Keeping Delaware’s Social Media Accessible

By GIC Published on December 08th, 2025

Last updated on December 08th, 2025

Cartoon of a girl in a wheelchair with thumbs-up icons around her.

Most people who work with Delaware state websites are aware of the need to make their content accessible.

But they may not realize that the same standards (and laws) apply to social media.

Social media is often the fastest way to reach the public, but if posts aren’t created with accessibility in mind, they can inadvertently exclude people from that critical information.

Here are some practical, easy-to-implement tips to help your agency keep its social media content accessible across all platforms.

Write Clear, Simple, and Direct Copy

Accessible communication starts with clear writing. It’s tempting to try to grab attention by writing the way people might text a friend, but shorthand and slang don’t translate as well through a screen reader.

Use plain language and avoid unnecessary jargon.
Break content into short sentences and paragraphs.
Explain abbreviations on first use.
Provide context for links (e.g., Learn more about the 2025 open enrollment period).
Use correct grammar and punctuation, ending each sentence with a period, question mark, or exclamation point. This helps screen readers recite information with the proper cadence.

Clear and economical writing benefits everyone, especially people using screen readers or those who process information differently.

Logos for facebook, instagram, linkedin, and x.

Always Add Alt Text to Images on Social Media

Alternative text (alt text) allows people using screen readers to understand the content of an image.

Describe essential information, not every detail.
Keep it concise.
Avoid phrases like image of or picture shows (screen readers already announce this).
For images containing text (e.g., flyers), provide the full text in the post or as alt text.
—Instead of: “Image of a meeting”
—Use: “The Delaware Department of Health hosting a public meeting on emergency preparedness.”

Specific Alt Text Instructions:

How to Add Alt Text in Instagram

How to Add Alt Text in LinkedIn

How to Add Alt Text in X (Twitter)

How to Add Alt Text in Facebook

Provide Text Alternatives for Videos

Closed captions symbol glowing on video player.

Videos must be accessible for users with visual or hearing disabilities.

Include captions on all videos. Remember that auto-captions often require editing.
Provide a transcript or summary for videos posted without captions.
Ensure voiceovers describe any essential on-screen action.
Short, captioned videos are especially effective for mobile users and non-native English speakers.

Specific Video Caption-Editing Instructions:

How to Edit Video Captioning in Instagram

How to Edit Video Captioning in LinkedIn

How to Edit Video Captioning in X (Twitter)

How to Edit Video Captioning in Facebook

Here is some more information about creating accessible video captions.

Be Aware of Color Contrast Issues

A comparison of two chairs, one blue with different shades that represent a clear contrast, and one red against a red background displaying a poor contrast.

A strong contrast between colors on a screen is crucial for users with low vision or color blindness.

Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for text.
Avoid placing text directly over busy images.
Don’t rely on color alone to convey meaning (e.g., red = stop, green = go).
Tools like free online contrast checkers can help ensure compliance:

Free WebAIM Contrast Checker

Free WebAIM Link Contrast Checker

Use CamelCase for Hashtags

Camels wearing costumes and sunglasses in the desert.

“CamelCase” is a string of words without spaces in-between them, in which each new word is capitalized. (The concept is that the capitalizations appear within the string like humps on a camel’s back.)

The benefit is that screen readers read each capitalized word individually when hashtags use CamelCase.

Instead of: #delawarestateparks
Use #DelawareStateParks

This practice makes hashtags more readable for everyone, not just screen reader users.

Avoid Excessive Emojis and Special Characters

Representation of endless emojis and social media symbols.

While emojis can increase engagement, overusing them can disrupt screen reader users.

Place emojis at the end of sentences or posts, not mid-sentence.
Don’t repeat the same emoji multiple times.
Avoid decorative symbols or ASCII art that can confuse screen readers.

Remember: A little cuteness goes a long way.

Prioritize Accessibility in Emergency Communications

During emergencies, clarity and accessibility become even more important.

Ensure video announcements are captioned in real time when possible.
Accessible emergency communication saves lives.
Use plain language and avoid abbreviations.

Provide information in multiple formats (text, image, link to accessible webpage).

Social media and digital online concept, woman using smartphone and show technology icon.

Final Checks Before Posting

Before you hit that post button, ask yourself a few quick questions:

Can the information be understood without the image?
Is the caption concise and readable?
Are there captions or text alternatives?
Most accessibility improvements take less than a minute once they become routine.

Accessible social media isn’t just a compliance requirement – it’s a commitment to serving every Delaware resident!

Ask Us Any Accessibility Question

Read more articles about: Accessibility, CLF, Content Strategy, Data, Design, Lighthouse, User Research.

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