There are a lot more of you here suddenly thanks to the wonderful support of @jenalyson, so I thought I’d put together a helpful thread of resources for learning more about technical accessibility for social media.

First and foremost, let me just say that while this particular subject is one that I’m incredibly passionate about, I am by no means THE expert on digital accessibility. There are many others.

I am always learning more and aiming to spread awareness and educate others.

And with anything I share, please keep in mind that I do not personally need most of the accessibility best practices that I encourage others to use. I do not have a serious sensory disability, and the experiences and knowledge of those who do will always be most valuable.

Anyway, the resources.

Like I said, I am not the only person talking about digital accessibility and inclusive content. I have a Twitter list that I try to add people and accounts to when I feel they are good resources for accessibility.

https://twitter.com/i/lists/1251987097403240452

In July, I wrote a guest post for the @SproutSocial blog about some of the basic ways you can be more accessible on social media. It’s a good place to start if you’re just beginning to explore digital accessibility. https://sproutsocial.com/insights/social-media-accessibility/

If you’re looking for something a little shorter, a bit more digestible, I have a blog post with quick tips for digital accessibility as well. https://medium.com/@alexaheinrich/quick-easy-digital-accessibility-54b6410072e4?source=friends_link&sk=d9a5cd02d2a986d32f71af71c80f85d0

A question I get a lot from individuals trying to make their social media more accessible is how to write good alt text for images. I did my best to outline some useful tips to help accomplish that. https://medium.com/@alexaheinrich/the-art-of-alt-text-35f10a7d5cf6?source=friends_link&sk=b54e5813cc6ebce63d3bf5977c515ff3

Lastly, don’t be afraid to ask questions and do your own research on digital accessibility. Technology and social media is always changing. We’ll need to adapt and grow with it.

Digital accessibility is a small, but important, part of a larger objective: making the online world and digital communications truly inclusive and ensuring that everyone is always included in the conversation and feels properly represented.