Accessibility and Facebook

Facebook is used by many people to keep up with friends and family, share milestones, and follow organizations and community groups. With billions of people using Facebook worldwide, it remains one of the most widely used social platforms.

Facebook is owned by Meta, which has made ongoing investments in accessibility across its products. More information about these efforts is available through the Meta’s accessibility resources which covers Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and other Meta technologies.

Using Facebook With Assistive Technology

Facebook includes features designed to work with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies. Meta maintains dedicated Facebook accessibility and Messenger accessibility resources to help blind and low vision users navigate the platform more effectively.

General Accessibility Features

Facebook supports a range of accessibility features, including:

  • Screen reader compatibility on the web and in mobile apps
  • Keyboard navigation for core functions
  • Alternative text for images, including automatic alt text
  • Adjustable text size and display settings on mobile devices
  • Accessible video controls, captions, and audio description when provided

Because Facebook is updated frequently, specific features and interactions may change. Meta recommends relying on its accessibility resource page for the most current information.

Accessibility Best Practices for Facebook

Whether you are posting on a personal profile or managing a business or organizational page on Facebook, following accessibility best practices helps ensure your content can be understood by people who use screen readers and other assistive technologies.

Add Alternative Text to Images

Facebook allows users and page administrators to add alternative text to images. Alt text provides a text description of visual content for people who cannot see the image.

  • Describe the purpose or key information shown in the image
  • Use punctuation and complete sentences so descriptions are read clearly aloud
  • Keep descriptions concise and focused
  • Avoid phrases such as “image of” or “photo of,” as screen readers already announce images
  • Include visible text from the image if it is important for understanding the post
  • Avoid emojis, decorative symbols, or excessive capitalization in alt text

When alt text is not provided, Facebook may generate automatic descriptions. These can be helpful, but user-written alt text is generally more accurate and informative.

Learn how add alternative text to images for accessibility.

Use Clear, Descriptive Post Text

When writing Facebook posts:

  • Use complete sentences to explain the purpose of your post
  • Do not rely on images alone to convey important information
  • Provide context for links in the post text rather than relying only on link previews

Clear post text benefits screen reader users and improves readability for everyone.

Avoid Emojis and Decorative Formatting

From an accessibility standpoint, using emojis in Facebook posts is not recommended. Screen readers announce emojis aloud, which can interrupt the flow of text and reduce clarity.

Avoid:

  • Emojis used within sentences or in place of words
  • Excessive line breaks used for visual spacing
  • Decorative symbols (such as repeated punctuation or shapes)
  • All-caps text for emphasis

These elements are often read aloud literally and can make posts harder to understand. If emojis are used at all, they should be minimal and placed only at the very end of a post. Emojis and decorative formatting should never convey essential information.

Make Video Content Accessible

When sharing video on Facebook:

  • Provide accurate captions for all spoken content
  • Do not place essential information only in on-screen text
  • Ensure that important visual information is conveyed through narration or audio description

Facebook does not automatically generate audio description. If audio description is needed, it must be included in the video’s primary audio track. Some organizations choose to publish a separate audio-described version of a video when appropriate.

Write Hashtags Accessibly

Hashtags are more accessible to screen reader users when written in CamelCase, with each word capitalized.

Example:
#DigitalAccessibility instead of #digitalaccessibility

Avoid long strings of hashtags, which can be difficult to navigate when read aloud.