Accessibility Checklist for Communications and Social Media Staff

Use this checklist when publishing social media posts, newsletters, graphics, videos, announcements, and other digital communications.

Writing and Links

  • Use clear, concise language and explain unfamiliar acronyms.
  • Use descriptive link text in webpages, emails, and newsletters.
  • Avoid excessive ALL CAPS, decorative characters, or repeated punctuation that can make content harder to read.
  • Do not rely on color, emoji, or visual position alone to communicate meaning.

Images and Graphics

  • Add meaningful alt text to images that communicate information.
  • Do not repeat a caption word-for-word in alt text when it does not add useful information.
  • Make essential text shown in a graphic available in the post or accompanying content.
  • Use sufficient contrast between text and its background.
  • Avoid overly dense graphics that require users to read large amounts of text from an image.

Social Media

  • Use platform-provided alt text features when available.
  • Use CamelCase for multiword hashtags, for example #DigitalAccessibility.
  • Use emoji purposefully and avoid long strings of emoji.
  • Place important information before long lists of hashtags, mentions, or links.
  • Check the accessibility features and limitations of the platform being used.

Video and Audio

  • Provide accurate captions for videos with spoken content.
  • Review and correct automatically generated captions before publishing when possible.
  • Provide transcripts for audio-only content.
  • Make important visual information available through narration or audio description when needed.
  • Avoid publishing video that flashes in a way that could create a seizure risk.

Documents and Campaigns

  • Make linked PDFs and other documents accessible before publishing.
  • Prefer accessible webpages over documents when practical.
  • Include accessibility in campaign planning rather than checking it only at publication.
  • Test important communications across the channels and formats in which users will receive them.

Accessibility is a shared responsibility. Use this checklist as a practical starting point and seek additional accessibility expertise when needed.

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