The Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games have officially begun! We’re excited to bring these inspiring athletes to millions of viewers across 34 European countries.

Thanks, in part, to the coverage given to the Paralympics by public service broadcasters, the Games have been able to challenge deep-rooted beliefs regarding disability and promote social inclusion.

As public service broadcasters, our Members aim to reflect and serve everyone in their communities. So it’s particularly important for them to make sure their own content is as inclusive and accessible as possible. As digitalization takes off, many of our Members are rethinking their digital assets to make sure they are fully accessible for their audiences.

From research to recipes and everything in between, the digital world is such a crucial part of our everyday lives – but not everyone is able to access it as easily as others. Digital accessibility is a social issue for people living with disabilities, as access to the internet empowers people to live life independently and fully participate in society.

Many people use screen readers and other tools to help them access content online and can run into difficulties when content hasn’t been designed with accessibility in mind.

In the lead-up to our upcoming webinar on our Members’ digital accessibility goals and strategies, here are 5 easy ways to get started making your social media content more accessible. 

1. Use simple language.

It may sound obvious but making your content easy to read is a great first step in making it more accessible. It’s easy to inadvertently use industry jargon or overly technical terms, but it’s best to avoid these where possible.

2. Don’t say “click here.”

Instead, make your call-to-action more descriptive. Try “Sign up”, “Download the report”, or something else that gives information on what’s in the link.

3. Check your colour combinations.

Make sure you’re using good colour contrast and avoid using certain combinations altogether, like green and red. Use this online tool to easily check how accessible your colour combinations are.

4. Include video captions.

Closed captions are especially important for viewers with hearing impairments. Many viewers will watch with the sound off anyway, so make sure you’re connecting with them too. Captions are also great for viewers watching in their non-native language and can even help children learning to read.

5. Choose emojis carefully.

Certain emojis may not translate to text the way you’d intended. For example, there are several types of emoji symbols for automobiles, but did you know the difference?

🚗 automobile

🚘 oncoming automobile

Not quite the same... This site lets you check the text translation of emojis by hovering over them. Make sure to put spaces between emojis, too.

Want to go further? We’re hosting a webinar on 30 September where we’ll explore our Members’ digital accessibility goals, best practices and tools to provide equal access to media online content. Be sure to reserve your seat now!

“The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.” Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web – 1997