How can I make my emails accessible?
All emails - even emails that remain internal at Extension - are required to follow the same accessibility standards that are needed for public facing content. With that being said, making emails accessible doesn't have to be hard. By following accessibility guidelines required for other forms of content, you can make your emails accessible, too.
Email Attachments
All email attachments, regardless if they leave Extension or not, must also be accessible! This includes links Word documents, PowerPoints, PDF's, and Excel Workbooks.
Email Accessibility Best Practices
Use a logical reading order: Make the content of your email read from left to right, and top to bottom. This helps users better understand your content.
Use easy-to-read fonts. Make sure your font size is at least 16 pts for the body text! Avoid using script-style fonts and condensed fonts.
Use good color contrast: When changing the font color or adding graphics to your email, it is important to make sure the font color contrasts well with the background. Using black text on a white background is always a safe bet, though it by no means is the only accessible color combination available.
Use alt text with all images: Including alt text to your images is a really quick and a easy way to increase the accessibility of your email.
Use meaningful link text: When possible, you should replace all hyperlinks with descriptive link text. For example, when you link to an article, the link should be the name of the article and not the website address or a vague term like “click here” or “read more.”
Designate headings: Most platforms allow you to use a style to identify a headings, which provides vital navigation for screen reader users with no usable vision.
Constant Contact does not currently have a way to add multiple levels of headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.), you can still enlarge or bold text to create good visual headings. This makes it easier for sighted users to scan the content and find what’s most relevant to them.
Keep emails concise and use formatting to break up text: Get straight to the point and avoid using complicated layout and metaphors. Long chunks of text can be overwhelming and hard to read.
Are you a Constant Contact user? Download the help guide for details on each step!
Download Constant Contact Help Guide
Additional Resources
Make your Outlook Email Accessible - Microsoft
Still need help?
Let us know! We are happy to help make your emails more accessible.
Please contact accessibility@uada.edu
