Social Media
All posts on all covered social media accounts posted or updated on or after April 24, 2026 must meet the standards of WCAG 2.1 AA.
Scope of Requirements
WCAG requirements apply to all posts or other content on any social media account operated by a university division, department, athletic team, or sponsored student organization. Although the university does not control the posts or other online content of registered student organizations not sponsored by the university, individual faculty, and other university-adjacent accounts, owners of these accounts are nonetheless also encouraged to follow WCAG standards.
For purposes of these requirements, social media refers to any platform for dissemination of posts, images, videos or other content to a public audience, including but not limited to platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, YouTube, and others.
Effective Communication
While many requirements of WCAG apply to social media, the most essential requirement is effectively communicating the key information in a given post to disabled users.
For images that are not purely decorative, alternate text is required. See our guidance on effective alt text. Note, however, that the text of posts and descriptions on most major social media platforms is already screen readable and features appropriate color contrast. Thus, one of the most effective ways to make any post more accessible is to include key information in the text.
Example: If an Instagram graphic describes the time, place, and nature of an upcoming event on campus, putting the same information in the text caption is likely sufficient to ensure accessibility.
For video or audio content, the normal requirements of WCAG apply. However, particularly for shorter videos, social media platforms may present unique alternatives for adequately conveying relevant information.
Example: For a short video of a football player scoring a touchdown, it would be sufficient to include a short alt text description such as “Kevin Jones catches a long pass from quarterback Jalen Smith for a touchdown. Mississippi State leads 20 to 14 as players celebrate.”
Departmental/Organizational Responsibility
Each covered university social media account must be assigned an individual owner by Office of Public Affairs. That person must be a current university employee and is responsible for ensuring compliance with WCAG standards for each covered social media account. The university reserves the right to conduct periodic reviews of content on these accounts to ensure compliance, and to require remediation or deactivation of accounts that remain out of compliance.