Creating Accessible Emails

What and Why?

Email is a vital communication tool for Rutgers employees and students to transmit university communications. To ensure everyone has access to information contained within and attached to email messages, we must ensure the emails meet document accessibility standards similar to those for Word and other authoring tools. 

How to Create Accessible Email Messages and Attachments?

Below are easy steps to create accessible email messages so all individuals, including those with disabilities, can easily read, understand, and interact with the content.

Top Best Practices for Accessible Email Messages

​Text and Fonts​

  • Use sans-serif fonts (e.g., Arial, Helvetica, Calibri) for better readability. ​
  • Avoid decorative fonts that are hard to read.​
  • Use font sizes that are large enough for easy reading.​
  • Use live (selectable) text rather than text within images.​
  • Use left aligned text.

Using Bulleted or Numbered Styles (Lists) 

  • Makes it easier to read and skim a document.
  • Ensures consistent understanding across platforms.
  • Helps screen reader users understand the content structure and organization.

Meaningful Hyperlinks

  • Hyperlinks are a great way to connect your audience with additional resources and tools. 
  • Inserting a full URL into your content can be challenging for screen reader users
  • Full URL's are also very unsightly to non-screener users.
  • Provides a better user experience for those with and without disabilities. 

Alternative Text for Images

  • Allows people who are blind or have low vision to understand the content of images and other visual objects.
  • Screen readers (e.g., JAWS or Voice Over) reads the alt text aloud, which helps users understand the image's context. 
  • Helps users who may not understand the meaning of the visual content using words instead of images. 
  • Allows people with slow internet connections to access the content of the image in words when the image may not be visible. 
  • Content that needs alt text includes: Pictures, Clip Art, Charts, Tables, Graphics.

Accessible Tables

  • Use tables only to display structured data, not for visual layout or formatting.
  • Include column and/or row headers to help users understand the table's structure.
  • Ensure tables have a logical reading order and avoid merged or empty cells.
  • Keep tables simple—avoid nested tables or complex formatting.

Color and Color Contrast

  • Assists people with color blindness who cannot distinguish certain colors from others.
  • Assists people with low vision who may have limited or no color perception or need to magnify a screen or invert the colors to read.
  • Assists people who have low contrast sensitivity due to age or other medical conditions.
  • Assists everyone because high contrast makes content easier to read.

Forms

If using a fillable form, ensure it meets form accessibility standards.

Guidelines to follow when creating emails with accessibility in mind. 

Use Styles

Most email programs offer users the ability to format messages using styles and tools like those found in document authoring tools. For example, Microsoft Outlook offers an HTML format like Word.​

Clearly State Purpose

  • The subject and body of email messages should clearly and concisely state the purpose of the message.
  • The author should use plain language appropriate for the intended audience.

Use the Accessibility Checker

Microsoft Office authoring tools, including Outlook, have a built-in Accessibility Checker under the “Review” tab in the navigation ribbon. Enable this tool at the outset of creating your email and frequently check for and resolve errors.

The Accessibility Checker helps create accessible emails by identifying potential issues for people with disabilities in reading content or using the document. Regardless of the recipient, all failures must be remediated before sending the email. If you generate a great deal of email, you may want to add the “Check Accessibility” button to the main authoring ribbon or quick tools section.

Simplify your signature block

  • If you use an image in signature, use alt text to convey the meaning or make it decorative.
  • Avoid cursive or fancy fonts
  • Avoid slogans or personal extraneous messages.

Attachments

  • Verify that document attachments are accessible.
  • Attachments should use a unique and descriptive file name.
  • Include in the body of the email the information contained in the attachment if an accessible document is not possible.
Resource Category
Creating Accessible Documents