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Email messages should follow the same accessibility guidelines as other documents. Below are some factors to consider when creating email targeted for large audiences.

Image/PDF Only Emails

Please note the following:

  • Emails which provide the announcement as just a graphic are inaccessible.
  • Similarly, emails which consist of PDF attachments must use accessible PDF attachments.
    Note: Accessible PDF can be generated from Microsoft Word or Adobe InDesign.

Signatures

Many e-mail programs allow users to add a custom signature line. If your signature line is formatted, it is important to ensure that the information is accessible.

Business Card Signatures

If your signature is formatted as a business card, be sure that it is text and not art requiring alt text. See the Rich Text Guidelines below for more information on image alt text.

Inaccessible ASCII Art Signatures

Some people may incorporate ASCII art (the use of punctuation symbols and letters to simulate an image), such as the ASCII Nittany Lion below.

If your signature line includes ASCII art, then make sure it is placed below all the essential contact information so users of screen readers can stop reading the content once they come to the ASCII art.

ascii nittany lion

This image is a .GIF file, but if it were true ASCII art, a screen reader would say:

"Left parenthesis, quote, acute accent, dash, quote, backslash, quote, right parenthesis…"

Plain Text vs. Rich Text (HTML) Email

Email can be sent as plain text or as rich/formatted text. Either format can be made accessible with the right planning.

  • The rich format allows writers to embed images, insert links,. change fonts, add colors and tables. These messages actually contain HTML code much like Web pages.
  • Plain text is just text only – and for short emails, this can be fine because it allows readers to select which fonts and colors are best for them.

The email is just a string of text. The message includes the sentences We recommend you contact the Penn State IT Service Desk (https://www.itservicedesk.psu.edu/). They can be reached by email or phone.

The same email message shows Track Order as just a string of text.

Rich text versus plain text version of the same email.

Note: If your email editor allows you to make formatting changes or embed links, you are sending rich format emails. Some packages may allow you to choose one format or another, but some are restricted to one format only.

The rest of this page will mostly focus on rich text email except when otherwise noted.

Rich Text Email Accessibility Guidelines

Similar to HTML Web pages, email messages should be formatted to include:

Disabled Images

Some users disable downloading of images in messages in order save file space and bandwidth on devices such as smart phones. This means that some sighted users as well as screen reader users may be relying on image alt text.

Email message with alt text Texthelp logo.

The same email with a blue Text Help logo featuring a red bird.

A message from the Texthelp company. Because the logo image is not downloaded initially, the reader sees the ALT text "Texthelp logo" in the first message. The second message shows what a sighted user sees when the logo is downloaded.

Darkmode Compatability

In addition to other guidelines, email messages should be formatted to be usable for users using darkmode in which email messages are formatted with white text on a dark background.

Plain Text

A darkmode plain text message is displayed according to the user’s default settings which include lower contrast meant to reduce glare. No extra steps are needed from the editor.

Grubhub order confirmation message on black background with light text
Dark mode email message.

Rich Text

If any text colors are fixed, the background colors should also be set. If not, a darkmode user may see black text on black or white text on white.

Announcement in which black text with a yellow background has been converted to white text in yellow in darkmode
Dark mode with inaccessible yellow highlighting on white text.

Email Platforms

Below are instructions for making accessible emails in a variety of platforms.

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Last Update: July 1, 2024