Social media content is more accessible when it is created in a way that people with disabilities — whether permanent, temporary, or situational — can understand and use it. Accessible content works with assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice assistants, speech-to-text tools, screen magnifiers, braille displays, keyboards, and switches.
Because accessibility features and options vary by platform, the guidance below focuses on accessibility requirements and best practices that help ensure social media content can be perceived, understood, and navigated by a wide audience.
Note: This page focuses on accessibility requirements and best practices. Guidance on official SUNY Oswego social media strategy, tone, posting standards, templates, and platform-specific practices is managed by Marketing & Communications (MarCom).
Use Clear, Plain Language
From an accessibility perspective, clear language supports users with cognitive disabilities, individuals using assistive technologies, and people with a high cognitive load.
To improve accessibility:
- Use clear, direct wording
- Limit each paragraph to one main idea
- Avoid jargon or unexplained terminology
- Place essential information early in the post
Acronyms and Abbreviations
Screen readers may not interpret acronyms correctly. Using periods between letters will allow screen readers to read it one letter at a time.
Accessibility best practices include:
- Avoid acronyms when possible
- Spell out acronyms the first time they appear
- Do not assume familiarity with shortened terms
Images, Graphics, and Visual Content
Any non-text content — including images, graphics, GIFs, charts, and videos — must have a text equivalent so users who cannot see the content receive the same information. Do not rely on visual elements alone to communicate essential information.
Text equivalents may include:
- Alternative (alt) text
- Image descriptions included in the post
- Captions or transcripts for multimedia
Alt Text
Alt text provides a brief description of an image’s meaning or purpose. When writing alt text: Describe what the image communicates in context Avoid auto-generated alt text when possible Do not repeat text already included in the post unless needed
Image Description
An image description is a longer explanation of visual content included in the body of the post. Image descriptions are especially helpful when images contain text, complex visuals, or contextual information.
Word Art and other types of pictures of text are not screen-reader friendly. Assistive technology will only determine there is an image present, it will not be able to read the text. Any text that appears in the image must also be included in post copy.
Video Content
Video and audio content must include text alternatives. Accessibility requirements include:
- Open or closed captions for spoken content
- Identification of meaningful non-verbal sounds, such as music playing, ambient sounds, and laughter
- Manual review of auto-generated captions for accuracy
As an example, the word “Oswego” is often translated as “us we go.” See our YouTube captioning tutorial for more information.
Links
Assistive technologies read URLs character by character.
To improve accessibility:
- Use descriptive link text that explains the destination
- Avoid vague phrases such as “click here” or “learn more”
- Do not rely on color alone to distinguish links
Hashtags
Improperly formatted hashtags can be difficult for screen readers to interpret.
Accessibility best practices:
- Place hashtags at the end of a post
- Use CamelCase (capitalizing the first letter of each word), for example #OswegoLakers
- Limit the number of hashtags to reduce auditory clutter
Emojis
Screen readers announce emojis aloud, which can disrupt comprehension.
To support accessibility:
- Do not use emojis in place of words
- Avoid placing emojis mid-sentence
- Place emojis at the end of a post when used
- Use emojis sparingly