Social Media

Columbia Public Schools is committed to creating an inclusive online environment, including on its social media platforms. Social media administrators are responsible for making sure the content they post can be understood by people using assistive technology and follows Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

To meet accessibility requirements, follow the guidance below.

Alt Text

All meaningful images and graphics should include alternative text, also called alt text. Alt text is short, descriptive text that explains the important information or purpose of an image.

For photos, describe what is happening in the photo. For simple graphics, include the important text and meaning. If a graphic contains a large amount of text, include the complete information in the post caption and use concise alt text to identify the graphic and its purpose.

Bad alt text: Students reading.
Good alt text: Two elementary students and a teacher read a book together inside a classroom.

How to Add Alt Text in Facebook and Instagram

Text in Images and Graphics

Graphics that use text should be used sparingly. Do not rely on a graphic or image as the only way to communicate important information.

If a graphic includes important information such as an event name, date, time, location, deadline or registration information, include the same information in the post caption as regular text.

The example graphic above uses only the most important event information. Include additional details in the caption of the social media post.

Alt text for this example: Graphic promoting the Elementary School Fall Festival on October 12, 2026, from 4 to 6 p.m.

Closed Captioning

All videos should include accurate closed captions. Social media platforms provide captioning tools that should be enabled when video content is posted.

Automatically generated captions should always be reviewed and corrected before publishing.

If important information appears visually in a video but is not spoken aloud, include that information in the narration, captions or accompanying post text.

LINK: How to Add Closed Captioning in Facebook and Instagram

High Contrast and Readable Fonts

Use high contrast and readable fonts in graphics so text is easy to see and understand.

If creating graphics in Canva, use the Canva accessibility tool to check color contrast and typography. Go to File > Accessibility > Check design accessibility.

If you are unsure whether colors have enough contrast, use a WCAG color contrast checker.

The example above shows how light text on dark backgrounds and dark text on light backgrounds can create stronger contrast.

VIDEO: Checking Design Accessibility in Canva

Emojis

Use emojis in moderation. Place them after text or at the end of a sentence so the meaning is clear before the emoji is announced.

Do not use emojis to replace words or as the only way to communicate information. Screen readers announce emojis, so repeated emojis can make a post difficult to understand.

Hashtags

Capitalize the first letter of each word in a hashtag so screen readers can identify the individual words.

Avoid: #cpsbacktoschool
Use: #CPSBackToSchool

Use hashtags in moderation.

URLs and Descriptive Links

Links should make sense to users before they open them. Avoid vague wording such as click here.

When the platform allows descriptive linked text, use wording that explains where the link goes.

Descriptive Link

• Bad Example: To view enrollment details, click here.
• Good Example: View enrollment details.

URLs

When a social media platform does not allow descriptive linked text, introduce the URL with wording that explains where it leads. Short URLs may also be easier to read and share.

• Bad Example: https://www.cpsk12.org/family-resources/enroll
• Good Example: Learn more about CPS enrollment: bit.ly/cpsenrollment