The objective is simple: make our content clear, usable, and accessible to everyone
Visual content such as paid and organic social media posts, infographics, banners and PDP content is a key part of how people interact with our brand.
Poor content design choices can create unnecessary barriers for people with different abilities, including low vision, colour blindness, dyslexia and cognitive impairments.
These guidelines are to help teams create accessible, readable and inclusive content across different touchpoints.
Click below to explore our Image Accessibility Guidelines:
High visibility content has high contrast between the background and elements like text, still life or model. This helps users with low vision perceive content more easily.
Ensure a strong contrast between:
Use these tools to check your combinations:
Body Copy remains same what we have currently as it is relevant to social media. Only accordion heading changes.
All major social media platforms and content management systems provide a dedicated field to add alt text when uploading images.
Make it a standard practice to fill this field for every image.
When you upload an image on TikTok, tap on More options at the bottom. Then select Add alternative text, and insert the description of your image, as in the third screenshot:
When you upload an image to X, you will find an Add description link in the editor:
Open the description section and insert your alt text, as in this example:
When you upload an image to Instagram, there is an Accessibility field in the editor:
Open the Accessibility field, and enter your alt text, as in this example:
When you upload an image to Facebook, click on the Edit button:
In the editing menu, you will find the Alternative text item and two options: the first offers you an automatically generated alternative text, and the second allows you to enter custom alternative text. Select the second one and insert you alt text:
Relying on colour alone to communicate a message in emojis, texts, symbols and posts can exclude people with colour vision deficiencies (such as colour blindness) or low vision.
Additionally, some users may view content on devices or under conditions that distort colours.
The following examples illustrate common DO's and DON'Ts for applying visual accessibility principles in real scenarios.
Use these as a quick reference when creating content for PDPs, infographics, banners, and organic social media posts.
These recommendations will help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure a more inclusive experience for all customers.
The above PDPs and infographics pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above PDPs and Infographics do not pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above banners pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above banners don't pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above social media post passes content accessibility guidelines:
The above social media post does not pass the content accessibility guidelines:
The above ad passes content accessibility guidelines:
The above ad does not pass the content accessibility guidelines:
Video is one of the most engaging ways to connect with people, but without accessibility, it can also exclude.
Missing captions, unclear visuals, or absent audio descriptions can create barriers for users who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind, or watching without sound.
These guidelines help teams create video content that's clear, inclusive, and effective across social media, product pages, and in-store screens.
You'll find practical tips and examples to:
Captions make video content accessible to people who are deaf or hard of hearing. They also assist users in noisy environments, those watching without sound, individuals who process text more effectively than audio, and anyone engaging with content in a second language.
To make captions effective, follow these principles:
Closed captions are subtitles that can be turned on or off by the viewer. They transcribe spoken dialogue but also include relevant sounds and speaker identifiers.
Most popular streaming platforms offer excellent examples of how closed captions should work. This screenshot is from Netflix:
Here's how to get them right:
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
You don't need advanced software to create accessible videos. Several user-friendly tools can help you generate, edit, and export captions quickly and accurately:
Recommended tools:
Tip: Always review and edit auto-generated captions for accuracy, timing, and punctuation.
Text that appears within a video - whether it's a product label, a call-to-action, or a subtitle - must be immediately readable for everyone.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
Not all viewers can see what's happening on screen, and even those who can may miss key details if they're not supported by audio or captions.
This is especially relevant for product videos, tutorials, unboxings, and in-store screens, where meaning often depends on what is shown, rather than what is said.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
Fast cuts, rushed speech, or dense visuals can overwhelm viewers, especially those with cognitive disabilities, processing delays, or who are not fluent in the video's language.
Clear pacing gives everyone the time they need to follow the message, absorb information, and stay engaged.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
Transcripts are a written version of all spoken words, sound effects, and meaningful audio cues in a video.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
Even if your video already includes captions, providing a transcript adds another layer of accessibility, ensuring your content can be accessed in more ways by more people.
