Creating Accessible Content

Creating accessible digital content ensures every member of our community can connect, engage, and participate fully in our digital spaces. Whether we’re sharing videos, photos, graphics, or audio content, accessibility strengthens our communications and reflects the values we model in our work.

Accessibility should guide every step of how we create and share digital materials, from adding captions to videos and writing meaningful alt text to choosing readable color contrast and avoiding baked‑in text that screen readers can’t detect.

The below guide offers best practices and simple, actionable steps to help make your social media and digital content more accessible. As digital content authors, we are responsible for ensuring everything we publish meets accessibility standards and is usable by all audiences.

Facebook
Video  

Add captions to all videos. You can use the auto-generated captions, but make sure to review, edit and correct errors before publishing. You can also upload an .SRT file. Avoid flashing or strobing effects and minimize rapid motion to reduce seizure and vestibular risks. Remember to maintain color contrast for text overlays, and make sure your video isn't set up to autoplay.

Live Streaming

Provide live captions whenever possible. If real-time captioning isn't available, add accurate captions as soon as you can after the event.

Podcasts and Audio‑Only

Provide a full transcript including speaker labels and relevant non‑speech audio. Provide a link within the post that leads to an accessible web page. For example, a podcast posted to Facebook can link to a DSA News story where the full transcript is found.

Photography

Include descriptive alt text for photos. Don’t rely solely on auto‑generated alt text as it can be inaccurate. Repeat the text in the caption or post if an image contains important text. If you use a social media management platform, include the alt text in the scheduling process.

Designed Images

When you design an image or flyer in Adobe Express or Canva and then export it as a PNG, JPG or other static graphic for social media, all the text becomes baked into the image, which screen readers cannot read. It’s important to repeat the text separately in alt text or as plain text in the caption. Also remember that QR Codes are inaccessible to screen readers. Provide accessible alternatives like a short UNT-branded vanity url in the caption.

Instagram
Video

Instagram Stories don’t offer alt text, and things like stickers, GIFs, and music aren’t always friendly for screen readers. Use auto‑generated captions for all feed videos and Reels and make sure to review and correct any errors before posting. For Stories and Reels, you can also use the captions sticker to turn spoken audio into on‑screen text. Try to narrate key details, and if something is mostly visual, add context in the caption or link to an accessible page. Pick fonts and colors with good contrast so the text is easy to read. With all videos, unselect autoplay. You can also repost your content as a fully captioned video on YouTube or Facebook so more people can access it.

Podcasts and Audio-Only

Be sure to include a transcript link in your caption or link in bio. If you’re posting a carousel, start with a quick summary on the first slide and add another slide with details on how to access the full transcript.

Photography

Add descriptive custom alt text to image posts. If you’re sharing a carousel, make sure each image has its own alt text. And if there’s text baked into the image,  repeat the content it in the caption so it’s accessible to all. If you use a social media management platform, include the alt text in the scheduling process.

Designed Images

When you design an image or flyer in Adobe Express or Canva and then export it as a PNG, JPG or other static graphic for social media, all the text becomes baked into the image, which screen readers cannot read. It’s important to repeat the text separately in alt text or as plain text in the caption. Also remember that QR Codes are inaccessible to screen readers. Provide accessible alternatives for links such as a LinkTree landing page or a short UNT-branded vanity url in the caption.

LinkTree

Ensure the LinkTree landing page meets accessibility requirements for color contrast, headings and alt text. If using LinkTree in the bio, always include “More info at the link in our bio” within the caption.

X (Twitter)
Video

X doesn’t generate auto‑captions right now, so the best way to make your videos accessible is to upload an .SRT caption file when you post. If adding captions isn’t an option, try putting the most important spoken points directly on screen in clear, high‑contrast text so nothing gets missed. You can also link to the captioned version on your department’s or the division’s YouTube channel.

Podcasts and Audio‑Only

Provide a full transcript, including speaker labels and relevant non‑speech audio, on a linked page. For example, a podcast posted to X can link to a DSA News story where the full transcript is found.

Photography

Include descriptive alt text for photos. If you use a social media management platform, include the alt text in the scheduling process.

Designed Images

When you design an image or flyer in Adobe Express or Canva and then export it as a PNG, JPG or other static graphic for social media, all the text becomes baked into the image, which screen readers cannot read. It’s important to repeat the text separately in alt text or as plain text in the caption.

YouTube
Video  

Add captions to every video and offer a transcript so people can access the full message, especially if the content is audio‑only or relies heavily on visuals. Keep any on‑screen text out of the caption area. A helpful rule is to place text in the upper two‑thirds of the screen so nothing competes with the captions. Also, make sure the video player can be used with a keyboard so viewers who don’t use a mouse can navigate it comfortably.

Thumbnails

Use high‑contrast text and clear, descriptive titles, rather than relying on the image alone, to help everyone understand what your video is about at a glance.

Emojis and Hashtags
Emojis

Emojis can add personality, but they need to be used thoughtfully so they don’t become a barrier. Screen readers read every single emoji by name, so multiple emojis in a row can become overwhelming. Limit emojis to no more than three, place at the end of the content, and never use as bullets.

Hashtags

Always use CamelCase for hashtags, keeping each short and meaningful. Limit hashtags to no more than three and place at the end of the content.

Color Contrast

Color contrast ensures text and images are distinguishable from their background, allowing users with low vision, color blindness, or situational impairments (like glare) to read and understand content. Color contrast accessibility  requires a minimum ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold) against background colors. This applies to websites, images and video.

To confirm color contrast, use Adobe’s Color Contrast Analyzer available with the university’s Adobe license.

For more information, read the color contrast blog on Section508.gov.