At Forge and Spark, we believe in continuous learning. As an agency rooted in mentorship and constant growth, this philosophy shapes everything we do. Accessibility, in particular, is something we care deeply about—not just because it aligns with our values, but because it’s essential to creating content that truly includes everyone.
For us, accessibility isn’t just a box to tick; it’s about ensuring that every person, regardless of ability, can engage with the content we create. This commitment becomes even more crucial when working with purpose-led companies like Genus Capital Management, which prioritizes sustainability, impact, and ethics. Their inclusive mindset means that accessibility isn’t optional—it’s central to their brand values.
The challenge, though, is that technology evolves at lightning speed, and keeping up with accessibility best practices can be daunting. Recently, the Genus team asked us to review and update their social media content for accessibility, and it was a timely reminder of how important it is to refresh our knowledge regularly. As platforms and technologies evolve, so too must our strategies to ensure content remains accessible to all users.
Through this process, we not only updated Genus’ social media accessibility but also expanded our own toolkit—and we’re excited to share the valuable lessons we learned along the way.
The Importance of Accessibility in Social Media
As content creators, we believe we should prioritize accessibility for a few important reasons. First, it’s just the right thing to do. Inclusion and belonging matter fundamentally to us as humans. And why wouldn’t we want to ensure everyone can access, understand, and benefit from the content we create?
Let’s remember, too, that inclusive content builds trust. Being mindful of accessibility shows our commitment to our values—whether those are rooted in environmentalism, diversity, or inclusivity—and to ensuring our audience feels seen and heard.
And for B Corps and purpose-led brands in particular, building an accessible digital presence can go miles to strengthen brand promise and audience trust in that promise.
Here’s an overview of what we learned in our latest knowledge refresh in accessibility practices for social media content—and what all purpose-led brands can take away from this.
Key Accessibility Best Practices for Social Media
1. Alt Text for Images
Alt text (alternative text) is essential for screen readers, enabling visually impaired users to understand the content of an image. Most social platforms now support alt text, and adding it is a simple yet powerful step toward inclusivity. For Genus, we ensured that every image would include alt text, focusing on the key elements of each visual without starting with phrases like “Image of” or “Picture of,” as screen readers already signal that information.
Pro Tip: Keep alt text concise—125 characters or less for platforms like LinkedIn and Instagram—and be specific about what matters most in the image. When writing alt text for blog images, go slightly longer to provide more context (up to 250 characters). If you use tools like Sprout, you can test AI-generated alt text to save time.
2. Image Descriptions
In addition to alt text, we suggest including more detailed image descriptions in captions. This benefits users who need extra context, particularly on platforms like Instagram where alt text isn’t visible to everyone. A detailed image description can bring a post to life for those who can’t see it—whether they’re using assistive technology or simply scrolling without images loading.
Pro Tip: Add image descriptions at the end of a caption, keeping them clear and concise while focusing on relevant colors, actions, or text within the image.
3. Make Text Accessible
Text accessibility is more than font choice; it’s about ensuring readability. We recommended using plain language, breaking up long paragraphs into digestible chunks and avoiding all-caps text (which can be harder for screen readers to process). Testing readability with tools like Hemingway Editor helps ensure that content is at an appropriate reading level for a broad audience.
Pro Tip: Ensure strong colour contrast between text and background—especially for social media posts and website content. Free tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker can help with this.
4. Captions for Video Content
Video is one of the most engaging formats on social media, but without captions, it’s inaccessible to many. We recommended adding captions to all video content, whether through automated tools on platforms like Instagram or by uploading SRT caption files on LinkedIn. Accurate captions ensure that people who are hard of hearing—or those scrolling with the sound off—can still engage with the message.
Pro Tip: Tools like Kapwing and Rev provide simple ways to add and edit captions for video content across platforms.
5. Optimize Hashtags and Mentions
Hashtags and mentions can be accessibility barriers if not formatted properly. CamelCase (#SustainableInvesting) is the accessibility standard for multi-word hashtags, because it makes them easier to understand for screen readers and humans alike. Placing hashtags and mentions at the end of a post also helps keep the content clean and accessible.
Pro Tip: Limit hashtag use to 2–3 relevant tags per post to avoid clutter and enhance readability.
6. Create Accessible PDFs and Documents
For downloadable content like documents, reports and guides, it’s essential to ensure accessibility as well. This includes using proper heading structures, adding alt text to images and charts, ensuring colour contrast, and choosing accessible fonts. Creating an accessible table of contents for longer documents ensures a smooth navigation experience for all users.
Pro Tip: Resources like Adobe Acrobat Pro and the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools can help ensure that your PDFs are up to accessibility standards.
7. Test Accessibility Regularly
With Genus, we recommended testing content regularly using screen readers and other assistive technologies. Testing ensures that all content remains accessible as platforms and best practices evolve.
Pro Tip: Free tools like NVDA or VoiceOver (for Mac) are excellent for testing how accessible your social media and website content are in real-world scenarios.
Moving Forward…Accessibly
Accessibility is about more than technology—it’s about fostering inclusion and ensuring that everyone has access to the content you create, whether as a leader or a brand.
Working with our purpose-led clients reminds us frequently of our responsibility to stay current on accessibility best practices. This ongoing learning process allows us to continue delivering on our mission to craft meaningful, impactful content for all audiences—and we’re so grateful to our clients for encouraging us to keep learning, growing, and improving the ways we connect with audiences.
Curious about how you can efficiently implement accessibility best practices into your content operation? Reach out to hello@forgeandspark.com to ask a question or book a time to chat.
