5 tips to make your emails accessible for people with visual impairments

5 simple steps to make your emails more accessible

1. Structure and use of headings

Structuring your content in a clear and visible way is one of the simplest steps you can take to improve accessibility. Using headings to organise your content can be hugely helpful to those with low vision and those using screen readers.

Mark-up your headings correctly, using H1 as the primary heading, H2 for secondary headings, and H3 for tertiary headings. Using a consistent and logical layout, and balancing images and text equally to break up sections is also recommended.

2. Consider your font size, style, and spacing

Setting up a default font size, typeface and line spacing to be used across your email communications can ensure accessibility as well as consistency. We recommend:

• a minimum font size of 14
• an accessible typeface such as Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Tahoma, or Verdan
• 1.5 line spacing

3. Up the colour contrast

If you’re designing emails on a platform such as Mailchimp or DotDigital, use a colour contrast checker to ensure there is sufficient contrast between your text and your background for readability. Colour contrast checkers like WebAIM: Contrast Checker can help ensure that you are meeting the adequate levels for accessibility, and can make adjustments as required.

Make sure to send test emails to check how your email displays on different servers - for example, the same email in Microsoft Outlook can display differently in Gmail - and switch your settings between light and dark mode to make sure that colour contrasts work in different display settings.

4. Always add alt text

It is important to add meaningful and descriptive alternative text to images, icons, graphics, and any other non-text content within your email. Alt text should explain what the image is showing and be descriptive but brief. Avoid using non-text content that displays information that is important for the reader to see, such as graphs, unless this information is detailed within the alt text of the image.

5. Use meaningful link text

Link text should be meaningful and indicate to readers exactly where a specific link will take them without them having to have read the surrounding content.

Instead of ‘find out more’ and ‘click here’, use descriptive text such as, ‘Read our article on the connection between sleep and sight loss here’ or ‘Find out more about our fundraising opportunities here’.

Further recommendations

The W3C Accessibility Initiative is a great resource for organisations looking to improve their inclusivity and reach a higher standard of accessibility – their page here is especially helpful in exploring how different people use digital technology so you can understand your audiences needs even better.