Facebook and Twitter Improving Accessibility for the Visually Impaired Is Noble, But Both May Have Another Motive

Both social network giants have introduced tools that allow users to hear details about photos.

learn more about Nina Zipkin

By Nina Zipkin

gmstockstudio | Khomkrit Phonsai | Shutterstock

Facebook on Monday joined Twitter in making its site more accessible to the visually impaired. Not only does this boost the number of potential users for both sites, it also puts them ahead of a potential government mandate.

"There is not really a financial risk for the companies not to do these things," Andrew Johnson, a managing vice president at Gartner, told Entrepreneur. "There is an outside chance that the Department of Justice could have what they call a demand letter against them if there is a petition that their website or application is not accessible. It's fairly rare, but a very effective motivation tool."

Facebook on Monday rolled out a tool called automatic alternative text, which allows people who are blind or visually impaired using a screen reader on an iOS device to be able hear more in depth descriptions of the images that pop up in their feeds.

Related: 5 Things You Need to Know About Web Accessibility

Twitter last week announced its own alternative text feature for images. By selecting the "choose image description" option in the accessibility settings for the app, users will be able to include up to 420 characters for the photo's description.

More than 2 billion images are shared on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger and WhatsApp. There are more than 20 million Americans living with vision loss.

Related: This Program Wants to Help People With Disabilities Become Entrepreneurs

"I think what we're seeing from Facebook today and Twitter last week, is them just doing the right thing and getting around to it," Johnson says. "I would say both took way too long to do it -- but better late than never."

Previously, Facebook users would hear only their friend's name and that he or she was in a photo, but with automatic alternative text, they'll hear how many people are in the picture, how many comments and likes there currently are, and the words "image may contain" followed by elements of the photo such as jewelry, smiling, outdoor, cloud or foliage.

Related: This Brilliant Braille Smartwatch Lets the Visually Impaired Feel What Time It Is

The development of the technology was informed in part by a paper that Facebook worked on with Cornell University to better understand how visually impaired users interact with social media.

While the technology is currently only available in English for iOS users in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada and New Zealand, the company says that it is working on expanding into more countries and languages.

Nina Zipkin

Entrepreneur Staff

Staff Writer. Covers leadership, media, technology and culture.

Nina Zipkin is a staff writer at Entrepreneur.com. She frequently covers leadership, media, tech, startups, culture and workplace trends.

Related Topics

Editor's Pick

The Dark Side of Pay Transparency — And What to Do If You Find Out You're Being Underpaid
Thinking of a Career Change? Here Are 4 Steps You Can Take to Get There.
A Founder Who Bootstrapped Her Jewelry Business With Just $1,000 Now Sees 7-Figure Revenue Because She Knew Something About Her Customers Nobody Else Did
Everything You Need to Know About Franchise Law
Starting a Business

90% of Online Businesses Fail in Just 4 Months. You Can Avoid the Same Fate By Using These Strategies.

It's not catastrophizing when we think about potential failure; it's in fact a chance for any business to precisely see any outcome and prepare in advance.

Franchise

How to Bring Your Franchise to the Next Level With Marketing Automation

With the impacts of inflation and associated costs of running a business, automation is a powerful solution for streamlining a positive guest experience and overall marketing.

Business Ideas

55 Small Business Ideas To Start Right Now

To start one of these home-based businesses, you don't need a lot of funding -- just energy, passion and the drive to succeed.

Business News

You Can Now Book Unlimited Cruises With the New 'Ultimate Paradise Pass'

Guests will be able to take an unlimited amount of two-night cruises to the Bahamas out of Florida.