Best practices for accessible email
Accessible email means your content is available to all users with limited barriers, regardless of the method or technology they use to access it. The good news is following these guidelines will make your content easier to read and understand.
Using the Accessibility Assistant
Quick tips
Microsoft
Let others know you prefer accessible email
Using plain language
Best practices
Best practices
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Acronyms
The first time an acronym is used, all words should be written out, followed by the acronym in parentheses. Subsequent instances can use only the acronym.
For example:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. The ADA was created to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Related to: WCAG SC 3.1.4 Abbreviations
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Understandable content and language
Verify clear content and language and terms are explained or linked to definitions or additional information.
Best Practices
- Compose content at a 7th or 8th grade level, using clear language and short sentences.
- If the email is long, consider a summary at the top, above the details
- Use bulleted or numbered lists for key points, questions, etc.
Easy to read text format
Best practices
Best practices
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Bold, italic, and underlined text
Bold and italic formats can be helpful to emphasize or highlight terms or text. Unfortunately over-use of these formats can detract from the meaning and even significantly slow reading speed up to 70 percent.
Important: Screen readers do not indicate bold or Italic text.
Best practices:
- Bold is the preferred method of emphasis
- Italic can be used for very short sections
- Underlined text should be only be used for links, such as linking to UTMB's digital accessibility page
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Text alignment
Text alignment can affect reading speed and comprehension
- Centered text can be helpful or visually pleasing and a way to organize a page. Unfortunately, long sections of centered text significantly slow reading speed.
- Block or justified text was originally used in newspapers to make the columns visually appealing. This is achieved by randomly adding spaces between words to that the last character of a word ends each column. Because the spacing is different for each sentence this significantly slows reading speed and can cause delayed comprehension
Best practices:
- Center short sections of text, primarily use for headings and new sections
- Avoid block or justified text
Links are descriptive
Best practices
Best practices
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Acronyms
The first time an acronym is used, all words should be written out, followed by the acronym in parentheses. Subsequent instances can use only the acronym.
For example:
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed in 1990. The ADA was created to protect the civil rights of people with disabilities.
Related to: WCAG SC 3.1.4 Abbreviations
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Understandable content and language
Verify clear content and language and terms are explained or linked to definitions or additional information.
Best Practices
- Compose content at a 7th or 8th grade level, using clear language and short sentences.
- If the email is long, consider a summary at the top, above the details
- Use bulleted or numbered lists for key points, questions, etc.
Images have alternate text
Best practices
Best practices
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All images have alternative text
Images should have alternate text added.
Writing a good image description
Describe the image like you would to a person who wasn't in the room with you, so they know what is happening int he image.
The image description should be less than 140 characters. If the image is complex or needs more of a description, add a caption to the image.
Infographic for a meeting
Graphic containing title and presenter details, with icons indicating sign language interpretation and CC will be provided
Basic verification
Run the application's accessibility checker. If the application doesn't have an accessibility checker (or wizard, etc.) Manually verify that each image has a description.
Run the Microsoft Accessibility checker
Verify all images have alternative (alt) text and don't contain text (best) or contain the identical as in the alt text.
Add alt text to an images in:
Clear contrast between colors
Best practices
Best practices
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Meaning isn't indicated by color alone
Color can't be the only way to indicate the meaning of an item.
Example 1
Hyperlinks (links) that are only indicated by a change in text color
Solutions:
- Hyperlinks should be underlined
- Use a pattern in the color (such as stripes, or dots) so the meaning can be identified by texture
Example 2
Using green to indicate good, yellow to indicate warning, and red to indicate an error. A person with colorblindness or low vision will need additional formatting to distinguish between them.
Solutions:
- Use a label for each area in addition to the color
- Use a pattern in the color (such as stripes, or dots) so the meaning can be identified by texture
- Hyperlinks should be underlined
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Text color
Changing text from black to another color can be helpful to emphasize or highlight terms or text. However, a significant percent of the population is colorblind and could miss the intended meaning. For that reason color cannot be the only method of indicating meaning.
Best practices:
- Bold is the preferred method of emphasis
- A color can be added for additional styling
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Color contrast
Changing text from black to another color can be helpful to emphasize or highlight terms or text. However, a significant percent of the population is colorblind and could miss the intended meaning. For that reason color cannot be the only method of indicating meaning.
Best practices:
- Bold is the preferred method of emphasis
- A color can be added for additional styling