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Social Media Accessibility Guidelines

Overview

Under a digital accessibility regulation issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) pursuant to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all social media content published on behalf of Carroll Community College must comply with accessibility requirements by April 24, 2026.

While the College is accountable for ensuring that the content it shares on social media is accessible, it is not responsible for the accessibility of the social media platforms themselves.

Those who create and post content should keep four primary accessibility principles in mind:

  • Alternative text for images: Every image should include clear, descriptive alt text so individuals who are blind or have low vision can access the same information conveyed visually.
  • Captions for videos: Video content must contain accurate captions to provide access to spoken audio for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing.
  • Sufficient color contrast: Text and visual elements must meet established, measurable contrast standards. To evaluate whether a color combination complies, you can use tools such as Colour Contrast Analyser or use WebAim’s online tool.
  • Avoid embedding essential text in images: Screen readers cannot read text embedded within images. If an image contains text (such as a flyer or quote), all text must be repeated in the post caption or included in the image’s alt text. Whenever possible, minimize text on images and use the caption to convey detailed information.

General Guidelines

Individuals who are unable to see images depend on alternative text—commonly called alt text—to grasp the meaning of visual content. Alt text is a concise written explanation of what appears in an image. It functions in the background, allowing screen readers and other assistive technologies to communicate that information to users who are blind or have low vision.

To ensure equal access, images should contain meaningful alt text so that users with visual disabilities receive the same essential information that sighted users gain from the visual.

Effective alt text is clear and brief. It should communicate the primary message of the image without including extra or unnecessary detail.

Simple Images

Alt text is necessary for images that present important visual information. In addition to assisting screen reader users, alt text may also display if an image fails to load.

Decorative Images

Images that serve only a visual or stylistic purpose do not require descriptive alt text. Instead, they should be identified as decorative by using a null (empty) alt attribute (for example, alt=””). This allows screen readers to bypass them, creating a more streamlined experience for users with disabilities.

Complex Images

Detailed visuals—such as charts, graphs, or diagrams—often contain more information than can fit into a short alt description. These images should include brief alt text that summarizes the image’s purpose, along with a more comprehensive written explanation elsewhere that conveys the key data and information presented.

  • Every video should contain captions so that spoken content is accessible to individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who may not be fluent in the language being spoken. Captions can be provided as closed captions, which viewers can turn on or off, or as open captions that are permanently displayed within the video.
  • Text that appears on screen must also meet accessibility standards. Check color combinations with a contrast checker to confirm that there is adequate contrast between text and its background.
  • Videos and other multimedia content should not begin playing automatically. Autoplay features can create challenges for individuals with cognitive disabilities, ADHD, photosensitive epilepsy, and other conditions. Viewers should always be able to pause or stop media playback. If autoplay cannot be disabled, users should be clearly informed in advance—for example, by including a notice such as, “This video will open in a new window and play automatically.”
  • Avoid writing hashtags in all capital letters, as this can make them more difficult to read, particularly for individuals using assistive technology. Instead, format hashtags in CamelCase by capitalizing the first letter of each word (for example, #CarrollCommunityCollege).
  • Limit your use of emojis and hashtags. Screen readers announce each one individually, and excessive use can disrupt the flow and reduce clarity for users relying on those tools.
  • Not every social media platform supports GIFs, and some do not provide an option to add alt text to them. When alt text isn’t available, people who use screen readers may not be able to interpret the content of the GIF.
  • On X (formerly Twitter), users can add alt text to both static images and GIFs.
  • Avoid relying solely on animated GIFs to communicate your message. Ensure that your post’s written content clearly conveys the key point, and consider including a brief descriptive note in brackets at the end to make the meaning accessible to all users.

Limit the use of acronyms, and write social media content in plain, straightforward language so it is easy for everyone to read and understand.

Platform Guides

The process for adding alt text to images and captions to videos varies by social media platform. The guidance below outlines how to complete these steps on the platforms most frequently used at Carroll.