5 key tips to keep your communications accessible
Accessible and inclusive communication is key to ensuring you’re reaching more audience members, and also to producing better communication overall.
One-in-six people live with a significant disability (WHO: 2023), while many more experience temporary disabilities, like injuries or illnesses that can impact vision, hearing, speech and language, and mobility.
When creating communication - whether it’s a website, content for social media, video, or anything in between - we need to remember that people with disabilities can experience content in different ways. For example:
Some people can’t use a mouse and must navigate using the keyboard only,
Others use screen readers, which translate text to voice,
People with hearing impairments may rely on video captions and transcripts, and
Others use assistive technology, such as voice-to-text tools
Given these considerations, it makes sense to ensure our communication is not just inclusive, but accessible to all.
Here are some of our top tips for keeping your communication accessible.
Explain visuals
Use the ‘alt text’ function for your images on websites and social media. Screen readers will read this text, which should clearly explain what’s in the image. For example, an image could be described as: “A woman is sitting on a couch typing on her laptop. She is facing the camera so we cannot see her screen. She has dark curly hair and is wearing a green shirt.”
Most social media platforms and website platforms now make it much easier to add alt text for images. You can also type the description into the body of your social media posts.
Also, if you’re using an image such as a graph, make sure you explain it - in writing if it’s a text post, or verbally in video. For example: “This line graph shows an increase in sales over the last four years.”
Support videos
Make sure subtitles are included on every video - and check the automated subtitles for spelling and grammar errors! Subtitles are not only great for people to engage with video when they don’t want the sound on, but are also relied upon by people with hearing impairments.
Always include a transcript as well, and make it easily accessible. For example, if you have a video on your website, you could include the transcript on the same page. Not only is this great for people who rely on transcripts, but it boosts your SEO!
Website design
When creating website content, make sure you use the in-built heading styles. Screen readers rely on these to accurately describe the content to users. It also helps people to easily navigate each page.
As an added bonus, Google uses headings as part of its SEO algorithm. If you’re simply taking copy and making it bold to make a heading, not only is this unhelpful for those with a disability, but it's also not doing your SEO any good!
Additionally, make sure navigation across your site is consistent and easy to follow. People who use keyboards only, or who struggle to engage with content, will struggle to engage with your site if they have to re-learn how to navigate it on each page, and if it’s difficult to select menu items.
Another top tip is to consider colour use. High-contrast colours are best (for example, black text on white backgrounds), while avoiding red and green - particularly together - helps people with colour blindness.
Hashtags and emojis
When using hashtags, use Camel Case. This means capitalising the first letter of each word, for example: #CamelCase. This is much easier for screen readers to follow and is much clearer in general. It also avoids any ambiguity in your meaning.
Avoid overuse of emojis, as screen readers will describe these individually. Imagine if you had five emojis in a row, how long that would take a screen reader to get through?! Also, leave emojis until the end of the sentence - avoid the temptation to use them as bullet points. Yes, it might look fun, but again, it can be confusing for those using screen readers or who struggle with language.
Write simply and clearly
Write to suit someone who has the reading level capability of a 12-14 year old. This doesn’t mean you should be patronising or ‘dumb down’ the copy. Rather, it’s about keeping it simple and easy to understand for everyone.
When we write to this age group, we can avoid using jargon, ‘corporate speak’, and other language that doesn’t make sense to everyone. Additionally, it reminds us to explain things clearly, like what a product does, or the services your business offers.
By keeping these tips in mind, not only will you reach more audience members, but you’ll communicate more effectively for everyone! And those with a disability will be more likely to engage with your content - plus you’ll build the trust of more people. That sounds like a win to us!
Want to be undeniable to future employers?
Enrol in our new Communication Career Fundamentals online course! This six-module, online course will give you all the practical skills and knowledge you need to improve your chances of scoring that dream role, including a lesson on digital accessibility! Find out more about this course here.
