Why Email Accessibility Matters
Email is one of the most common ways SRJC faculty and staff communicate with students and colleagues. Missing alt text, "click here" links, low-contrast text, or images of text can prevent recipients with disabilities from accessing critical information.
The good news: making email accessible takes only a few seconds per message once it becomes a habit.
💡 Plain text email is always accessible. When in doubt, send as plain text — it eliminates formatting issues entirely. Not ideal for every situation, but a reliable fallback.
Step-by-Step: Sending Accessible Email in Outlook
- Step 1: Write a Descriptive Subject Line
Subject line should tell the recipient exactly what the email is about:
❌ Vague ✅ Descriptive "Reminder" "Reminder: Faculty Senate Meeting Thursday 3pm" "Update" "Update: Fall 2025 Final Exam Schedule Now Available" "Question" "Question about ENGL 1A prerequisite requirements" - Step 2: Use Heading Styles for Longer Emails
In emails with multiple sections (newsletters, announcements, long instructions), use heading styles:
Message → Format Text → Styles → Heading 1 / Heading 2
This gives screen reader users a navigable structure. For short emails (1–2 paragraphs), headings aren't necessary.- Step 3: Add Alt Text to Images
For any image in your email:
- Right-click the image → Edit Alt Text
- Write a concise description
- If decorative, mark as decorative
- Step 4: Use Descriptive Link Text
Don't paste raw URLs. Instead:
- Select the text you want to use as the link
- Insert → Link (or Ctrl+K / Cmd+K)
- Enter the URL
❌ Don't ✅ Do Click here: https://www.santarosa.edu Visit the [SRJC homepage] Read more: https://bit.ly/3xyz Read more about [ADA Title II requirements] See Links & Navigation for guidelines.
- Step 5: Check Color Contrast
Use dark text on a light background. Avoid:
- Light gray text on white
- Colored text (red, yellow, light blue) on white or light backgrounds
- Text on patterned or image backgrounds
- Step 6: Don't Use Color Alone for Emphasis
If you want to highlight something important:
❌ Color Alone ✅ Color + Text Formatting Red text: "Deadline Friday" Bold red text: "Deadline Friday" Green text: "Approved" Bold green text: "Approved ✓" - Step 7: Use Built-In Lists
Format Text → Bullets / Numbering
Don't type bullets (•) or numbers manually.- Step 8: Keep Tables Simple
If you use a table in email:
- Only use it for tabular data, not layout
- Mark the header row
- Keep it simple — don't merge cells
- Step 9: Run the Accessibility Checker
Outlook has a built-in accessibility checker:
Message → Check Accessibility (or Options → Check Accessibility)
Review and fix all issues before sending.
💡Important Note: Sharing a flyer graphic? Remember that text in an image is not accessible! It's OK to send, but you must also create the same information in text (and links if applicable) to accompany the image, so that the information is available to all. If the text is brief enough — a sentence or two — you can just make it available as the image's alt-text.
Email Signatures
Your email signature should be accessible too:
| ✅ Do | ❌ Don't |
|---|---|
| Use text for your name, title, department, phone | Use an image-only signature (screen readers can't read images) |
| Keep it simple and text-based | Include complex HTML layouts or tables |
| Use standard text formatting | Use very light or very small text |
If your department uses a standard signature image, ask that a text-based alternative be provided or that alt text is added to the image.
Checking Your Work: Quick Checklist
[ ] Descriptive subject line
[ ] Heading styles used (for longer emails)
[ ] All images have alt text
[ ] Link text is descriptive (no "click here" or raw URLs)
[ ] Dark text on light background (4.5:1 contrast)
[ ] Color not used alone for emphasis
[ ] Lists use built-in Bullets/Numbering
[ ] Signature is text-based
[ ] Accessibility Checker run — all issues fixed