[FAQ]

G’day,

I manage the X account for a small charity, and we’re doing a big push to make all our communications more inclusive. I’ve realised our social media could be a lot better on the accessibility front.

I know about adding alt text to images, but I reckon there’s probably a lot more I should be doing for things like videos and general post structure. What are the key things we should be focusing on to make our content on X properly accessible for everyone?

Any practical tips or checklists would be a massive help. Cheers.

[Jeff Bullas]

This is an essential topic that is too often overlooked.

Short Answer: The core best practices are providing text alternatives for all non-text content, ensuring text is readable, and making video content usable for visually and hearing-impaired users.

Let’s detail the specific accessibility requirements for each primary content format on X.

To ensure your content is accessible, you must address each format’s specific needs. First, for every image format you post, from photos to infographics, you must write descriptive alt text that clearly communicates the meaning and context of the image for those using screen readers. Second, for all video formats, it is a professional standard to include accurate and synchronised closed captions for the hearing impaired, and for videos where visuals are critical to the message, you should also provide a separate audio description. Finally, even your text-based formats require attention; use clear language and for any multi-word hashtags, you must use CamelCase, which means capitalising the first letter of each word like #ThisExampleHere, to ensure screen readers can interpret them correctly. Neglecting these practices is a failure to communicate effectively and excludes a valuable part of your potential audience.

Cheers,

Jeff

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