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Body text

Designing for readability is key to writing good digital content, including emails. Consider the same best practice elements for creating accessible documents (e.g., Microsoft Word):

• Use a legible sans-serif font, such as Aptos, Arial, Calibri, Helvetica, Tahoma or similar.
• Keep text at a reasonable size, typically 12 point.
• Use Heading Styles. Highlight the text, right click on the text and select Styles.
• Align text to the left instead of centered or justified.
• Break up text into short paragraphs.
• Use plain language.
• Write descriptive link text: “Upcoming Events” instead of “Click here."
• Use a color contrast checker. Don't forget to check the colors of your in-text links.

How to add alternative text in email

Outlook: Right-click on the image and select Edit Alt Text.

Background Theme

Using a background theme in an email is not recommended for accessibility, primarily because it can significantly harm readability and legibility for many users. The potential issues vary from insufficient color contrast to unreliable rendering across different email clients.

Emojis

Emojis can be a fun and easy way to communicate, but be mindful of not overusing them or relying on them as the only method of conveying meaning. Add emojis to the end of a message instead of in between words, and don’t use an emoji to replace words.

For subject lines, alternative text is not part of the code as emojis are not images but Unicode characters. The subject line should still make sense if the emoji is removed or not used.

Emoticons, unlike emojis, are made up of punctuation and keyboard characters. They lose their meaning when read with assistive technology, so it’s best to avoid using emoticons.

Attachments

Before you attach a document to an email, ask yourself if this is the best way to communicate the information or could it instead be simply added to the body of the email?

If it’s necessary to attach a file to an email, make sure the document is accessible. Follow accessibility best practices such as tagging your document with headings, writing helpful alternative text and being mindful of color.

Event Posters

If adding an event poster to an email, make sure that any text in the image is repeated either in the email body text or in the alt text. Important information like event details (date, time, location) should be included in the body text of the email.

Video and Audio

When you embed a video or audio player in an email, add accurate captions to all videos and transcripts for audio content. Ensure media player controls, such as play and stop, can be activated with a keyboard.

Animation

Avoid auto-playing or distracting animations and videos.

Signatures

When using an email signature, ensure the signature’s font size and style follow the same best practices as your message. The SDState email signature logo includes alternative text for accessibility.