Accessible email helps everyone receive and understand your message, including people who use screen readers, enlarge text, read on mobile devices, or experience low vision, eye fatigue, or limited bandwidth.

Start with the essentials

• Write a clear, specific subject line.
• Put the main message, requested action, and deadline near the beginning.
• Use short paragraphs and plain language.
• Include important information as text in the email - not only in an image or attachment.

Photos, Images and flyers

Do not send an email that consists only of an image of text, such as a flyer, poster, or brochure. 

Why? We don't all access email in the same way. Many in our community listen to emails rather than read them, some do not have sight, some forgot their glasses, some can't see the text in images because the text is distorted or there is low contrast, some are accessing email on mobile devices and have low bandwidth, some are avoiding screens because of injury or eye fatigue, etc.

 Text in an image also cannot be resized, searched, copied, or read reliably by assistive technology.

If you include a flyer or poster:

• Add all essential information to the body of the email, including the event name, date, time, location, registration details, and contact information.
• Attach or embed the flyer only as a supplement. The flyer does not replace the email text.
• Add alternative text, or alt text, to the image. If the same information appears in the email, brief alt text such as "Event poster; details are included in the message" is usually enough.

Before adding any image, ask whether it supports the message. If it does, describe its relevant content or purpose - not every visual detail.

How to add alt text in Gmail

• Insert the image into your message.
• Select the image.
• Select Edit alt text.
• Enter a brief description of the image's meaning or purpose.

Decorative images in Gmail

A decorative image adds visual interest but does not provide information or help readers understand the message. Examples include ornamental dividers, background patterns, and images that simply repeat information already provided in the email.

Important: Gmail does not currently provide a documented "Mark as decorative" option for inline images.

• Remove purely decorative images when possible. This is the simplest and most accessible choice.
• If the image must remain, add very brief alt text that creates as little interruption as possible - for example, "Decorative divider."
• If a flyer or poster repeats information provided in the email, use alt text such as "Event poster; details are included in the message."
• Do not type alt="" or quotation marks into Gmail's alt-text field. These are used in HTML and some other email tools; they do not mark an image as decorative in Gmail.

If you create an email in another tool that provides a “Mark as decorative option”, use that setting for images that add no information. This tells screen readers to skip the image.

Help getting started with alt-text

Not sure where to begin writing alt-text?  Try our Alt-Text Gem.

See an example of an email that includes both a poster and the essential information as text.

Fonts and emphasis

• In Gmail, use Normal or Large text. Avoid the Small setting.
• Choose a familiar, easy-to-read font, such as Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana.
• Avoid long passages in italics, bold, or all capital letters.
• Use bold sparingly to emphasize a short phrase.
• Do not use color alone to show meaning or importance. Add a label such as Important: or Note:.
• Reserve underlining for links. Underlined text is commonly understood to be clickable.

Spacing and alignment

• Keep paragraphs short and add space between them.
• Use comfortable line spacing when your email editor provides that option.
• Left-align body text. Centered or fully justified paragraphs can be difficult to follow.
• Avoid large blocks of dense text.

Color and contrast

• Use dark text on a light, plain background when possible.
• Make sure text has strong contrast with its background. Yellow and other light colors are usually difficult to read on white.
• Do not use color alone to communicate meaning. For example, add the word "Required" instead of identifying a required item only in red.
• Remember that people perceive color differently. A contrast checker is more reliable than judging contrast by sight.
• Some examples of acceptable and unacceptable contrast:
  • These are acceptable color combinations
  • These are not. [The color contrast of these examples are purposely low and difficult to read.]

For Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA, text should have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. Large text should have a ratio of at least 3:1. Whenever possible, strive for WCAG Level AAA which asks for a contrast ratio of 7:1 for normal text, and 4.5:1 for large text.

Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker to check foreground and background colors.

Color-palette tools, like  Coolers and Color Magic  can provide inspiration, but they do not guarantee that every color combination is accessible. Always verify the colors with a contrast checker.

Organize the message

• Put the most important information first, followed by supporting details.
• Use short, descriptive section labels in longer messages.
• Use the email editor's built-in bulleted and numbered list tools. Do not type hyphens, asterisks, or numbers to imitate a list.
• Use a numbered list when steps must be completed in a specific order.

Standard Gmail messages do not provide semantic heading styles. Keep Gmail messages concise and use clearly labeled sections. If another email tool provides built-in heading styles, use them in a logical order.

Write descriptive links

Link text should describe where the link goes or what it does. Avoid phrases such as "click here," "here," and "read more." Some screen reader users review a list of links without the surrounding sentences, so each link should make sense on its own.

When linking to a document, consider identifying its format - for example, "Download the annual report (PDF)."

A Note about emails to Swarthmore Listservs

Do not rely on images to communicate information in College mass emails. Images such as posters, flyers, and brochures may not appear, especially in digest versions of a message. Include all essential information as text in the email body.

Before sending a message to a College email list, review Swarthmore College's Mass Email List Policy.