SociABILITY: social media for people with a disability

Media Access Australia have released a review of the accessibility of the most popular social media platforms for people with a disability. The review also includes practical tips and workarounds, developed in consultation with social media users who have a disability.

The SociABILITY resources include the SociABILITy report, User Guides to 6 popular social media platforms, and quick Tip-Sheets on practical work-arounds for overcoming common accessibility issues. Guides and Tip Sheets are available here.

In 2009 Media Access Australia (MAA) released its first Social Media Accessibility Review when social media was less prolific. The Review identified popular social media tools and if they were accessible. While the original review was well received by consumers with disabilities, it was important to create an updated review due to the:

• Rapid growth of social media

• Shift toward using social media on mobile devices

• Emergence of new accessibility options

• Increasing reliance on social media to communicate and achieve everyday tasks

• International shifts towards seeing social media as a democratic tool with strong potential for social inclusion

The project was supported by a grant from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN),