TAC Blog

Social Media Accessibility: Best Practices for County Governments

For more web accessibility tips, take a look at TAC CIRA’s web accessibility resource page.

Add alt text for all images

Alternate text is a short description of what matters in an image. It’s helpful for people who use screen readers, because it provides additional context.

Best practice: If you are posting an image with crucial information, your post caption should include that same information and provide appropriate alt text in the platform’s alt text field.

Resources from TAC CIRA: See Step 6 in the Step-by-Step Guide to Website Accessibility

Create accurate captions for every video

Captions allow people who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand the context of the video. Captions also improve understanding of your social videos for users who have turned off sound. Many platforms auto-generate captions, but they should be reviewed for accuracy.

Best practice: Auto-captioning in one platform does not ensure accessibility in another platform. Captions must be reviewed and edited as needed within each platform.

Narrate text that appears in short-form videos

If a Reel or short video only contains text overlays and music, add a voiceover that reads the text on screen. In some platforms, you can record a voiceover narration inside the app after the video is created.

Best practice: Plan for accessibility in your workflow for the creation of your video, which will reduce the amount of post-production accessibility work required later. For example, speakers should introduce themselves when they start speaking, and plan for speakers to narrate any text you will add onscreen.

TAC CIRA Resources: Check out the Multimedia Accessibility Resources on CIRA’s website to learn more about captions, transcripts and audio descriptions.

Don’t rely on graphics alone to share important information.

A common practice on social media is to post a graphic that looks like a program flyer, where all details are included as text on the graphic. However, screen readers cannot interpret text embedded in an image. To ensure the content is accessible, always include the same information in the caption or social media post text. Add alt text that briefly summarizes the graphic.

Resources from TAC CIRA: See Step 7 in the Step-by-Step Guide to Website Accessibility

Use uncomplicated language

Using clear and simple language will improve understanding for everyone, including people with cognitive disabilities. Use short sentences and limit jargon.

Create Readable Images

Graphics should have a strong color contrast of at least 4.5 to 1. Use a free online contrast checkers to test the contrast, such as this checker from WebAIM.

Test how your post and graphics look on a mobile device, not just on a desktop computer. Is the text font on the graphic too small to read?

Use hashtags and emojis carefully.

Screen readers read hashtags and emojis as words, which can be confusing.

Best practice: Use “camel case” for hashtags, where each word within the hashtag is capitalized. Example: Use #CountyRoadProject, not #countyroadproject.

Best practice: Use emojis sparingly, and place them at the end of a sentence. Example:

🚨🚨🚨 Road Closure 🚨🚨🚨

A screen reader may read aloud “police car light police car light police car light road closure…”

Social Media Accessibility Checklist

Like building any good habit, consistency is key. Adding accessibility checklists to your social media workflow will make it easier to implement.

1. Does the image include meaningful alt text?
2. Is the video accurately captioned?
3. Are visual elements in the video described in audio?
4. Is important information written in the post text?
5. Is the color contrast high?
6. Camel case for hashtags, emojis used sparingly?
7. Is the post written clearly, free of jargon?
8. A practical guideline for video accessibility on social media
9. Text on screen: Read it aloud.
10. Spoken audio: Caption it.
11. Important information: Include it in the post description.

Consistently following this guideline will improve accessibility for users with low or no vision, deaf users, screen reader users, and people watching without sound.

Social Media Accessibility Deadlines

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice finalized new rules under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring state and local governments to ensure their digital services are accessible to people with disabilities. The rule applies to websites, mobile apps and other online content provided by public entities.

The accessibility deadlines for county government social media content are the same as those for county websites:

• April 26, 2027 – state and local governments serving 50,000 people or more.
• April 26, 2028 – state and local governments serving less than 50,000 people.

After those dates, newly published digital content (including social media posts) should meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.1, Level AA technical standard.

Note: Social media posts published before the compliance deadline do not have to be remediated.

How to Make County Websites More Accessible

To learn how to make your website more accessible, peruse TAC CIRA’s web accessibility resources. In addition to these educational resources, TAC CIRA offers a website platform that was optimized for accessibility. A third-party entity studied TAC CIRA’s web platform and found that it outperforms other options when it comes to accessibility.

TAC CIRA also offers an accessibility tool that helps counties keep their content compliant. It’s a bundled feature with two products:

• A plugin that detects accessibility issues and helps users fix problems before the page is published
• An AI widget that automatically scans web pages and makes content more compliant

FAQs

What are the legal requirements for web accessibility?

The latest benchmark for most public institutions is WCAG Version 2.1 Level AA.

These guidelines center around four main ideas. Your content should always be:

• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust

What are the different types of disabilities that web accessibility addresses?

Digital accessibility helps ensure that everyone can understand the information provided on a website or social media page. Common disabilities include visual, auditory, motor, cognitive or situational limitations.

What are some common digital accessibility issues?

Some of the most common digital accessibility issues include:

• Images without alternative text
• Low color contrast
• Non-descriptive link text
• Only conveying important information with color.

To learn more about common web accessibility issues, check out TAC CIRA’s web accessibility videos.

This article was jointly developed by TAC CIRA and TAC Communications teams. The information contained in this article does not constitute legal advice. Please consult your county attorney or outside counsel with any questions about ensuring your county’s compliance.