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When discussing the use of social media platforms by people with disabilities, especially those with visual impairments, the primary question is: how accessible are these platforms to them? What methods do they use to interact with others? What accommodations do these platforms offer to facilitate their engagement? And what role can we play in making their experience on these platforms easier over time?
Screen Readers: A Significant Achievement in Human History
Rizan Salih Ebo, a social activist for people with disabilities, highlights the importance of "screen readers" as a fundamental step in easing access to social media for people with disabilities.
What are Screen Readers?
The first screen reader, called "IBM Screen Reader," was released in 1986 by IBM for the DOS operating system. A screen reader is a software application that converts any text on a device screen—whether it be a computer, tablet, or smartphone—into audible speech that the user can understand. It supports a wide range of languages, including Arabic, enabling users to comprehend the content on the screen and interact with it.
When a screen reader is activated, any touch on the screen will only cause the screen reader to announce the element that the user touched. If the user wants to activate any element on the screen, they touch the element once to highlight it and then double-tap to activate it.
Types of Screen Readers:
Built-in Screen Readers:
Major companies like Apple, Microsoft, and Google have integrated screen readers into their products, allowing people with visual impairments or limited vision to interact with their devices. The capabilities, efficiency, and ease of access these screen readers provide vary from one operating system to another.
Third-Party Screen Readers:
Several companies have entered the market to develop third-party screen readers, some free and some paid. Paid screen readers have excelled in enhancing accessibility for users across various applications, providing regular updates, and supporting new versions of different operating systems.
Accessing Social Media Platforms
Rizan Ebo notes that the types of accessibility services available on social media platforms vary greatly. According to him, Meta's applications are "very poor on Android, somewhat neglected, and frequently criticized by visually impaired users." However, despite these shortcomings, Meta is unparalleled in image description.
While Meta's artificial intelligence does not match human intelligence in description, it still manages to read a significant portion of the text within images and attempts to describe all shapes present. Yet, mistakes can occur occasionally. For example, Ebo recalls a time when the screen reader mistakenly identified a reclining person as a dog.
Meta, as per Ebo, provides an alternative text option for each image, which appears only to screen readers. The content creator can describe their image better for their friends with disabilities than artificial intelligence can.
Ebo believes Twitter is highly attentive to building its app, swiftly fixing any errors as they arise. It was the first company to introduce the alt text option for images, although it has yet to employ artificial intelligence to describe images published on the platform.
Regarding YouTube, it is well-integrated with screen readers but does not offer audio descriptions for users. For instance, streaming services generally provide an audio description feature where a narrator describes what actors are doing in a scene. According to Ebo, TikTok on iOS "barely works," as its developers do not respond to users with disabilities.
Accessibility Tools
Shortcuts:
Shortcuts help people with disabilities and those with limited wrist or finger mobility by providing an alternative to mouse navigation.
Alternative Text:
Alternative text helps individuals with disabilities navigate social media by providing descriptions of visual media.
Screen Readers:
Screen readers and keyboard shortcuts are tools that aid in social media access. Screen readers either read text aloud or convert text into Braille.
Video Captions:
The captioning feature allows people with disabilities to better access videos on social media. Some platforms enable adding captions to videos, while others provide automatic captions, allowing content creators to edit captions for accuracy.
Advancing Assistive Tools
Rizan Ebo, who regularly uses social media with the help of accessibility features, acknowledges that it's encouraging to see all platforms striving for improvement. "For example, we notice Meta's platforms increasingly enhancing their image descriptions, and the phrase 'no description available' is now rarely heard, maybe just once a day," he says.
The situation with Twitter is somewhat concerning, especially after Elon Musk bought the platform and fired most of the accessibility department, according to Ebo.
There is a real communication between these platforms and users to benefit from their suggestions in their development. Each company has a team of speakers in all languages to test services. However, significant issues that create confusion among people with disabilities persist from time to time, particularly regarding app compatibility after updates, as Ebo points out.
Ebo distinguishes between Apple and Android in serving the visually impaired. He notes that Apple provides automatic image descriptions and the ability to read text within them, stating, "Apple is unrivaled in serving people with disabilities." However, with Android, if the screen reader can read or describe images, its accuracy is almost non-existent.
Community Support for People with Disabilities
Ebo explained to ExVar that visually impaired people hope to see their friends and relatives describe their photos on platforms themselves. This spares them embarrassment in many situations. He also noted difficulties they face after Meta removed the facial recognition feature, which no longer allows them to know who is in the picture as they used to. For example, the description now says, "The image contains two people, laughing people, and interior views," he says. "We've lost the ability to understand image details."
Helping Hand
Add Alternative Text:
Alternative text is a written description of an image. Adding alternative text to all posts with images makes them accessible to those using screen readers.
Facebook:
Select the image for the post, and before publishing, click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the attached image. Click on "Edit Alt Text," add alternative text, and then click "Done" to save and publish.
Instagram:
Before the final step of publishing an image, go to "Advanced Settings" at the bottom of the page, where you'll find the "Add Alt Text" option. Click the blue checkmark in the upper right corner to save before publishing.
Twitter ( X ):
When selecting an image for a tweet, you'll notice a +ALT button in the lower right corner of the attached image. Add alternative text in the "Describe this image" field and click "Done."
Include Captions in All Video Content:
Most platforms offer automatic captioning, making it easy to add. Ensure to edit for correct spelling and punctuation.
Use Camel Case for Hashtags:
When writing in Latin scripts, using capital letters at the beginning of each word in a hashtag makes it easier for screen readers. For example, use #DisabilityInclusion instead of #disabilityinclusion.
Limit the Use of Emojis:
Screen readers read out the names of emojis literally. For example, using a clapping hands emoji will be read as "clapping hands," and posts with many emojis can obscure meaning and information for those using screen readers. It's also best to avoid using multiple emojis consecutively or excessively.
The journey of improving social media accessibility for people with disabilities is ongoing. While progress has been made, such as the development of screen readers and the inclusion of alternative text and captions, there's still much to be done. Communities, tech companies, and individuals alike have a role in creating an inclusive digital space. By understanding the needs of people with disabilities and actively incorporating their feedback, we can make social media a more accessible and enjoyable experience for everyone.
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