As wonderful, exciting and open as social media sounds, being able to reach new and wider audiences easily - do remember that some forms of social media can form barriers for those with additional needs and create exclusion. People with hearing impairments for example cannot hear video clips and podcasts unless an alternative text transcription is available. Many of the quick and easy ‘widgets’ and scripts available to embed media from other websites into your site provide code which is confusing to many screen readers for those with visual impairments and often don’t comply with modern web standards and could appear differently pending on the internet browser or technology being used to access the content.
When using social media, keep mindful of the balance needed to make your content usable and relevant for all.
By using social media you are aiming to make your organisation and it’s work more approachable and welcoming so be careful not to shut the door on potential new users of your services because they don’t have the correct or latest technology to access your information.
Examples in the wild:
Links to examples coming soon!
In this guide:
- What is Social Media?
- What can it be used for?
- What makes if different from traditional media?
- The main types of social media
- How to keep people up to date
- How to get it right for your groups needs
- Inclusion for all and accessibility
- How was it for you - monitoring and evaluation
- Where to get help
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