For TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn
Social media’s great for grabbing attention, building trust and having a good old natter with your audience.
But if some of your followers can’t see, hear or understand what you’re posting, then it’s not much of a conversation, is it?
That’s where accessibility comes in.
It’s about making sure everyone, including folks with visual impairments, people who rely on screen readers, or those watching videos with the sound off, can still enjoy and engage with your content.
This guide gives you a no‑nonsense social media accessibility checklist, shows you how to add alt text, use captions, and improve readability without adding hours to your day, and helps you post smarter on TikTok, Instagram and LinkedIn.
If you’d like hands‑on help building accessible workflows, our online or in-person Marketing Workshops are built for teams like yours.
What Do We Mean By Social Media Accessibility?
Put simply, it’s about making your content easy to see, hear, read and use for all social media users, whether they’re screen reader users, listening via text‑to‑speech, or just need sufficient contrast and a larger font size to read your posts.
It’s not just “being nice”. It’s good for your audience, your brand reputation, and it even helps with search engines when your image description (good alt text) and video captions provide extra context.
For the strategy behind it all, see our deep‑dive on data‑led social performance and how to turn insights into action with content calendar planning.
And no, it doesn’t mean making boring content either. You can still be bold and creative, just with a bit more thought behind the scenes.
The Four Golden Rules (in Plain English)
There’s a posh set of principles to follow called POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) when it comes to accessibility. Sounds fancy, but here’s the gist:
- Perceivable: People need to be able to see or hear your content. That means alternative text for images, closed captions (or auto captions you edit) on videos, and clear on‑screen text.
- Operable: Your post should work whether someone’s on a phone, computer, or using assistive tech. Make tappable areas big enough and avoid fiddly UI.
- Understandable: Keep the language plain and easy to follow. Short sentences, clear actions, and cut the waffle.
- Robust: Your posts should hold up across devices and platforms. What looks great on your iPhone should also work on Android and with screen readers.
Want help turning POUR into practical workflows? Our Marketing Consultancy team can set policy, governance and QA to make sure you're on the right track.
What To Do (and Where): TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn
TikTok
- Add captions using the built‑in feature (after you upload, tap the top right corner, switch on captions, then edit).
- Design for sound‑off viewing: most TikTok videos are watched on mute, so add on‑screen text with key points.
- Flag flashing visuals: warn viewers in the caption if your video has strobing or intense motion.
- Try text‑to‑speech: adds an accessible voiceover to on‑screen text (nice if you’re not keen on filming yourself).
- For performance and planning, see how the TikTok algorithm works and build an inclusive cadence with our TikTok content calendar guide. Need platform support? Talk to our team of TikTok Marketing & Management specialists.
- Add alternative text: on the final screen before publishing. To do this, just tap Advanced settings and write helpful alt text. Think “A black Labrador sitting in front of a fireplace”, not just “dog”. (For more IG tips, jump to Instagram Social Media Management.)
- Use camelCase hashtags: e.g., #ThrowbackThursday so screen readers can parse them.
- Design carousels carefully: readable font style, adequate font size, strong colour contrast; avoid cramming ten paragraphs into one picture.
- Double‑check contrast: light yellow on white is a no. Use a dark background with light text (or vice versa). Work Smarter with Canva to build templates that pass contrast checks.
- Make documents accessible: if you’re posting a PDF, describe what’s inside in the caption, use real headings, and don’t overload pages.
- Avoid vague links: instead of “click here”, say “Download our social media content checklist” so screen reader users know what to expect.
- Use emojis sparingly: one at the end of a sentence is fine; stuffing them mid‑sentence hurts readability. For cadence, see Best time to post on LinkedIn in 2025.
Keep It Clear, Keep It Inclusive
Whether it’s a video or a graphic, here’s how to make your content easier for everyone to enjoy:
- Write simply: aim for a primary school reading level. You’re clarifying, not dumbing down.
- Pick easy‑to‑read fonts: avoid curly scripts or ALL‑CAPS blocks.
- Use big enough text: especially on images, always preview on mobile before it’s posted.
- Avoid flashing/fast motion: tough for people with motion sensitivity and migraines.
- Add additional context in captions: don’t rely on the picture alone, describe what’s happening and why it matters.
- If you’re chasing performance, remember: inclusive design doesn’t tank reach, it helps. See What makes a social post go viral (the psychology).
Build Accessibility Into Your Content Calendar
You don’t need to invest extra hours to make content accessible. Just bake it into your usual content calendar and sign‑off process to make it a habit.
- Add an “Accessibility check” column to your calendar (use our guide to Content Calendar Creation).
- Make a quick checklist part of your sign‑off routine.
- Assign one team member to review alt text, captions, and contrast.
- Save time with accessible templates in Canva, start with Work Smarter with Canva.
- For day‑to‑day execution and moderation, our Social Media Management team can create, edit and QA posts at scale.
Tools To Help You Along The Way
Here are some handy tools to make the job easier (and faster):
- CapCut, VEED or TikTok’s native tools for video captions/auto captions can make subtitles and captions easy (always review and edit).
- WebAIM Contrast Checker for quick colour combos (or use Canva’s contrast alerts).
- VoiceOver (iOS) or TalkBack (Android) to hear how screen reader users experience your post (long‑press images to test alt where supported).
- Stack guidance: The 10 best social media marketing tools for 2025, Best social media management tools, and Top 7 monitoring tools.
Grab the Free Checklist
Download our 2025 Social Media Accessibility Checklist (PDF), a dead‑simple resource you can plug into your team’s workflow. It reminds you to:
- Add alternative text (writing helpful alt text with context)
- Check colour contrast and font size
- Include closed captions in video content
- Avoid flashing visuals
- Keep copy clear and well structured
ther Helpful Reads
- Content Calendar Creation - plan accessibility into your weekly workflow
- Instagram Social Media Management - keep your grid inclusive without losing style
- What Makes a Post Go Viral (Psychology) - why accessibility supports reach
- Work Smarter with Canva - create templates that pass contrast checks
Need a Hand Making Your Content Inclusive?
We’ve got the tools, the team, and the training to help you bake accessibility into everything you post.
- Social Media Management - day‑to‑day accessible content production & moderation
- Marketing Workshops - practical training for writing alt text, captions and QA
- Marketing Consultancy - audits, policy, governance and platform roll‑out
Final Thoughts
Accessibility isn’t about ticking a box. It’s about creating content that works for everyone, no matter how they view, listen or interact.
Whether they’re using a screen reader, watching videos on mute, or simply prefer clean layouts, your job is to make their viewing experience a good one.
So next time you upload a photo or video, take a sec to double check the basics. Add alt text. Add captions. Check colour contrast. Because small changes add up, and inclusive content is just better content.
