It's important that we ensure as many people as possible are able to readily access the content and information we put out on social media. This includes those with hearing, or visual impairments that may impact the way they interact with posts.
Captioning Videos
It is essential that we include closed captions in all video content. Not only does this allow deaf or hard of hearing students to engage with your community, it also lets people watch the video without needing to turn the sound on.
You can use Kapwing or Instagram to apply auto-generated captions onto your videos for free. Just be sure to double check that the AI has transcribed the words correctly.
Image Descriptions
Adding captions to videos
and image descriptions (also known as alt-text) to any images you might post is
now an expected practice. IDs are so important that the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines (WCAG) have alt-texts/image descriptions as their very first guideline.
It is a description of an image thats shown or read aloud via screen reader to people who are unable to see the image. It is also useful for search engine optimisation and can increase the reach of your post.
Adding Captions In Meta Business Suite
When you have added
your image to the post, a small pencil icon will sit to the right and this is
where you can add your alt-text (image description). Then, all you need to do is write out a
concise, factual description of what
the picture looks like.
Adding Captions Below Posts
If you’d prefer to add image
descriptions on your actual posts, beneath the main text, simply period-gap the
description until it sits beneath a ‘read more’ tag. For example:
Social media post copy goes here 💜
.
.
.
.
.
[Image
Description: here]
How to Write an Image Description
How you
describe the image depends on its context. If the image was featured in an article
about photography, the ID could be something along the lines of “Close up,
greyscale photograph of man outside, face in focus, unfocused background.”
If the image is
on a website about a TV-series, an appropriate alt-text could be completely
different, “Star of the show, Adam Lee, looking strained outside in the
rain.” So, write
an ID that is as meaningful as possible for the user in the context they’re in.
- Keep it concise: Give the
necessary information in the alt-text but make it as short and concise
as possible. One of the few times you should write long IDs is when you’re
describing an image containing important text. Alt text on websites best practice is 125 characters. Our website has a total of 200 characters available.
- Don’t say it’s an image: Don’t start
alt-texts with “Image of”, “Photo of” or similar. The screen reader will add
that by default. “Dog jumping
through a hoop. Illustration.”
- End with a period: End the
alt-text with a period. This will make screen readers pause a bit after the
last word in the alt-text.
Font Readability and Contrast
It is essential that all graphics you produce are clearly legible. This means using easy-to-read fonts, high contrast colours, and no tiny texts.
Colour Contrast in Text
You can use this Contrast Checker to get a representation of how readable your design is.
Accessible Fonts
Non-standard script style fonts can be difficult to read. Be sure to thoroughly vet the fonts that you incorporate as part of your designs. (Note: we are not advocating for comic sans here, but it is highly legible.)
Not Sure If It's Accessible?
If you're ever unsure about wether a font or design meets accessibility standards, please contact us via the HelpDocs website or email cme-support@union.unimelb.edu.au and we'll get back to you as fast as possible.