Universal guidance
Add alt text to images
Alternative text is a description of an image, and is used by users who are blind, have low vision, and all users for whom images don’t load. Keep alt text brief. You can always add more information in the post itself.
Learn more about alt text and accessible images.
Avoid images with text
Text in images creates accessibility barriers because assistive technologies are not be able to recognize and convert it. If you must use an image with text, include the text in the alt text or the post body text.
Put all flyer information in the body of your post
If posting a flyer (whether an image file or a PDF), put all flyer information in the body of your post. This makes it easier for everyone to access and understand your event.
Infographics
For graphs or other color-coded content, be sure you don’t use color alone to convey information. This creates a barrier for people with color blindness. Use text or patterns as well.
Learn more about accessible use of color.
Check your contrast
Make sure your text meets the requirements for color contrast, so people with low vision can read your content. Avoid yellow, baby blue or gold text on a white background. Check the Berkeley Brand Color Picker for accessible color pairings.
Learn more about accessible color contrast.
Caption your videos
All videos are required to have accurate captions, regardless of what platform you use.
Learn more about video requirements and formatting captions.
Use plain language
- In general, aim for a 7th grade reading level, but also consider your intended audience.
- Avoid (or define) acronyms that folks might not be familiar with.
Learn more about plain language.
CamelCase your #Hashtags
CamelCase makes it easier for assistive technology to understand your hashtag and for sighted users to read it. #DoThis #notthis
Not CamelCase #digitalaccessibilityprogram
CamelCase: #DigitalAccessibilityProgram
Post across multiple platforms
Folks might not see your content if you only post in one place. Consider posting on multiple platforms so more people can access your information.
Use emojis!
Use supplied emojis, which screen readers can read, not emoticons made of text characters, which screen readers don’t recognize. But don’t go overboard – these can get overwhelming for folks using screen readers. Try to only add them at the end of your post.
Avoid videos without dialogue
Sometimes folks use visual text blurbs instead of spoken dialogue in a video. This creates a barrier for people who are blind, or have low vision because assistive technology can not extract text in a video. Be sure to include an audio version of text in videos. Alternatively, include a text-based version of the content in the body of your post.
Use simple fonts and color schemes
If the platform allows you to choose fonts, for paragraph text use a 12 pt (16 px or 1 em), simple sans serif font such as Arial, or Verdana.
If the platform allows you to design your color scheme, use a dark text color with a light background (with a contrast ratio of 4.5:1). Light mode is much easier for a majority of people to read. People who require dark mode usually have tools and settings in place to convert content to meet their needs.
Guidance for specific platforms
BlueSky
After you upload your image and before you publish, you should see a +Alt button on the top left of your image. Click this to add your alt text.
At this time, you can not add alt text to a post after it’s been posted.
To add alt text: When you upload an image, click the Edit button, then select Alternative text. If you don’t add alt text, Facebook may use AI to generate alt text, but it may not be complete, accurate, or provide the right contextual information.
To edit or add alt text to existing posts: Select the image and click the 3 dots for more options (top right). Select Change alt text.
Learn more about accessibility on Facebook.
To add alt text, on the final screen before sharing your new post, click Advanced settings, then choose Write alt text.
To edit or add alt text to an existing post, click the 3 dots at the top right, click Edit, then click the Edit alt text button on your image.
Be sure to add captions to Reels (videos). Note: At this time, if you use an API to pull Instagram Reels into a web page, they will not include the captions when viewed on the web site. As a work-around, use open captions.
Learn more about accessibility on Instagram.
Medium
Before you finish inserting an image, you’ll be prompted to add alt text with a little bubble that says Alt text near the top of your image. Click it to add alt text. You can also add alt text to a pre-existing image; click on it to select it. While the image is selected, Medium gives you some editing options on the top right of the image. Select Alt text.
Substack
To add alt text, select your image, then click the three dots on the top right corner to view options. Click Edit alt text.
Twitter / X
After you attach a photo to your post, click Add description below your image to add alt text.
Learn more about accessibility on Twitter/X.
YouTube
Use high-quality audio. Avoid or minimize background music while people are speaking in your video, as it makes it difficult to hear the dialog.
Add captions. YouTube doesn’t differentiate between subtitles and captions and refers to both as “subtitles.” Captions are a verbatim text representation of what is spoken, and includes any background sounds. Subtitles are a translation and do not include background sounds. You may choose to provide both, but they will be separate files which end users can choose from.
YouTube can provide auto-generated captions as a starting point, but they will not be accurate. You will need to fix errors, and add punctuation and capitalization in order to be accessible and compliant.
Learn more about adding captions to YouTube videos.