There's a silent crisis unfolding in workplaces everywhere, and it's called bad email etiquette. Most of us have experienced it – opening your inbox to find a flood of messages that are difficult to read, confusing, or just plain unclear. To play devil's advocate for a moment, it's no surprise – everyone's juggling multiple tasks and chasing inbox zero (where emails are kept to a minimum). Sometimes, sending off a brief message seems like the fastest way to stay on track.
But here's the thing: emails are more than just checkboxes on your to-do list. They’re a critical form of communication, and effective communication takes time, thought, and empathy. It means pausing to think about what you want to convey, and, more importantly, considering the needs of the person or people you're communicating with, ensuring your message is clear and accessible to everyone.
People have various methods for accessing emails, depending on their needs and preferences. Some rely on screen readers that turn text into speech, allowing them to listen to their messages. Others opt for larger fonts to ease eye strain, ensuring a comfortable reading experience, while many people check their emails on mobile devices, where smaller screens require a different approach to design and formatting.
In this blog, we'll dive into practical tips for creating accessible emails, ensuring that nobody gets left behind.
1. Use text instead of image-based flyers
A common issue in email design is relying on images that contain text, such as flyers or posters. These can be problematic for people using screen readers. To avoid this, include the text content from any image within the email body. If the image itself is important, attach it as a separate file while ensuring the email body contains all necessary information. This approach is more inclusive and ensures that everyone can access the content, even if they can't see the image.
2. Choose the right font
Font choice plays an important role in accessibility. Aim for a font size between 12 and 18 points. This range is generally adjustable across most platforms, except for Gmail, where ‘Normal’ is the minimum. While the NSW Government uses the Public Sans font for all digital products and services, not all email platforms offer it. In such cases, San Serif fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Verdana are also used for their readability. Avoid using colour alone to emphasise text, as some people, such as those who rely on screen readers or are colour blind, might not perceive it. Instead, use clear labels like ‘Important’ or ‘Note’ to draw attention to specific points.
Underlining should be avoided as it could indicate a hyperlink and confuse readers.
3. Use proper line height and colour contrast
Increasing line spacing enhances readability, especially for people who are blind or experience eye fatigue. Line height should be at least 1.5 times the font size, with paragraph spacing set to twice the font size. This approach allows for easier eye tracking and reduces strain.
For people who are colour blind or have low vision, perceiving certain colour combinations can be a challenge. In such cases, sufficient contrast between text and background helps in distinguishing content elements. It's also important to note that using high contrast colours doesn't just help people with low vision; it benefits everyone, including people using small screens in bright sunlight or those with aging eyes. Refer to colour contrast further guidance on using sufficient contrast.
4. Structure your email for accessibility
A clear structure is essential for accessible emails. Begin with the most important information at the top, followed by detailed content. Microsoft provides step-by-step instructions on how to use headings and styles in Outlook to help create a clear structure and improve accessibility.
However, Gmail does not support true headings. Instead, you can use bold text and larger font sizes to create a visual hierarchy. This can help guide readers through the content and emphasise key points. If your email client allows for headings, use them appropriately to organise content and create an accessible reading experience.
Lists are another useful tool for organising content. Numbered lists should be used when order is important, while bullet points are ideal for unordered information.
5. Check accessibility while you write
Using an accessibility checker for emails helps catch issues like poor colour contrast, missing alternative text on images, and other problems that could make your message hard to read. This simple step can save you from confusion and miscommunication. In Outlook, the Accessibility Checker runs automatically in the background while you're composing an email. If it detects any accessibility problems, a MailTip pops up, reminding you to review and fix them before sending.
To use the accessibility checker in Outlook, go to File > Options > Accessibility to set how you want to receive accessibility alerts in your emails. You can choose to get MailTip notifications as you work, in certain situations, or only when you manually run the Accessibility Checker.
The default setting is to show notifications in specific scenarios. If accessibility issues are detected, a MailTip appears with suggestions for resolving them.
6. Use accessible hyperlinks
When creating accessible link text, it's important to make it descriptive. Link text should give readers a clear idea of where they'll end up when they click on it. This is especially important because some tools, like Microsoft ReadAloud and screen readers, allow users to view a list of all links on a page without their surrounding context. If the link text is vague, like ‘here’ or ‘click here,’ it's confusing for users who rely on these tools.
- Example: Instead of ‘Read more,’ use ‘Read our latest blog post.’
- Example: Instead of ‘Click here,’ use ‘Download the installation guide.’
While descriptive link text is important, avoid making it too lengthy, as it can be hard to read, especially for users with lower reading levels or cognitive impairments. Overly long links add extra cognitive load due to their formatting, typically underlined, which reduces readability.
By taking these steps, you're not only complying with accessibility standards but also fostering a more inclusive communication environment. Visit the Accessibility and Inclusivity Toolkit to learn more about making your work accessible.