💡 The European Parliament's multimedia centre offers a great example of how to manage accessible video content at scale, with captions, transcripts, and multilingual options available for most videos:
The following examples illustrate common DO's and DON'Ts for applying video accessibility principles in real design scenarios.
Use these as a quick reference when creating content for PDPs, infographics, banners, and organic social media posts.
The accessibility guidelines for video content apply fully to both organic and paid content.
However, paid videos need to be adapted to shorter, high-impact formats.They require even greater clarity and immediacy, as they're often viewed without sound, interaction, or supporting context.
Examples
From Lucy Edwards' official Instagram account:
DO: Inclusive and accessible Instagram reel ✅
This Instagram video demonstrates several best practices for accessible video content:
Even so, there is room for improvement:
From lahbco's official Instagram account:
DON'T: Caption placement and design issues ❌
In this real example from Instagram, the video includes captions positioned at the centre of the screen, in a small white font.
Why this is problematic:
The text overlaps a product label and is displayed against a bright, high-glare background, making it nearly impossible to read.
Patagonia® Women's Boulder Fork Rain Jacket
DO's ✅
This PDP video by Patagonia is a good example of accessible visual communication:
Even so, there is room for improvement:
Digital signage or screens in-store are increasingly used to promote products, show tutorials, or share brand stories. These screens must be accessible even in noisy, crowded, or fast-paced environments, and often without sound.
Accessibility checklist:
Examples:
In this 2017 OOH campaign by Maltesers and AMV BBDO, billboards were designed entirely in braille: a bold move to highlight the lack of accessible communication in public spaces.
The campaign placed tactile posters at bus stops across London, inviting sighted people to reflect on exclusion while giving blind and partially sighted audiences direct access to the brand message:
"Different minds, better outcomes" is a neurodiversity awareness initiative led by Clear Channel UK, in partnership with the ADHD Foundation Neurodiversity Charity and major brands such as Heineken, Arla, Keep Britain Tidy, and LeoReader:
Bupa's "This is Health" campaign (2024) is highlighted as a best-in-class example of using both digital and print formats to create an accessible OOH experience.
Installed in London's Waterloo Station, the campaign combined bold, large-scale print posters with dynamic digital screens to showcase real people and personal stories:
The OOH activation combines:
Clear, inclusive language allows everyone, regardless of ability, background, or language, to read, understand, and act on our content.
These guidelines offer:
Use this toolkit to write copy that's readable, inclusive, and aligned with both legal standards and our brand values.
Plain English means choosing words and sentence structures that are clear, direct, and easy to understand, especially for people who may have cognitive disabilities, limited literacy, or read in a second language.
This involves two key strategies:
Where possible, replace specialised or business language with familiar, everyday words.
Instead of:
Metaphors, idioms, and vague expressions can be confusing or culturally specific. Say exactly what you mean.
Instead of:
Accessible content should be easy to read, easy to scan, and easy to understand - for everyone.
Readability refers to how easily a person can process written text. It depends on sentence length, word choice, structure, and formatting.
It's especially important for people with cognitive disabilities, neurodivergence, low literacy, or those reading on small screens or in a second language.
We recommend using the Hemingway Editor to check clarity.
Aim for a readability level between Grade 5 and 8, and avoid 'very hard to read' sentences.
Hemingway also highlights
These are useful flags to review, even if you don't apply every suggestion.
For example, the below image showcases a sentence with readability grade 5. The sentence also has zero 'very hard to read' sentences.
In contrast, the below image showcases a sentence with readability grade 15. The sentence has a 'very hard to read' sentence.
Writing clearly doesn't mean dumbing down.
It means being intentional with your words so that your message is accessible to everyone, regardless of their context or background.
Writing in active voice helps keep your sentences short, clear, and easy to understand.
