Accessibility in PR and Communications: It’s Time to Walk the Talk

For years, accessibility has been a buzzword in PR and communications. Agencies, brands, and industry leaders have all made commitments to be more inclusive. Statements are issued, diversity and accessibility are woven into mission statements, and companies declare their commitment to reaching all audiences. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: saying you prioritize accessibility is not the same as actually being accessible.

The reality is that too many PR and communications professionals talk about accessibility while continuing to use tactics, tools, and platforms that exclude people with disabilities. It’s time for the industry to stop treating accessibility as an afterthought and start making it a core part of communication strategies.

Why accessibility matters more than ever

Accessibility isn’t just a legal requirement—it’s a professional responsibility. Roughly 16 per cent of the global population has some form of disability. That means if your communications aren’t accessible, you’re excluding millions of people from engaging with your content, campaigns, and messages.

Beyond the numbers, accessibility is about equity. It’s about ensuring that every audience member, regardless of ability, has the same opportunity to engage with and understand the information you’re putting out into the world. It’s not enough to assume that accessibility is someone else’s job. If you’re in PR or communications, accessibility is your job.

The accessibility gaps in PR and communications

Social media content that excludes millions

Social media is one of the most powerful tools in a communicator’s arsenal, yet many professionals continue to post inaccessible content. Some common accessibility failures include:

• No alt text for images: Without alt text, people who use screen readers have no way of knowing what an image contains.
• Inaccessible hashtags: Using all lowercase letters (#thisisnotaccessible) instead of CamelCase (#ThisIsAccessible) makes hashtags unreadable for screen readers.
• Auto-generated captions instead of proper transcripts: While AI-generated captions are improving, they are still riddled with errors. Relying on them without reviewing or editing means audiences are receiving incomplete or incorrect information.
• Overuse of emojis: A row of 15 emojis might look fun to some, but screen readers read each emoji description aloud, making posts exhausting and confusing for people with sight loss.

Websites that aren’t built for everyone

In 2025, there is no excuse for a website that isn’t accessible. Yet, many PR agencies and organizations still have:

• Poor contrast ratios make text unreadable.
• Missing keyboard navigation for people who don’t use a mouse.
• No screen reader compatibility due to unlabeled buttons and images.
• PDFs that are not tagged for accessibility, making them unreadable by assistive technologies.

A company’s website is its digital front door. If that door is locked to millions of people, what message does that send?

Press releases and media kits that overlook inclusion

PR professionals often distribute press releases, media kits, and reports as PDFs. However, most PDFs are not formatted for accessibility, meaning screen readers can’t read them. In addition, materials that rely solely on text-heavy formats without a clear structure or alternative formats create barriers for neurodivergent audiences or those with cognitive disabilities.

Accessible press materials should include:

• Well-structured, tagged PDFs or alternative formats such as HTML or Word documents.
• Audio versions of key press releases.
• Simplified, plain language versions of complex information.

Events that aren’t truly inclusive

Hybrid and in-person events continue to miss the mark on accessibility. Common issues include:

• No captions or sign language interpreters for video content or live speakers.
• No accessible seating arrangements for wheelchair users.
• Overloaded presentation slides that are difficult for neurodivergent attendees to process.
• Failure to provide event materials in multiple formats, such as braille, large print, or digital copies for screen readers.

Making PR and communications genuinely accessible

Let’s be real – fixing these issues isn’t optional, it’s necessary. Here’s how PR and communications professionals can start making a real impact:

Educate Yourself and Your Team

Commit to learning more about digital accessibility, disability inclusion, and best practices. Organizations like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and groups like Accessible Social offer valuable resources for communicators who want to improve.

Build accessibility into every step of the process

Instead of treating accessibility as an add-on, integrate it into your workflow from the start. This means:

• Writing accessibility into social media style guides.
• Making accessibility testing part of your website and content audits.
• Ensuring accessible design principles are used for press materials and media kits.
• Setting up an accessibility checklist for event planning.

Invest in the right tools

There are plenty of free and paid tools available to help make content more accessible:

• Alt text checkers like BlueSky’s Alt Text Reminder.
• Colour contrast analyzers to test readability.
• Closed captioning tools like Descript or Otter.ai.
• Screen reader testing with NVDA or VoiceOver to ensure digital materials work as intended.

Listen to the disability community

The best way to ensure accessible communications is to engage directly with people with disabilities. Hire accessibility consultants, conduct focus groups, and collaborate with disability advocates who can provide firsthand insight into what works and what doesn’t.

Hold yourself accountable

Don’t just make a statement about accessibility – demonstrate it in everything you do. Track progress, set measurable accessibility goals, and be transparent about where you’re improving and where you still need to do better.

Accessibility is good PR

At their core, PR and communications are about connection; about reaching people, telling stories, and fostering engagement. If we exclude millions of people from that experience, we’re not doing our jobs properly.

True accessibility isn’t about compliance or checking a box; it’s about equity, respect, and the understanding that everyone deserves access to information. If PR and communications professionals want to be leaders in the industry, they must do more than talk about accessibility; they must start living it.

The time to act is now. Are you ready to make your communications truly inclusive?