How to Make  Social Content Accessible to the Deaf Community

How to Make  Social Content Accessible to the Deaf Community

Veronica Figueroa  | September 28, 2020

SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING

48 million  people in the US are deaf  or hard of hearing (HOH).

48 million  people in the US are deaf  or hard of hearing (HOH).

6 Ways to Help

6 Ways to Help

Businesses need to make their content more accessible so that everyone can enjoy it. Here are six ways to do just that.

1. Provide Multiple  Contact Options

1. Provide Multiple  Contact Options

Just like your hearing audience, Deaf and HOH customers want to get in touch with you. Provide contact options they can reach you with, like Facebook Messenger or email. 

2. Use Closed Captions

2. Use Closed Captions

A closed caption file contains the text of what is said throughout the videos, with time codes for when each line of text should be displayed, as well as position and style information.

3. Use Open Captions

3. Use Open Captions

Open captions are always visible and don’t need to be turned on. These are growing in popularity as there are many reasons people may watch a video without sound, like being in a public place without headphones.

4. Share Transcripts

4. Share Transcripts

Consider providing transcripts for video and audio content, so deaf and HOH viewers/listeners can read it. Transcripts also increase authority through additional inbound links.

5. Provide an  ASL Interpreter

5. Provide an  ASL Interpreter

Sign language interpreters are an important part of live video, a growing content tactic. Companies looking to hire an interpreter should vet them through reputable service providers.

6. Explore Live Captions

6. Explore Live Captions

Live captions allow you to provide your audience with captions in real-time and in-person. Ai-Live, Google Live Caption, and Clipomatic are just a few of your options for providing live captions.