Making your brand accessible: Best practices for inclusive marketing

While there are thousands of recommendations set by the Americans with Disabilities Act, this blog will focus on some ways for businesses to start making their content more accessible — including websites, video ads and best practices that will help create a more inclusive brand presence.

Website accessibility: beyond compliance

The most obvious place to start when improving accessibility is your website. Many businesses are already familiar with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which outline specific criteria to make websites accessible for users with disabilities. However, there’s more to it than simply following regulations.

Here are a few examples that can help make your website more accessible.

• Use descriptive alt text. When images on your website have descriptive alt text, screen readers can describe the images to users with low vision or blindness. The alt text should accurately convey the image’s purpose, not just a generic description like "photo."
• Keyboard navigation. Users who rely on assistive technology, like screen readers, or have loss of motor function should be able to easily move through the site without a mouse.
• Color contrast. Ensure that text and background colors have sufficient contrast to make content readable for people with low vision. You can check this by using tools like WebAIM’s Contrast Checker.
• Accessible forms. These should be easy to fill out for users with disabilities, including clear labels for form fields, error messages that are easily understood and support for screen readers.

By making your website accessible, you’re not only improving the user experience but also increasing your chances of ranking higher in search engines. Google takes accessibility into account when evaluating page quality.

Social media accessibility: reaching everyone

Social media is one of the most important owned channels for businesses, but many overlook accessibility in this area. Here are some steps to make your social media content more accessible.

• Add alt text to images. Most social platforms — including X, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook — allow you to add alt text to images. This makes it easier for screen readers to describe the image to users. Be as specific and descriptive as possible when writing alt text.
• Use CamelCase for hashtags. When using hashtags, capitalize the first letter of each word (e.g., #WorldAccessibilityDay instead of #worldaccessibilityday). This helps screen readers parse the words correctly, making them understandable for users.
• Include subtitles for videos. Subtitles or captions aren’t just useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing; they can also benefit those watching videos in noisy environments or without sound. Facebook, Instagram and YouTube offer tools to add captions to your videos, either manually or through automated systems.

By making small adjustments to your social media strategy, you can make your content more inclusive and reach a wider audience.

Video accessibility: subtitles and more

Video is a powerful marketing tool, but if your business doesn’t consider accessibility, it can alienate a portion of your audience. Fortunately, here are a few best practices you can adopt to help make your video content more inclusive.

• Provide subtitles or closed captions. These are essential for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, and they can improve comprehension for non-native speakers. Most video platforms, like YouTube, allow subtitles to be automatically generated or manually uploaded. Always review autogenerated subtitles to ensure accuracy.
• Audio descriptions. For users with low vision, consider adding audio descriptions to your videos. These are narrations that describe what’s happening on screen when there is no dialogue. While not always necessary, audio descriptions are particularly useful for videos where visual cues are essential to understanding the content.
• Transcript availability. For longer videos, providing a transcript is another way to help make the content more accessible. A transcript allows users who are unable to watch the video to still access the content in text form.

Print and offline accessibility

While digital content often gets the most attention, print materials should also be designed with accessibility in mind. Here are some best practices for creating accessible print content.

• Readable fonts and sizing. Choose fonts that are easy to read, such as sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica. Ensure that the font size is large enough for those with low vision — 12 to 14 points is a good rule of thumb.
• Color and contrast. Similar to web design, color contrast is crucial in print materials. Use high-contrast colors to make text easier to read, especially for users with color vision deficiencies.
• Braille and large print. For essential documents, consider providing versions in Braille or large print. While this isn’t necessary for all materials, it’s a good practice for critical communications, like legal documents or product instructions.

The bigger picture: intentional accessibility

Making content accessible isn’t just about compliance; it’s about ensuring everyone can engage with your brand. By taking the time to review your website, social media, video and print materials through the lens of accessibility, you’re sending a message that your business values inclusivity and making the most out of your efforts to interact with both loyal and potential audiences.

By making intentional changes to your marketing efforts, you’ll not only reach more people but also create a more inclusive and welcoming brand presence.