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Think before you meme: inclusive social media designYou've probably seen the red flag meme that was a recent trend on Twitter - you quote a phrase that would be a "red flag" for someone to say to you then add red flag emojis. While so many of these tweets were hilarious and enticed big brands to join in on the fun - blind and visually impaired people that use screen readers and voiceover technology didn't have the same experience. ![]() Source: www.unsplash.com It’s crucial to think about the fact that different people experience the internet differently and to ensure your content is inclusive. Inclusive design, typically a phrase used in the context of UX, is important for social media marketers to know as well as creating accessible content can help you reach a new audience and provide a more interactive and engaging experience for your followers. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), approximately 285m people worldwide live with low vision and blindness. Of these, 39m people are blind and 246m have a moderate or severe visual impairment. Social platforms have made several accessibility updates in an effort to encourage users to create content that is accessible to a broader audience.
Creating inclusive content Copy: Don’t overuse caps. Full caps can be difficult to read and misinterpreted by screen readers. Capitalise the first letter of each word to make hashtags more legible. Hashtags are an important component of social media posts. When authoring hashtags that are made up of multiple words, use initial capitalisation, also known as CamelCase. So- #WriteYourHashtagsLikeThis It’s important to be mindful of how hashtags or mentions can disrupt copy and consider putting hashtags and mentions at the end. Punctuation marks are also read aloud by screen readers. Images: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn provide specific fields for you to add alt-text for images and gifs. When it’s not possible to add alt-text, consider including descriptive captions. When crafting alt-text, ensure that you accurately convey the content and context. There’s space for humour in alt-text so no need to be overly formal if the image is meant to be funny. Be sure to write out descriptions for social posts that feature Twitter screengrabs or text on the image too. Video: In 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's consistent use of video captioning on her Instagram Stories during her campaign helped popularise the feature. Her dedicated use of captioning gave her millions of Instagram followers a more accessible behind-the-scenes look at the 116th Congress of the United States. Captioning of videos has become more common on social media as we aim to create content for sound-off environments. However, closed captions are crucial for viewers with hearing impairments. They also enhance the viewing experience for people watching in their non-native language and even benefit children learning to read. About Ashleigh BurtonAshleigh is a Digital Communications Associate at Consulum, a government advisory firm. View my profile and articles... |