Email is one of the primary ways we communicate with students, faculty, staff, alumni and other audiences. Making emails accessible helps ensure everyone can read, understand and interact with your content, including people who use assistive technologies or have visual, cognitive, hearing or mobility-related disabilities.
Accessibility is not just about compliance. Accessible emails are easier for all recipients to read, navigate and engage with.
What Is Email Accessibility?
Email accessibility is the practice of designing and writing emails so that all recipients can access and understand the information being shared.
This includes people who:
- Use screen readers or other assistive technologies
- Have low vision or color blindness
- Have cognitive or learning disabilities
- Navigate using a keyboard instead of a mouse
- Experience temporary or situational impairments
Accessible emails provide a better experience for everyone and help ensure important information reaches the intended audience.
Understanding WCAG and the POUR Principles
Many email accessibility best practices are based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), an internationally recognized set of standards for digital accessibility.
WCAG is organized around four core principles, often referred to as POUR:
Perceivable
Users must be able to access the content through one or more of their senses.
Examples include:
- Providing alt text for meaningful images
- Using sufficient color contrast
- Avoiding image-only communications
Operable
Users must be able to interact with the content and navigate it successfully.
Examples include:
- Using clear buttons and links that are easy to activate
- Ensuring calls to action are easy to identify
Understandable
Content should be clear, readable and easy to follow.
Examples include:
- Using plain language
- Organizing content logically
- Writing descriptive link text
Robust
Content should work reliably across devices, email clients and assistive technologies.
Examples include:
- Using semantic headings
- Following accessible email design practices
- Ensuring compatibility with screen readers
Why Email Accessibility Matters
Accessible emails help:
- Reach a broader audience
- Remove barriers to information
- Improve readability and usability
- Support users of assistive technology
- Improve the overall user experience
Many accessibility improvements also align with general communication best practices. Clear organization, readable typography and descriptive links benefit all readers, not just those with disabilities.
How to Avoid Common Email Accessibility Issues
Do Not Include Important Information in Images
One of the most common accessibility issues is placing critical information inside an image, flyer or graphic.
Examples include:
- Event details embedded in a poster image
- Registration instructions contained only in a graphic
- Image-only emails
Screen readers cannot reliably access text embedded within images.
Best Practice
Use live text for:
- Dates and deadlines
- Registration information
- Calls to action
- Key messages
Images should support the content, not contain the only version of important information.
If every image failed to load, would the email still make sense?
Add Meaningful Alt Text
Alternative text (alt text) describes the purpose or content of an image for people using screen readers and other assistive technologies.
Good alt text:
- Describes meaningful images
- Communicates the purpose of the image
- Is concise and relevant
- Provides context when needed
Example
Poor alt text
Image
Better alt text
Massive oak tree on Tulane's uptown campus with mossy branches shades a person on a green bench.
Use Readable Fonts and Formatting
Accessible emails are easy to scan and read.
Recommended Practices
- Use Tulane's recommended fonts in Emma (Georgia and Verdana), which are widely supported and easy to read across email clients.
- Keep body text at least 16px when possible.
- Use adequate line spacing.
- Break up long content into shorter paragraphs.
- Use bulleted lists when appropriate.
- Write in plain language.
Avoid
- Tiny font sizes
- Dense blocks of text
- Excessive jargon
- Overly complex sentence structures
Use Proper Headings
Headings help organize content and make emails easier to navigate.
Screen reader users often navigate content by heading structure, making headings an important accessibility feature.
Recommended Structure
- Heading 1 (main title)
- Heading 2 (major sections)
- Heading 3 (subsections)
Avoid
- Making text larger, bold or a different color without using actual heading styles.
- Do not skip heading levels (for example, jumping from Heading 1 to Heading 3).
Headings provide both visual organization and meaningful structure.
Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
Text must stand out from its background to remain readable.
Low-contrast combinations can make content difficult or impossible to read for people with low vision or color blindness.
Best Practices
- Use high contrast between text and background colors.
- Aim for a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text.
- Test your designs before sending.
- Verify colors in both light mode and dark mode. Some email clients automatically adjust colors in dark mode, so review your email in both display modes before sending whenever possible.
The WebAIM Color Contrast Checker is a useful tool for verifying you have sufficient contrast.
Don't Rely on Color Alone
Avoid using color as the only method of communicating information.
Instead of using only red text to indicate an error or green text to indicate success, pair the color with labels, icons or descriptive text.
Use Descriptive Link Text
Link text should clearly communicate where a link goes or what action it performs.
Avoid
- Click here
- Learn more
- Read more
- More information
Use
- View the Academic Calendar
- Register for the Leadership Workshop
- Submit Your Application
- View the Commencement Schedule
Descriptive links help all users, especially those who navigate emails using screen readers. Descriptive links also help recipients quickly scan an email to understand what actions are available.
Write in Plain Language
Plain language improves accessibility and makes content easier for everyone to understand.
Consider:
- Using shorter sentences
- Avoiding unnecessary jargon
- Defining acronyms when appropriate
- Avoid unnecessary abbreviations
- Using active voice
- Organizing information clearly
Readers should be able to quickly understand the purpose of the email and identify any actions they need to take.
Additional Email Accessibility Resources
- WebAIM Color Contrast Checker
- W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
- Accessible.org Email Accessibility Guide
Need Assistance?
If you have questions about email accessibility, email design, Emma or other email communication best practices, submit a request through the UCM Support Request Form.