Produce Accessible Content

Have you ever stopped to think about how visually impaired people browse the Internet? Or how to create content so it is accessible and can be understood by everyone? The Internet should be designed by all and for all.

By considering accessibility when creating Web or social media content, we help build more democratic, universal, and diverse digital environments. In fact, this is one of Brazil’s principles for the governance and use of the Internet, as outlined by CGI.br: Internet access must be universal so that it becomes a tool for human and social development, thereby contributing to the formation of an inclusive and non-discriminatory society, for the benefit of all.

The W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0 provide recommendations and links to best practices for promoting a more inclusive digital environment.

Here are some tips for making social media content more accessible: avoid using symbols like emoticons (:-), =D, ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ) and limit the use of emojis and stickers. Choose a concise name for the account to improve the experience for people using screen readers. Don’t use abbreviations like "LOL" (laughing out loud), "BTW" (by the way), "BRB" (be right back), as these may not be properly read by screen readers. If possible, use a spell checker to catch errors that could hinder comprehension. Also, avoid using symbols such as "x", "@", or other characters in the middle of words, as their pronunciation may be incomprehensible for people using screen readers.

If you are a content creator, consider having someone with a disability review your content or use software to check its accessibility.

Platforms such as LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram offer an alternative text (Alt-text) feature to help screen readers describe images for people with visual impairments. To use this feature, select the media you will publish, go to advanced settings > write alternative text.

Generally speaking, you should follow the same accessibility recommendations and best practices for social media as you would for web pages.

Implementing these features and promoting inclusive practices are necessary steps to ensure that everyone has the right to access and engage with online content.

Together, let's build a #WebForAll for everyone!

This topic took the third-place at the Hackathon organized during the 12th Internet Forum in Brazil, which took place in Natal (RN) - https://forumdainternet.cgi.br/2022/ (Portuguese only).

It was developed by Bárbara Yandra, Daniel Pinheiro, Maria Luiza Sá, Thaís Aguiar, and Thobias Prado.

Video Description

In the first scene, the character is holding a cellphone and using social media. On the device's screen, there is a post that reads: "Reokrding the podcast! When's the release? 2moro! XOXO." A magnifying glass moves over the post, and the cellphone provides an audio description of the screen to the girl, who doesn't understand the message and looks puzzled. Question marks appear, and the phrase "Is the content you post accessible?" appears at the top of the screen.

In the next scene, the phrase at the top changes to "Screen readers struggle with symbols, abbreviations, and spelling errors." Words and symbols appear on the cellphone's screen, and other words and abbreviations appear next to the device. A red "X" appears, indicating that these are not understood by the screen reader nor, consequently, by the character.

In the third and final scene, the typos and spelling errors of the text in the post are corrected, and it now reads "Recording the podcast! Launching tomorrow! Hugs and kisses!" The magnifying glass moves over the new text and the cellphone provides the correct audio description. The character understands the message and smiles. At the top of the video, the phrase "Review your post and promote digital inclusion!" is displayed.