Other Digital Content
It is important to make sure all digital content—including emails—is accessible to people with disabilities. This means emails need to be easy to see, use, and understand, with features like clear layout, good color contrast, and text descriptions for images.
How to make our Emails Accessible to Everyone
Write Clear Subject Lines
Your subject line should tell the reader exactly what the email is about before they even open it.
- Do: "Action Required: Fall Registration Deadline is Friday"
- Don't: "Important Update"
Use Built-In Headings
When you want to create a new section in your email, do not just make the text larger and bold. Screen readers cannot tell that big, bold text is a section title.
- Use the actual "Heading" buttons (Heading 1, Heading 2) built into Outlook or your email platform.
- Keep them in order. Don't jump from a Heading 1 straight to a Heading 3.
Describe Your Images (Alt Text)
If you add a picture to your email, you need to add a short text description behind the scenes. This is called Alternative Text, or "Alt Text." It tells people who cannot see the image what it shows.
- Keep the description brief but accurate.
- If your image has text on it (like a digital flyer), you must type all of that text into the image description.
- Best practice: Try to avoid emailing pictures of flyers. It is much more accessible to just type the event details directly into the email.
Make Your Links Make Sense
Avoid using vague phrases like "Click Here," "Read More," or "Learn More." People using screen readers often pull up a list of all the links in an email to navigate quickly. If every link just says "Click Here," they won't know where any of them go.
- Do: "Review the midterm schedule."
- Don't: "Click here to view the schedule."
Use High Contrast Colors
Your text needs to stand out clearly from the background so it is easy to read.
- Stick to dark text on a light background.
- Avoid using light gray text, or light colors on white backgrounds. If you have to squint to read it, the contrast is too low.
Don't Rely Only on Color
If you use color to highlight something important, you need to add another clue for people who are colorblind. For example, if you make a deadline red, also make it bold or add the word "Urgent:" in front of it.
How to Check Your Work Before Sending
Before you send a message to a large group, take a few seconds to double-check your work:
- Run the Accessibility Checker: Programs like Microsoft Outlook have an "Accessibility Checker" button (usually found under the "Review" or "Message" tab at the top). Click it, and it will flag things you missed, like missing image descriptions.
- Check it on your phone: Read your email on a mobile device to make sure the text isn't too small and the layout isn't broken.
Additional Resources