It highlights who is doing what, which supports faster comprehension, especially for people using screen readers or anyone skimming for key information.
In active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action.
In passive voice, the subject receives the action, often making the sentence longer or vaguer.
Example of active voice:
Example of passive voice:
The benefits of active voice:
Whenever possible, write in active voice, especially in instructions, headlines, and short copy. It makes your content more dynamic, engaging, and easier to follow.
Sometimes passive voice is appropriate, for example, when:
Use it with intention, not by default.
Abbreviations and acronyms can make text harder to understand, especially for people unfamiliar with our company or new to the topic.
Always write the full version followed by the abbreviation in brackets:
Examples:
You can then use the acronym alone in the rest of the content.
Avoid using niche or internal abbreviations without explanation.
Remember that not all readers will know what "KPI", "PDP" or "ATL" means, especially customers, newcomers, or non-native speakers.
When in doubt, spell it out.
These may seem friendly, but can feel rushed or confusing, and they reduce readability for assistive technologies.
Instead of "e.g." or "i.e.", write it out:
This improves clarity for all readers and avoids mispronunciation by screen readers.
Bullet points help break up information into manageable chunks, making text easier to scan, especially on small screens or for readers with cognitive disabilities.
Bullets are also helpful for screen reader users, who are better oriented to structured content. But to be effective, bullets must be clear, concise, and used for the right purpose.
Always write the full version followed by the abbreviation in brackets:
✅ Use bullet points to:
❌ Do not use bullet points:
To keep bullet points accessible:
✅ This is a good example of bullet points:
❌ Less accessible:
Correct use of capital letters helps guide the reader and keeps your message clear.
Overusing uppercase can reduce legibility, make the text feel aggressive, or confuse those who use assistive technologies.
Writing in all caps is harder to read because:
DON'Ts ❌
DO's ✅
Capitalising the first letter of every word in a sentence slows down reading and feels unnatural.
DON'Ts ❌
DO's ✅
"We want equal futures for disabled people"
Title Case is acceptable only in:
Sentence case means that only the first word and proper nouns start with a capital letter.
Use sentence case for:
It's friendlier, more accessible, and easier to read quickly.
Visual formatting should support, not distract, from your content.
Overusing or misusing formatting can make text harder to read, especially for users with cognitive or visual impairments.
Italic text is harder to read because:
Use plain text instead.
Underlining is typically reserved for hyperlinks.
If you underline non-link text, users may assume it's clickable, which creates confusion and frustration.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
Make sure all links are:
Bold text should highlight essential information, not just decorate the page.
✅ Use bold for:
Bold text should highlight essential information, not just decorate the page.
❌ Avoid bold for:
💡 Remember: too much bold = no bold.
Writing numbers consistently and clearly makes your content easier to understand and scan, especially for people who rely on screen readers, or process information more slowly.
Consistent and accessible formatting of dates and times makes content easier to read and understand, especially for users relying on assistive technologies or reading in a second language.
Ambiguous or overly technical formats can confuse readers and disrupt screen reader flow.
Dates
Time
Symbols and punctuation should support clarity, not introduce confusion.
Some symbols are read aloud by screen readers in ways that interrupt comprehension. Others, such as slashes or ampersands, may not be interpreted correctly or may confuse users with cognitive or reading difficulties.
DON'Ts ❌
DO's ✅
Link text should be clear, descriptive, and meaningful on its own.
People using screen readers often navigate through a list of links, so it's essential that each link makes sense without surrounding context.
Avoid generic phrases like "click here" or "read more", because they give no indication of where the link leads or why it matters.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
The link should describe the destination or action, not the click.
In running text, avoid writing full URLs.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
Only include raw URLs in plain-text emails or printed materials when necessary.
Hashtags help people find and follow topics online, but if they're not written accessibly, they can become hard to read and impossible to understand for screen reader users.
The most important rule is to: Use CamelCase.
