in a row can become long and confusing. Use them sparingly and not as replacements for words.

Avoid flashing content

Rapid flashing can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Avoid strobing effects.

Make links clear

Describe where links go. “Book your consultation here” is clearer than “Click here”.

Building accessibility into the workflow

Accessibility is easiest when it is part of the normal process rather than an afterthought. Add alt text and captions to your content checklist and approval workflow. See our guide on approval workflows. Create design templates with accessible fonts and contrast built in. Train everyone who posts on the basics.

Connecting to website accessibility

Social media often sends people to a website. If the site itself is not accessible, the experience breaks at the most important point. Our guide to website accessibility for small businesses covers the next step.

Content more people can use

Accessible social media is mostly a matter of habits: alt text, captions, readable design and clear writing. These small steps widen your audience and improve the experience for everyone.

If you want accessibility built into your social content, our social media management service includes alt text, captions and accessible design as standard.