Social Media

Social media messages that are posted on behalf of Palm Beach State College must meet accessibility standards by April 24, 2026, according to a rule on digital accessibility published by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

PBSC is responsible for making the content we post on social media accessible, but not the platforms themselves. Content creators should be aware of three main accessibility considerations:

• Images should include descriptive alt text so that people who are blind or have low vision can understand the same information that sighted users see.  |  View images webpage for additional information & resources
• Videos should include captions so that people who are deaf or hard of hearing can access the audio content in text form.  |  View video webpage for additional information & resources
• Color contrast needs to meet specific, measurable accessibility requirements. To see how your color combination will look (and if it will pass the test), you can download a color contrast program such as Colour Contrast Analyser or use WebAim's online tool.

Images

• All images should include alternative text (alt text). Refer to the platform user guides below for more details.
• If a platform automatically generates image descriptions, review and edit them to ensure they convey the correct meaning and context.
• If you add alternative text in the platform’s designated field, avoid repeating it in the post itself, as screen reader users would hear it twice.
• When adding text over a colored background, use a contrast checker to ensure the text is accessible.

Videos

• All videos should include captions to make the audio accessible for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or non-native speakers. Captions may be closed (toggle on/off) or open (always visible and embedded in the video).
• On-screen text should be accessible. Use a contrast checker to ensure the foreground and background colors provide sufficient contrast.
• Videos and other media should not automatically play on default. This type of content can be a barrier for those with cognitive impairments, photosensitive epilepsy, ADHD, and other conditions. Users should have the ability to pause videos and other media. If media plays by default and this feature cannot be turned off, users should be made aware of this, e.g., “This video will automatically play in a new window.”

Hashtags & Emojis

• Avoid using all caps with hashtags as it can be harder to read for people with accessibility needs. Use CamelCase for hashtags in your social media posts, capitalizing the first letter of each word — #CollegeIsGreat
• Use emojis and hashtags sparingly. Screen readers read each aloud, and too many can negatively affect the user experience.

Animated GIFs

• GIFs aren’t supported on all platforms, and some platforms don’t allow alt text for GIFs. Without alt text, these GIFs can be difficult for people using screen readers to understand.
• Twitter does allow for alt text on both images and GIFs.
• Don’t rely just on animated GIFs to share your message. Make sure the text in your post explains it clearly, and consider adding a short description in brackets at the end to help everyone understand.

Plain Language

• Avoid using acronyms and ensure your social media posts are clear and easy to understand.