Social Media Accessibility Guidelines

Accessibility is vital to Nashville State’s strategic plan to promote equitable educational experiences and we should be dedicated to creating a culture of inclusion for all students and not just meeting the needs of those with disabilities. 

Use Plain and Clear Language

Social media content should be easy to read and understand. Write in short sentences and paragraphs using clear, simple language. Avoid jargon that is familiar only to internal audiences.

Avoid Acronyms

Acronyms can be confusing and inaccessible. If you must use them, spell them out the first time, followed by the acronym in parentheses.

Add Captions to Videos

Always add captions to videos. This can be done on platforms like YouTube. Many other platforms, such as LinkedIn, offer automatic captioning.

Provide Alternate Text for Images

Ensure you add descriptive text for any images you post. The goal is to offer the same experience to people with visual impairments as to sighted individuals. Here are guides for adding alt text on various platforms:

• Facebook alt text guide
• Instagram alt text guide
• LinkedIn alt text guide
• X alt text guide

Animated GIFS

There is little support available on social media platforms for animated GIFS. If used, please provide context in the social media post.

URLS

Never use "Click Here" as the link text. Screen readers read URLs character by character, so be descriptive about where the link will take the user. When possible, please make sure link is descriptive and not a list of numbers and letters so readers understand where the link will be taking them.

Include Descriptions for Graphics with Text Overlays

Avoid posting flyers without a description of the content. Flyers are images and may lose important information without a complete description, including alt text.

Make Hashtags Accessible

Use "camel case" for hashtags—capitalize the first letter of each word to make them easier to read.
For example: instead of #falconsflytogether, use #FalconsFlyTogether.

Use Reader-Friendly Fonts

Ensure text is clear and legible. Use fonts that are easy to read, such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Tahoma, Times New Roman, or Verdana, and keep the font size at least 12 points.

Contact Information

On social media accounts, be sure to (1) have contact information available, or (2) link to the appropriate college webpage where visitors can obtain helpful information.