Accessible Emails
Email is one of the most widely used communication tools across the district. Accessible emails help ensure everyone can read, understand, and act on your message.
Quick Tips for Accessible Emails
Use a concise and descriptive subject line.
Use a black or dark gray font.
Use a readable font size.
Use bold text to emphasize a point.
Do not use highlights, italics, or underlined text.
Use hyperlinked text instead of typing or pasting the full URL.
Use color sparingly and ensure it has an appropriate contrast ratio.
Don't use emojis or graphics to replace words.
When a graphic needs to be included, add alt text to the image.
Accessible Email Signatures
Email signatures are often overlooked but play a critical role in accessibility.
Present essential contact information as text.
Important information such as your name, job title, school or department, email address, and phone number should be included as selectable text, not embedded in an image or complex graphic. Text ensures compatibility with screen readers, translation tools, copy/paste functions, and mobile devices.
Use official logos appropriately.
Official district or school logos can be added to email signatures if they are properly described with alternative text (for example, "Thompson School District logo").
Avoid image-only signatures.
Signatures composed entirely of images can block users from accessing contact information and might not be interpreted properly by assistive technologies, even if alt text is included.
Keep the layout simple.
Avoid using multi-column layouts, excessive line spacing, or complex visual arrangements that might not display consistently across email clients or could cause reading-order issues for assistive technology.
Smore and Email-Based Newsletters
Tools like Smore are commonly used to create email-based newsletters and announcements. While Smore provides many built-in accessibility features, the accessibility of the final message still depends on how the content is created.
Use built-in text fields for important information.
Avoid placing important information, such as dates, times, instructions, or contact details, within images or graphics.
Add alternative text to images.
Provide descriptive alt text for photos, graphics, and logos so screen reader users can understand their purpose.
Use headings to organize content.
Use Smore’s heading options to establish a clear structure that is easy to scan and navigate.
Avoid image-heavy layouts.
Newsletters that are mostly images can be hard to read, translate, or navigate with assistive technology.
Ensure links are descriptive.
Link text should clearly describe the destination or action rather than generic phrases like “click here.”
Avoid using Canva for email newsletters
Canva designs are not fully accessible when sent as email newsletters. Content is typically delivered as images or complex layouts that cannot be reliably read by screen readers, translated, resized, or navigated using a keyboard.
Canva may be appropriate for standalone graphics when paired with meaningful text and alternative descriptions, but it should not be used to replace accessible, text-based email or newsletter content.