#accessibilityrocks: make your social media more inclusive today
TRANSCRIPT
#16NTCa11ySession hashtag: #16NTCa11y
March 25, 2016
BJ Wishinsky, Benetech
Chad Leaman, Neil Squire Society
#AccessibilityRocksMake Your Social Media More Inclusive Today
#16NTCa11y
Collaborative Notes: http://po.st/a11y-16NTC
Evaluation Survey: http://po.st/ezpGTv
Housekeeping
#16NTCa11y
Why We’re Here
“The power and promise of social media is still out of reach for some people with
disabilities who do not have the same ease-of-use and benefits as non-disabled
users.” - Alice Wong in Model View Culture
• While social platforms work to improve their accessibility, we can make our
social content more accessible today.
• Accessibility improves usability for everyone think curb cuts!)
• Bonus: Making social content accessible improves SEO!
#16NTCa11yflickr.com/photos/tags/a11ylogo
Social media is constantly changing, so we are all learning. Let’s learn together!
• We’ll focus on content, because that’s what we can control.
• Share your questions and experiences.
• What do you most want to learn?
Check In
#16NTCa11y
The Principles of Accessibility from WCAG 2.0:
• Perceivable
• Operable
• Understandable
• Robust
BJ POURs it On
#16NTCa11y Source: IconsDB
“Create content that can be presented in different ways, including by assistive
technologies, without losing meaning.” - WCAG
Available through sight, hearing, or touch.
• Alternative text.
• Maximize contrast.
• Captions and subtitles.
• Transcripts.
Perceivable
#16NTCa11ySource: IconsDB
Primarily the responsibility of the social network platform (same is true for Robust).
For GIFs and video:
• Give users enough time to read and absorb content.
• Do not use flashing content that can cause seizures.
Learn more: WCAG 2 at a Glance
Operable
#16NTCa11ySource: IconsDB
User friendly, easy to comprehend:
• Use clear language.
• Use simple and concise wording.
• Provide alternative formats.
• Use fonts designed for onscreen viewing.
Learn more: Cognitive Accessibility
Understandable
#16NTCa11y
URLS and Hashtags
People who are blind use screen readers (synthesized speech) or refreshable
braille displays to access online content.
• Use a URL shortener so the screen reader doesn’t recite the whole URL.
• Use Camel Case (Initial Caps) when multiple words are combined.
• Use full words in hashtags where possible.
• The # on your hashtag will not be pronounced.
#16NTCa11y
If there is text in the image,
provide it in the description as
well.
• Use embedded text sparingly.
• Use follow on tweets or link to
a page with full text if it’s long.
• Better still, don’t put long text
in images.
Alternative Text
#16NTCa11y
From National Federation of the Blind:
• Describes what’s most important to
their audience.
View on Twitter.
Twitter Example
#16NTCa11y
On Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram
there is room for:
• The text embedded in the image.
• Description of the image.
• Call to Action with web link.
View on Pinterest
Pinterest Example
#16NTCa11ySource: Wikimedia Commons
Make sure that colors are not your only
method of conveying information.
• Combine with patterns or symbols to
differentiate objects.
• View in grayscale or use online tools to
check contrast.
Source: WebAIM
Color Perception
#16NTCa11y
How to create an accessible infographic
Really?
Yes!
Source: Access iQ™
Accessible Infographics
#16NTCa11y
Transcripts and captions are not only useful for alternative access!
• Language learners.
• Translation.
• Study & review.
Audio
#16NTCa11y
Thank You for Joining Us!
Please complete the feedback survey for this session
• http://po.st/ezpGTv
• Can be found in both the mobile app and on the website listing.
Thank you for caring about accessibility. You Rock!
#16NTCa11y
Contact Info
BJ Wishinsky, Social Media Manager, Benetech
email: bjw[at]benetech.org
web: benetech.org
@leapingwoman
Chad Leaman, Director of Development, Neil Squire Society
email: chadl[at]neilsquire.ca
web: neilsquire.ca
@chadleaman
#16NTCa11y
Appendix:
Resources
POUR Principles
Social Network Accessibility
Color Contrast Checkers
Additional Resources
#16NTCa11y
Resources: POUR Principles
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0
WebAIM:
• Visual Accessibility
• Auditory Accessibility
• Cognitive Accessibility
#16NTCa11y
Resources: Social Network Accessibility
Major social network accessibility initiatives:
• Facebook page @FBAccess
• Twitter web @a11yTeam
• YouTube, Google+ web @GoogleAccess
• WordPress web @WPAccessibility
#16NTCa11y
Resources: Color Contrast Checkers
• SBF Color Checker
• Color Contrast Calculator
• Snook Color Contrast Checker
• WebAIM: Color Contrast Checker
#16NTCa11y
Additional Resources
• Federal Social Media Accessibility Toolkit
• Media Access Australia: Social Media for People with a Disability
• Diagram Center: Making Images Accessible
• Social Media and Accessibility: Resources to Know
• Content marketers ignore accessibility at their peril