Social Media

The way in which Taft College employees communicate, or outreach, to students via Canvas announcements, Canvas Inbox, and email have to be considered with accessibility in mind. We do not know the potential barriers every student may face on the other side of the screen. Because of this, we must be mindful of creating accessible announcements, messages, and social media posts.

General

  • Emojis
    Emojis can be used to add a friendly tone to your message, but they should be used in moderation. Keep in mind that assistive technologies read each emoji aloud, so using too many can make your message difficult to follow.
  • GIFS
    GIFS cannot be made accessible on social media platforms due to WCAG 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide. Moving or flashing content can be distracting to users with attention deficit disorders or cognitive disorders. Because of this, it is important not to post GIFS under Taft College accounts.
  • Color Contrast
    All text within posts, stories, and videos should meet the color contrast minimum standards. For safety, please use a 4.5:1 contrast ratio. This can be measured with WebAIM's Color Contrast Checker.

Alternative Text for Posts

Image posts on Instagram are not read by assistive technology. Instagram provides an alternative text feature for image posts. Any flyers posted on Instagram should be typed out manually in the post's caption and/or alternative text to ensure that students with assistive technology can obtain equivalent information expressed in the image. Note: Alternative text should convey all necessary information that you want the audience to know. If you cannot read only the alt text and get all necessary and equivalent details, then the alternative text is not good enough.
  • Instagram
    1. Select the Add Post button.
    2. Select your image(s).
    3. Select the Next button.
    4. Select the More Options button.
    5. In the Accessibility section, select the Write Alt Text button.
    6. Write descriptive alt text for each image.
    7. Select Done.
    8. Select the Back button and Share!
  • Twitter(X)
    1. Select the New Post button (circle with the (+) sign).
    2. Select the Gallery button (image icon) and select an image.
    3. Once the image is attached, select the Edit button on the photo.
    4. In the Alt tab, insert descriptive alt text in the Description text box.
    5. Select the Save button on the top right. An alt tag will be applied to the image.
    6. Select the Post button to share!
  • Facebook
    1. Select the Photo/Video on your feed to upload a photo.
    2. Select the image(s) from your gallery.
    3. With a cursor, hover over the image and select Edit.
    4. Select the Alt text menu on the left-hand side.
    5. Select the Custom Alt Text button.
    6. In the text box, insert descriptive alt text. It should contain enough information to where the alt text can be read independently.
    7. Select Save and share your post!
  • TikTok
    1. Upload or create a photo and select Next.
    2. Select More Options.
    3. Select Add Alternative Text.
    4. Next to each image, insert descriptive alternative text.
    5. Select Done.

Captions for Videos

All video content on Instagram should have 99% accurate open captions so students with hearing impairments can obtain equivalent information. Ensure that video's with significant visual information has an audio description (vocally describe the visual).
  • Instagram
    1. Record your video.
    2. Select the Add Stickers button.
    3. Select the Captions option. Captions will be added to the screen.
    4. If the captions are inaccurate, select the captions and begin to edit where necessary.
    5. Select the Done button. Select the Done button again.
    6. Post your video!
  • Twitter(X)
    1. Record your video.
    2. When creating a new post, select the Gallery button (image icon) and select a video.
    3. Below the video, select the Upload Caption File (.SRT) button. The Upload Captions dialog box will open.
    4. Select the Upload Captions button. Your file explorer will open.
    5. Select the captioning file in your files.
    6. Select Done. Below your video will be the captioning language that is available.
    7. Post your video!
  • Facebook
    1. Select the Photo/Video on your feed to upload a video.
    2. Select the video(s) from your gallery.
    3. Select Post.
    4. Once the video is posted, select Edit Post.
    5. Select Edit.
    6. Select Add Captions.
    7. Select Upload. Your file explorer will open.
    8. Select the captioning file (SRT) from your file explorer.
    9. Select Save.
  • TikTok
    1. Upload or create a video.
    2. Select More Options.
    3. Select Video Language and choose the language of your video.
    4. Select Post. Captions will then auto-generate.
    5. Select your video and then select the captions.
    6. Select Edit Caption where the wording is incorrect in the captions.
    7. Select Save.

QR Codes and Links

Posting an image with a QR code is only useful for so many people on Twitter(X). If a QR code is posted, then use the post's caption to direct users to the account bio where you can attach the link with descriptive link text.
  • Instagram

    To add a link to your profile:

    1. Select Profile on the navigation.
    2. Select the Edit Profile button.
    3. Select the Add Link button.
    4. Select Add External Link.
    5. In the URL text box, insert the URL. In the Title text box, insert the descriptive link text.
    6. Select the check icon or Done button.

    Alternatively, you can add a link to a story:

    1. Create a story.
    2. Select the Add Sticker button.
    3. Select Link. The Add Link pop-up will open.
    4. Paste the URL in the URL text box.
    5. Select Customize Sticker Text.
    6. Insert descriptive text in the Sticker Text text box.
    7. Select Done.
  • Twitter(X)
    X does not have an option to create descriptive links. Because of this, it is recommended  to provide a description of the link in the post along with the URL so users get context prior to following the link.
  • Facebook
    Facebook does not have an option to create descriptive links. Because of this, it is recommended  to provide a description of the link in the post along with the URL so users get context prior to following the link.
  • TikTok

    To add a link to your profile:

    1. Select Profile.
    2. Select Edit Profile.
    3. In the Links section, select Add Link.
    4. Select the social media type to add it to your profile.

    To add a link to a TikTok story:

    1. Create a story.
    2. Select the Add Sticker button.
    3. Select Link.
    4. Paste the URL in the Link text box.
    5. Insert descriptive link text in the Display Text text box.
    6. Select Done.