DO's ✅
DON'Ts ❌
Screen readers will try to pronounce a lowercase hashtag as one long word, which can sound distorted or meaningless.
Hashtags should support your message, not replace it.
Avoid replacing key phrases or calls to action with hashtags alone.
Example:
People with dyslexia or other reading difficulties may experience what is known as the "river effect": large uneven gaps between words that create distracting visual "rivers" running through the text.
This effect is more likely when text is fully justified, double-spaced, or tightly packed.
By applying a few design and formatting principles, we can reduce cognitive load and improve the experience for everyone.
Always align text to the left, with a ragged right edge.
Justified text creates irregular spacing between words, which can make reading more difficult, especially for dyslexic users.
These adjustments benefit all users, but especially those who experience visual stress, attention difficulties, or eye fatigue.
The following examples illustrate common DO's and DON'Ts for applying copy accessibility principles in real scenarios.
Use these as a quick reference when creating content for anything that requires copy like product descriptions, blogs, emails & push notifications.
These recommendations will help you avoid common pitfalls and ensure a more inclusive experience for all customers.
The above product description passes content accessibility guidelines:
The above product description does not pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above product description does not pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above blog passes content accessibility guidelines:
The above blog does not pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above email passes content accessibility guidelines:
The above email does not pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above push notification passes content accessibility guidelines:
The above push notification does not pass content accessibility guidelines:
The above social post passes content accessibility guidelines as the message of the social post is clear and straight forward
The above social post does not pass content accessibility guidelines:
Poorly scripted or delivered audio can exclude people who are hard of hearing, have cognitive or auditory differences, or are in noisy environments.
These guidelines help you create accessible, easy-to-follow audio, from radio ads to in-store announcements.
You'll find:
Audio scripts are meant to be heard, not read. That means the writing must be more natural, more direct, and more forgiving of distraction or repetition.
Listeners don't have the option to re-read a sentence. So language needs to be simple, the structure needs to flow clearly, and important messages need to be spaced out, not buried.
Example:
❌ "We proudly support the integration of comprehensive wellness initiatives tailored for modern, health-conscious consumers."
✅ "We help people feel good - with products and services made for real life."
In audio, every word matters. Unlike written content, listeners can't scan, reread, or skip ahead, so your script needs to get to the point, fast. That doesn't mean sacrificing tone or style, but it does mean prioritising clarity and flow.
Best practices:
Example:
❌ "Today we'd like to share some exciting updates regarding our ongoing efforts to enhance the skincare experience for customers around the world."
✅ "We've just launched new skincare products, made to work for all skin types, and all routines."
How your message is delivered is just as important as what it says.
Clear articulation, a consistent speaking speed, and natural rhythm help ensure your content is understood by everyone, including listeners with auditory processing difficulties or who speak English as a second language.
Best practices:
Transcripts and captions make audio content accessible to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who process text better than sound. But they also help many others: users in noisy environments, people learning English, or anyone who prefers to read along.
A transcript is a written version of your audio content. It should include:
Make transcripts easy to find: link them near the audio or provide as downloadable text.
If your audio is paired with video, always include captions.
Follow the same guidance as in the "Always include captions" section of the Video Accessibility Guidelines:
Clear audio is essential for accessibility. Even the best-written script loses its impact if the sound is distorted, muffled, or overwhelmed by background noise. Poor audio can make content frustrating or even unusable, especially for listeners with hearing loss or auditory sensitivity.
Best practices:
The following examples illustrate how to apply audio accessibility principles in real scenarios.
Grammarly launched an audio campaign on Spotify to promote its advanced tone suggestions feature. You can listen to the ad here.
Accessibility best practices ✅
In 2023, Coles (Australia) introduced a regular quiet hour in-store - typically from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm, Monday to Friday - to support one in 70 Australians who are on the autism spectrum.
Accessibility best practices:
Why it works ✅
What could be improved ⚠️
