The Red Button Meme Format: A Screen Reader-Friendly Twist

The popular 'Red Button' meme has taken the internet by storm, with its relatable and humorous take on art school struggles. However, for those who use screen readers to navigate social media, this meme may not be as accessible as it seems.

For individuals who don't rely on screen readers, the Red Button meme might appear fine. But for those who do, the format can sound like gibberish or nonsense. This is because Twitter's formatting doesn't always translate well to screen reader technology. Screen readers read text from left to right, which means that the words are relayed in the order they were written.

Take the classic Red Button meme: 'Post-World War I me in fourth writers & artists grade (handshake) thinking all your problems would go away if you lived in Paris.' When a screen reader reads this out loud, it sounds like a 100-year-old Twitter user discussing art school in a way that's both confusing and amusing. At best, it might sound like someone reminiscing about their time at art school; at worst, it's just word soup.

To make the Red Button meme more accessible to screen reader users, consider formatting it differently. For example:

Thinking all of your problems would go away if you lived in Paris

'Post-World War I writers & artists (handshake) me in fourth grade

By rearranging the text and using clear headings, we can make this meme more understandable for everyone – regardless of whether they use a screen reader or not.

Red button meme format