Many people use Discord with a screen reader, magnification or high-contrast settings, and many more read on small phone screens or in a hurry. Decorative text and images make servers fun, but when the only copy of important information is decorative, some members simply miss it. The good news is that a few habits keep messages both stylish and readable.

Screen readers read emoji by their names. A banner like 🇭 🇪 🇱 🇱 🇴 may be read as "regional indicator H, regional indicator E" and so on, which is slow and confusing. Use emoji-letter banners for one or two words at most, and repeat the important words in normal text right after: a HELLO banner followed by "Welcome to the server!".

Styled Unicode letters like 𝐛𝐨𝐥𝐝 or 𝓼𝓬𝓻𝓲𝓹𝓽 are separate characters, not formatted letters. Some screen readers read them as mathematical symbols, some skip them, and Discord search doesn't match them with normal letters. For messages, use Discord's own Markdown bold and italic instead, which screen readers handle well. Save fancy fonts for decoration in names and channel headers.

Discord lets you add a description, also called alt text, to images before sending them: click the pencil on the attachment preview and fill in the description. Screen readers read it aloud. Describe what matters in a sentence, such as "Poster for Friday's game night, 8 pm, with the server mascot holding a controller". If an image contains text, like a GIF that says GG or a schedule, include that text in the description or in the message itself.

Spoiler tags (||like this||) hide text until someone clicks it, and attachments can be marked as spoilers too. Use them for plot details, and also for content warnings, for example "CW flashing lights ||image||". Put the warning outside the spoiler so people can decide before revealing it.

Colored text through ANSI code blocks shows on desktop and the web, but not in Discord's mobile apps, and colorblind readers may not tell red from green. Never let color carry the meaning alone: write "Warning:" in red, not just a red line. The same applies to emoji: ✅ and ❌ are clearer than green and red circles.

Long announcements are easier for everyone when they have structure. Start with a header, keep paragraphs short and use lists for details. Screen reader users can jump between headers, and everyone else can scan. Avoid walls of emoji between sections; a simple divider line or a header does the same job with less noise.

Before posting an announcement, run through five questions. Is the important information in plain text, not only in a banner or image? Do images have a description? Are spoilers and content warnings in place where needed? Does the message make sense without color? Is it structured with a header and short paragraphs? If the answer to all five is yes, the message works for nearly everyone, on any device.

Animated content can be hard for people with motion sensitivity, and flashing images can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy. Avoid fast flashing or strobing GIFs, and put any that flash behind a spoiler with a warning. Calm animations, like a gentle wave or a slow color change, are far easier on everyone. Discord also lets people turn off automatic GIF and emoji animation in its accessibility settings, which is another reason not to put important information only in an animation.

Short sentences and common words help everyone: people reading in a second language, people with dyslexia, and anyone reading quickly on a phone. Spell out abbreviations the first time you use them in an announcement, avoid inside jokes in rules, and put the most important information first. Clear writing is the most effective accessibility habit of all.