Email Accessibility Guidelines
To meet the April 2026 federal deadline for Title II of the ADA, all official University communications must meet the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. This includes the emails we send to students, faculty, and staff. The following guidelines will help you navigate requirements like alt-text, descriptive links, and proper contrast to ensure you remain fully compliant and accessible.
Write Clear Subject Lines
The subject line is the first thing a screen reader announces to the user.
- Tell the reader exactly what the email is about before they open it.
- Put the most important words first, for example "Due Friday: Lab Reports" instead of "Just a reminder about your lab reports for Friday".
Use Descriptive Links
Never paste long web addresses or use "Click Here."
- Screen readers read every single letter of a URL out loud
- Instead, highlight a few descriptive words and link them.
Describe Your Images (Alt-Text)
If you include a photo or a flyer, you must provide a text description for those who cannot see it.
- In Outlook: Right-click your image and select "View Alt Text" to type a brief description.
- Flyers: If your email is just a picture of a flyer, you must type the event name, date, and time in the body of the email so it can be read by assistive technology.
Keep Formatting Simple
- Use standard, easy-to-read fonts like Arial or Calibri at 12pt or larger.
- Use the "Bullet Point" or "Numbered List" buttons. This helps screen readers tell the user how many items are in the list before reading them.
- Stick to black text on a white background. Avoid using light colors or a fancy background.
- Remember to use real text, not images of text. Only use images to support, not replace, your message.
Check Before You Send
- If you use the Outlook desktop app, it has a built-in helper.
- Go to the Review tab and click "Check Accessibility." It will instantly flag if you forgot to add a description to an image or if your text color is too hard to read.