Accessible Social Media: Social Networking to Reach All Users

Andrew Youngkin, MLSEmerging Technologies/Evaluation Coordinator

NNLM-SE/AUniversity of Maryland, Baltimore

Health Sciences & Human Services Library

Tweeting?

• @hrvstrofinfo• #internetlibrarian • #a11y• #axs

Overview

• Disabled users of social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, & YouTube encounter usability barriers, discouraging use, attainment of benefits

• Techniques can help make social media content more accessible

• Specific tools, sites, and apps available to help disabled users better access social networking sites

• Libraries might enhance the effectiveness of social networking efforts by using techniques and sharing tools that allow this content to be more accessible and more inclusive

Disabled Users

• 28,000,000 (10% of the population) are deaf or hearing impaired.

• 11,500,000 people have visual conditions not correctable by glasses.

• 6,400,000 new cases of eye diseases occur each year.

• 2,800,000 people are visually handicapped from color blindness.

• 1,100,000 people are legally blind.

Accessibility Law

• Laws to ensure persons with disabilities have access to services and resources

• Americans with Disabilities Act• Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA)• Rehabilitation Act (1973, Amended 1998)

Accessibility Defined

• Accessibility Law includes a lot– Restrooms, telephones, building access

• Section 508 of the 1998 (amended version) Rehabilitation Act– Electronic information (websites, documents,

media, etc.

Section 508 & Social Networking

• Section 508 Lacks Social Media-Specific Guidance

• Guidelines regarding website usability/accessibility helpful starting points

Libraries & Social Media

• Facebook 90%• Twitter 47%• Youtube 40%

Uses in Libraries

• “reminder of special resources available to academic community”

• tool for “reference transactions, receiving/resolving complaints, building community.”

• “technical instruction/how-to at the library/Skype with authors,”

• “recruiting and managing volunteers.” • tool to connect with others around a hobby and

interest.

User Disparities

• Disabled users have been shown to use social media less because of the barriers it poses

• Disabled users, though more willing and in better position benefit from social networking, will not have opportunity

Barriers Persist in Social Networking

• CAPTCHA• Non-Mouse Users difficulty with quickly skipping main menu (via

Tab), moving on to page content • Non-Mouse Users get no indication of linked content displayed

only when mouse overs over page terms• Non-compatibility between screen readers and powerful

scripting used by sites to perform complex actions such as “adding friends”, watching video, listening to music.

• Java requirement (difficulty, compatibility with screen readers) • Important links are graphic-only with no text alternative, without

option to alter color/size• Graphics lacking description

What can we do?

Provide Captions/Descriptions

• YouTube offers Closed Captioning service options for Videos (Do it Yourself or Automated services available)

• Caption videos with YouTube prior to sharing on Facebook, Twitter

• Add descriptions to photos so that information will be read by screen readers

Suggest 3rd Party Sites, Apps

• Mobile Sites (Facebook)• Twitterific, Tweetero• Easy Chirp (Twitter)• Facely (Facebook)• Keyboard friendly interfaces to Youtube (Easy

Youtube, Accessible Youtube)

Seek FAQS, Help, Tutorials

• YouTube Accessibility section, tutorials• Join/Follow/Friend accessibility • Twitter Help provides tutorials on using

features• Facebook Accessibility Help page• Contact sites directly

Additionally

• Make content accessible in other forms/other places

• Advertise suggested tools that help disabled users access your social networking content

• Avoid social networking sites if detriments of accessibility barriers outweigh benefits for users

Take Aways

• Be aware of access needs of persons with disabilities

• Apply content development techniques when using social networking sites (captions, descriptions) to ease access

• Consider/choose/monitor accessibility of sites to decide appropriateness for your audience

• Suggest/Promote 3rd party sites that make social networking content more accessible for users

References• Pew Internet & American Life Project. Why Americans use social media. By Aaron Smith, Senior Research Specialist. 11/14/2011. • Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended by the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (P.L.105-220), August 7, 1998.• Social Media, Libraries, and Web 2.0: How American Libraries Are Using New Tools for Public Relations and to Attract New Users — Fourth Annual Survey, Novem

ber 2011 (PDF). Columbia, S.C., South Carolina State Library, 2012 .

• Prepare now for 508 web-compliance changes - FierceGovernmentIT http://www.fiercegovernmentit.com/story/prepare-now-508-web-compliance-changes/2010-04-29#ixzz24i2ZEF17

• www.wave.webaim.org• http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/ais/toolbar/ • http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/1581-Accessibility-and-Social-Media • http://www.facebook.com/help/accessibility • http://www.w3.org/WAI/ • Sociability: Social Media for People with a disability. Media Access Australia (MAA),

http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/sites/default/files/files/MAA2657-%20Report- OnlineVersion.pdf • Youtube statisics http://www.youtube.com/t/ press_statistics • Twitter statistics http://www.youtube.com/t/ press_statistics • Facebook statistics http://newsroom.fb.com/ • Jaeger, Paul T. & Xie, Bo (2009). “Developing Online Community Accessibility Guidelines for Persons with Disabilities and Older Adults. Journal of Disability Policy

Studies. • Ellis, Katie & Kent, Mike (2010). “ Tweeters Take Responsibility for an Accessible Web 2.0”. Fast Capitalism. • AbilityNet.com Social Networking Sites Block Out Users, 1/18/08. http://www.abilitynet.org.uk/docs/enation/2008SocialNetworkingSites.pdf • Brown, Andy et al. (2011). The Uptake of Web 2.0 technologies, and its impact on visually disabled users”. • Web Accessibility Testing Tools.Oz: The blog of Glenda Sims, The Good Witch. http://www.glendathegood.com/blog/?p=730• Media Access Australia—Twitter. http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/online-media/social-media/twitter• Media Access Australia—Facebook. http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/online-media/social-media/ facebook• AppleVis accessible apps: www.applevis.com• Twitter help centrer support.twitter.com/• Contact Twitter: twitter.com/about/contact• Media Access Australia—Youtube. http://www.mediaaccess.org.au/online-media/social-media/youtube

Contact

Andrew YoungkinUniversity of Maryland, BaltimoreHealth Sciences & Human Services Library NNLM, SE/A, Suite 508 601 West Lombard StreetBaltimore, Maryland 21201800.338.7657 (in region)410.706.2855Email: ayoungki@hshsl.umaryland.edu Skype: andrew.youngkin1

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