Email Accessibility Requirements

Use Descriptive Subject Lines

Subject lines should be brief but descriptive, and give subscribers an accurate idea of what's in your email. 

Use Color Contrast

To ensure legibility, especially for subscribers who may have color blindness, text should have high-contrast from its background and hyperlinked text should have contrast from non-hyperlinked text. A free color contrast tool can be found on the WebAIM website at webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker.

Keep Fonts Legible

Remember to pay attention to both the font size and the font weight. There is not a definitive rule, but the recommended font size is a minimum of 11px.

Avoid Center Aligned Paragraphs

Center aligned text can be aesthetically pleasing, however it can pose problems for subscribers with dyslexia. If you are going to use centered text, use it sparingly and on short bodies of text; keep large bodies of text left-aligned.

Use Images Wisely

Don't "Hide" or "Trap" Text in Images

Subscribers who use a screen reader, or have images blocked in their email client, aren't going to see information in images or infographics. Make sure the most critical content in your message is presented in text, and use images to complement that text.

Balance the Use of Text and Images

Images can help sighted subscribers scan an email and find the content relevant to them, however subscribers using a screen reader will have to listen to both the text and images descriptions. Make sure that images are relevant and supplement the email content and aren't used only for visual aesthetics.

Use Proper Alt Text for Images

Alt text, or alternative text, is a brief description of an image that's displayed when a subscriber can't view your images. Alt text should be short but descriptive, and highlight the relevance of the image to your message.

Be Mindful of Movement in Animated GIFs and Videos

Content that flashes at certain rates or in patterns, such as animated GIFs, can cause photo-sensitive seizures in some individuals. Avoid flashing content or including links to videos that may have similar content.

Check the Accessibility of Linked Documents and Media 

If you include links to videos in your campaigns, offer a transcript for subscribers with hearing impairments in your campaign or on the page hosting your video.

If you include links to PDFs, ensure the linked documents meet accessibility standards.

Use Meaningful Text for Hyperlinks

When you provide a hyperlink, the text used for the hyperlink should be descriptive. Avoid creating links that say, "Click Here," instead say something like "Click here to view the complete schedule."

Plain-Text Version of Emails

Plain-text emails are simplified versions of an email. A plain-text email does not contain any design elements, images, embedded links or HTML formatting.

It is important to carefully review the logical flow of a plain-text email to ensure that line breaks are used appropriately and that there is no text that refers to elements that may appear in the designed version of the email.

Any hyperlinks provided in a designed email would need to have the URLs revealed in a plain-text email.

For example, if the designed email provides this link:

View a complete list of all LSUE Programs

The plain text version would need to provide this link:

View a complete list of all LSUE Programs [http://www.lsue.edu/academics/index.php]

 

Contact Us

If you have questions or require assistance running an accessibility check on your email communications, please contact OIT.