Analyzing the efficacy of accessibility features in user-generated content platforms for visually impaired persons

Traditionally, the internet has been viewed as a societal equalizer. With the advent of online businesses and technologies that have advanced education, commerce, entertainment, and most things in between, the impact of the internet as we know it has empowered users across the world to achieve beyond measure using the power of the world wide web. Yet, for visually impaired users, the ever-widening scope of content within information channels leaves key information inaccessible, excluding these users from important conversations and interactions online. This study sought to address accessibility for the visually impaired through the lens of user-generated content: a largely overlooked sphere of online content regarding accessibility. It examined four major user-generated content platforms — Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok — explaining their strengths and weaknesses in providing accessible user experiences for the visually impaired. This study framed the issue of web accessibility in user-generated content platforms through research of online accessibility standards and best practices and explained how interviews with visually impaired users informed a cohesive accessibility analysis and recommendation guide for the four chosen user-generated content platforms.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?