Accessible Social Media: Tweets

In this blog, I am going to discuss how to make your Tweets accessible. I have created accessible and inaccessible Tweets using my account to show as examples and used Windows Narrator to record the audio of the screen reader experience.

Inaccessible Tweet

Inaccessible Tweet with many accessibility issues

The tweet lacks image descriptions (alternative text), uses non-Camel case hashtags which are in the middle of the tweet, and way too many emojis. Let’s see how this tweet will be read by a screen reader for a user. Screenreader software is used by people who are blind or visually impaired as well as people who find it difficult to read screen text. Play the audio to hear the screen reader version. The transcript is also available.

Listen to the inaccessible Tweet on the screen reader

Transcript: Inaccessible Tweet

Posting this tweet to demonstrate the importance of accessibility link hash no access hash link “P” “O” “O” “R” accessibility this is inaccessible too many emojis no alternative text hashtags in the middle without camelcase clapping hands sign image clapping hands sign image clapping hands sign image rolling on the floor laughing image rolling on the floor laughing image rolling on the floor laughing image yawning face image thumbs up sign image thumbs up sign image thumbs up sign image person raising both hands in celebration image person raising both hands in celebration image person raising both hands in celebration image image image link 3:25 PM times the 16th of December 2022 status.

I hope you agree with me that was not a great experience. Now, let’s try to make this tweet more accessible by adding alternative text for images, using Camel case for hash tags, adding only necessary emojis and including hash tags and Twitter handles at the end of the message.

Accessible Tweet

Accessible Tweet showing good practice

Let’s see how this tweet will be read by a screen reader for the user. Play the audio to hear screen reader version. The transcript is also available.

Listen to the more accessible Tweet on the screen reader

Transcript: Accessible Tweet

Posting this tweet to demonstrate the importance of accessibility. This is more accessible. Use emojis only when necessary. Add alternative text for images hashtags in camel case at the end. Link hash no access. Link Hash poor accessibility. Thumbs up sign image. Link image demonstrating bad practice of green and red use to differentiate answers. Link image answers differentiated by red and green cannot be distinguished by a person with monochromacy achromatopsia.

The second version of the tweet is more accessible because:

• it makes it easier for the user to follow the content as there are no hashtags (or Twitter handles) in the middle of the tweet
• Camel case is used for hashtags making them read correctly 
• Emojis are used sparsely making it easier for the user to understand the Tweet 
• Images are described.

So here are some things to remember when creating an accessible social media post:

• Use hashtags and handles at the end of the post
• Use Camel case for hashtags
• Use emojis sparsely and only when necessary 
• If you are using images, describe them by including an alternative text description

There is good practice around the use of colour and more information on creating accessible content on the Digital Accessibility at the University of Reading web space. View Resources about making content more accessible.