Creating Accessible Email
- Christian Jones
- Pamela Thomas
Checklist for ensuring that your email is accessible
- Your message has a meaningful subject line
- All images have alternative text
- If color is used a minimum 4.5:1 color contrast ratio between text and background, or a minimum of 3:1 contrast ratio for heading text is maintained
- Images are not used in place of text, the only exception being logo text
- All hyperlinks are descriptive (no “click here” or repeated links "more"). Ideally, the hyperlink should be the name of the page or resource you are linking to.
- Hyperlinks to non-web resources include the resource type as part of the link, for example (PDF) or (YouTube).
- Longer emails use properly nested headings for structure and navigation
- Tables are not used for page layout or, if they must be used, they include role="presentation" to indicate that it is a layout table not a data table
About email attachments
Email attachments, while sometimes necessary, should be considered carefully. Even the most carefully designed PDF will often pose an accessibility issue for users of assistive technology. PDF is rarely the best format for distributing information electronically. Consider including the email text information rather than asking the user to download a PDF or consider linking to a web page. Using email and not a PDF will make your email more accessible. Furthermore, the recipient's email service provider is less likely to be identified as spam, less likely to be perceived as a possible security risk, and is more likely to be read by the intended recipient.
If you must include an attachment, be sure to give it a meaningful filename, communicate in the body of the email exactly what the attachment is and the type of information it contains.
For More Information
For more information about creating accessible emails, see Make Your Outlook Email Accessible to People with Disabilities