Social Media Accessibility

Instagram supports alt text for images and automatic captions for Reels and Stories. The platform’s built-in accessibility tools are more limited than some other platforms, so deliberate content preparation is especially important.

Adding alt text to photos

1. Upload your image and proceed to the caption screen.
2. Tap Advanced Settings at the bottom of the screen.
3. Tap Write Alt Text and enter a meaningful description of the image.
4. Tap Done, then share your post.

To edit alt text after publishing, open the post, tap the three-dot menu, select Edit, then Edit Alt Text.

Captions for Reels and videos

1. After recording or uploading a Reel, proceed to the editing screen.
2. Tap the Captions sticker. Instagram will auto-generate captions.
3. Tap each caption segment to review the text. Correct any errors in wording, punctuation, or timing before proceeding.
4. Auto-generated captions are not sufficient on their own. They must be verified for accuracy before publishing, particularly for proper nouns, acronyms, and UGA-specific terminology.

Stories

• Use the Captions sticker for any spoken audio in Stories.
• Ensure on-screen text has sufficient contrast against the background (4.5:1 minimum for normal text).
• Do not place critical information only in text stickers or image overlays, as these are not read by screen readers.

Instagram does not currently support alt text for Stories background images. Include key information in the post caption or repeat essential details in a linked feed post.

Facebook provides one of the more comprehensive accessibility toolsets among major social platforms, including manual alt text, automatic video captions, and event accessibility fields.

Adding or editing alt text for photos

1. Upload your photo. Facebook will automatically generate alt text.
2. Before posting, click Edit on the photo, then select Alternative Text.
3. Replace the auto-generated text with a meaningful, contextual description.
4. Click Save and proceed to publish.

To edit alt text after posting, click the three-dot menu on the post, select Edit Post, click the photo, then choose Alternative Text. Facebook’s automatically generated alt text is often inaccurate or too generic. Always replace it with a custom description.

Captions for videos

1. Upload your video to a Page or profile.
2. On the posting screen, select Edit Video.
3. Choose Captions and either upload an SRT file or use auto-generated captions.
4. Review and correct auto-captions before publishing.

Events

• Include accessibility information in the event description (for example, wheelchair accessibility, ASL interpretation availability).
• Ensure event cover images have descriptive alt text.
• Repeat key event details (date, time, location, registration) in the event description text. Do not rely solely on the cover graphic.

X supports image alt text and automatic captions for uploaded videos. The platform’s character limit means concise, clear writing is especially important for accessibility.

Adding alt text to images

1. Attach an image to your post draft.
2. Click or tap + Alt text that appears on the image thumbnail.
3. Enter a meaningful description (up to 1,000 characters).
4. Click Done and proceed to post.

Alt text cannot be added after a post is published on X. Review image descriptions before posting.

Captions for videos

1. Upload a video. X will attempt to auto-generate captions.
2. Alternatively, upload an SRT subtitle file during the upload process for more accurate captions.
3. Verify captions are accurate before publishing.

Additional writing practices

• Use CamelCase hashtags: #UGAResearch, not #ugaresearch.
• Spell out abbreviations on first use, even within the character limit.
• Place emojis at the end of posts rather than mid-sentence.
• Avoid repeated punctuation patterns such as “!!!” because screen readers announce each character.

LinkedIn is used for professional announcements and is frequently accessed by assistive technology users in higher education and professional contexts. It supports alt text for images, captions for videos, and accessible document posts.

Adding alt text to images

1. Upload an image in a new post.
2. Click the Edit (pencil) icon on the image thumbnail.
3. Enter a description in the Alt text field. LinkedIn recommends keeping descriptions under 120 characters for best compatibility.
4. Click Save and proceed to post.

Captions for videos

1. Upload your video in a new post.
2. LinkedIn will auto-generate captions. Click Edit captions to review and correct them.
3. You may also upload an SRT file for pre-captioned videos, which is the preferred method for accuracy.

Documents and PDFs

• LinkedIn allows posting PDFs as document carousels. Ensure all PDFs are fully tagged and accessible before uploading.
• Include key information from the PDF in the post text so users do not need to open the document to access essential details.
• LinkedIn document posts display as a scrollable carousel. Each page functions as a separate visual, so make sure each page is self-descriptive.

When publishing longer-form content as a LinkedIn article, use heading levels properly. LinkedIn articles support formatted headings that support screen reader navigation.

YouTube is UGA’s primary platform for hosted video content. It offers robust captioning tools, transcript support, and chapter navigation. Captioning is especially important given the volume and duration of academic and instructional video content.

Adding and editing captions

1. Upload your video in YouTube Studio.
2. Go to Subtitles in the left menu and select your video.
3. YouTube auto-generates captions. Click Edit to review and correct errors in timing, speaker identification, and vocabulary, particularly proper nouns, acronyms, and technical terms.
4. Alternatively, upload an SRT, VTT, or SBV subtitle file for pre-captioned videos. This is the preferred method for high-accuracy captions.

Transcripts

• YouTube can auto-generate a transcript. Download and review it for accuracy.
• For instructional or public-facing content, provide a corrected transcript in the video description or as a linked document.

Chapter markers

For longer videos, add chapter markers in the video description to allow users to navigate to relevant sections. This benefits users with cognitive disabilities as well as all viewers. Example format:

• 0:00 Introduction
• 1:30 Overview of digital accessibility
• 4:15 Applying alt text in course materials

Thumbnails and titles

• Custom thumbnails should meet color contrast requirements. Avoid embedding text in thumbnails that is not repeated elsewhere.
• Video titles and descriptions should be clear and descriptive so users understand the content before watching.

UGA uses Kaltura for many instructional videos hosted in eLC. Kaltura provides its own captioning tools and supports caption review workflows. For YouTube content, auto-captions must always be reviewed before a video is published or shared publicly.