Creating Accessible Social Media Content

At Worcester State, we are committed to ensuring our digital content is inclusive and accessible to all members of our community. Social media content shared on official and university-affiliated accounts must meet accessibility standards and align with university guidance and applicable requirements.

This guide provides practical, easy-to-follow strategies to help you create accessible social media posts, graphics, and videos that are understandable and engaging for all users. 

For complete requirements and expectations for accessible social media content, visit: Accessibility Requirements and Expectations

Visual and Graphic Content

Use high-contrast text and subtitles:

Ensure all text within images or videos is easy to read. Dark text on a light background — or the reverse — provides better readability for users with low vision. Follow official contrast guidelines to ensure accessibility.

Keep graphics simple:

Avoid overcrowding visuals with excessive text. Include only essential text within the graphic and use the caption for additional details, since captions are accessible to screen readers. Any embedded text should also be included in the image description.

Limit use of GIFs:

GIFs often lack built-in accessibility features and cannot be fully interpreted by screen readers. Use them sparingly and ensure your message remains clear without them.

Warn about flashing or strobing content:

Flashing lights or intense motion may trigger photosensitive conditions. Include a warning when necessary or avoid these effects altogether.

Provide alt text and image descriptions for all content:

Alt text and image descriptions both support accessibility but serve different purposes:

• Alt text is hidden text embedded in an image or added through a platform’s accessibility settings. It is read aloud by screen readers to describe the image for people who are blind or have low vision. It should be concise and focus on essential information.
• Image descriptions are visible text included in your caption. They provide a more detailed explanation and support users who benefit from additional context or who use platforms where alt text may not be detected.

When posting to platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, or X:

• Add alt text using the platform’s built-in accessibility settings before publishing.
• Include image descriptions in the caption.
  • For multiple images, number them for clarity.

Example post:

Orientation is off to a great start!

[Image descriptions:

1. Three students smile and hold Worcester State banners in front of the Student Center, surrounded by balloons and tables set up for campus clubs.
2. Two students wearing blue backpacks that say “Orientation” and have the Worcester State logo, walking down the quad.]

Alt text 1: Students holding Worcester State banners at Welcome Week.

Alt text 2: Students wearing orientation backpacks walking down the quad.

Text Formatting and Readability

Avoid typing in all caps:

Screen readers may interpret all-caps words as acronyms, reading each letter individually (e.g., “L-A-N-C-E-R”). Use punctuation or formatting instead for emphasis.

Capitalize each word in hashtags:

Use CamelCase (for example, #LancerNation) to help screen readers and users distinguish words.

Use emojis carefully:

Screen readers read emojis aloud. Limit their use and include a space between each emoji.

Use memes and humor thoughtfully:

Memes can be confusing or inaccessible to some users. Provide context and pair them with clear, plain language.

Choose accessible fonts:

Sans-serif fonts are generally easier to read, especially for people with disabilities that impact reading and processing. Worcester State’s brand kit includes accessible fonts such as Montserrat and Arial. Avoid decorative or highly stylized fonts, particularly for small text.

Social Media Process

Make accessibility part of your social media process.

Incorporating accessibility into your team’s internal workflow helps ensure that all content shared on Worcester State’s platforms is consistently inclusive and accessable for all audiences.

This includes:

• Adding alt text to all images
• Writing clear image and video descriptions
• Using accessible language and formatting
• Reviewing posts before publishing

If teams cannot consistently dedicate the necessary time and attention to creating accessible content, they should reconsider managing university-affiliated social media accounts. Accessibility is a required standard and essential to reaching all members of our community.

Need More Support?

Visit the full Social Media Training Resources page or set up a time to discuss your page’s accessibility with the Student Accessibility Services team.