Accessible Email & Mass Communications

What Falls Within Scope

Not every email sent at CMC carries the same accessibility obligation. Understanding what is in scope helps you prioritize your efforts.

Within Scope

All-community and all-staff email blasts
The Informs daily digest
Event invitations sent to broad audiences
Newsletters distributed campus-wide
Marketing and outreach emails sent on behalf of CMC

Generally Out of Scope

Individual one-to-one emails between colleagues
Personal communications not sent on behalf of CMC
Brief replies in an ongoing thread

Email Accessibility Checklist

Use this checklist when composing community-facing email. Each item below the list contains a brief explanation of why it matters and how to apply it.

Sans-serif font (Arial or Calibri), 12 pt minimum. Sans-serif typefaces are easier to read on screen, particularly for users with dyslexia. Fonts below 12 pt create barriers for low-vision readers. Most email clients default to safe body sizes, but verify when using branded templates.
4.5:1 color contrast ratio for body text. WCAG 2.1 AA requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 between text and its background. Avoid light gray text on white, or white text on CMC maroon unless the ratio passes. Use the WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify colors in your template.
Color is not the only way to convey information. If your email uses color to signal something (e.g., red text for a deadline), add a text label as well ("Deadline: June 18"). Users who are colorblind or using screen readers cannot rely on color alone.
All images have meaningful alt text; decorative images use empty alt="". Screen readers read alt text aloud in place of the image. If an image conveys content, describe it concisely. If an image is purely decorative, set alt="" so screen readers skip it rather than announcing a file name.
Descriptive hyperlink text — never "click here" or "read more." Screen reader users often navigate a page or email by cycling through links alone. "Click here" provides no context. Write links that make sense out of context: "Register for the June 18 accessibility workshop."
Real lists created with the email client's list tools. Manually typing hyphens or asterisks creates visual-only lists that screen readers do not interpret as lists. Use the built-in Unordered List or Ordered List buttons in your email client so the markup is semantic.
Heading structure for newsletter-length emails. For longer communications (newsletters, digests), use heading styles rather than bold text to create section titles. Headings allow screen reader users to jump between sections rather than reading every word linearly.
Test at 200% zoom and on a mobile device before sending. Zooming to 200% simulates how low-vision users read. Check that text does not overflow, buttons remain tappable, and no content is cut off. Many community members read Informs and campus emails on their phones.

Canva and Design Tools

Canva and similar design tools are popular for creating visually rich email banners and event flyers. When using these tools for email communications, follow these guidelines:

Essential text must appear as live text in the email body, not only within an image. If your Canva banner says "All-Staff Town Hall — June 18 at 10 AM," that same information must appear as readable text outside the image, because screen readers cannot read text embedded in a graphic file.
Add alt text to all graphics you insert into emails. In Outlook and Gmail, you can right-click an inserted image to add or edit alt text before sending.
Avoid "image of text" graphics. A flyer that consists entirely of text set in a graphic is inaccessible. Convert key details to live text in the email body.
Canva's AI alt text feature can generate suggested alt text for images. Always review the generated suggestion for accuracy — AI-generated alt text may omit key details or misread the image content.

The Informs Daily Digest

The Informs daily digest reaches the entire CMC community and is therefore fully within accessibility scope. The Informs process is being modernized to embed accessibility standards directly into the submission workflow.

Requirements for all Informs submissions:

1

Accessible PDFs before submission

All linked PDFs must be accessible before submission. If your submission links to a PDF, that document must be tagged and readable before the digest goes out. See the Making PDFs Accessible guide for step-by-step instructions.

2

Alt text for images

Images included in your submission require alt text. Submit descriptive alt text alongside any image you provide to StratCom for inclusion.

3

Descriptive hyperlinks

Do not submit "click here" — write out the full destination text (e.g., "RSVP for the Faculty Senate meeting").

4

Key information as readable text

Include key information as readable text — not only as an image of a flyer. Event details (date, time, location, RSVP link) must be present as plain text in the submission, even if you also attach a visual flyer.

Contact Strategic Communications for the updated Informs submission template that includes these accessibility fields.

Outlook Tips

Microsoft Outlook includes built-in tools that support accessible email composition:

Heading styles: Open the Format Text tab in the message compose window. Use the Styles gallery to apply Heading 1 or Heading 2 to section titles in long emails and newsletters — do not rely on bold alone.
Image alt text: Go to Insert → Pictures, insert your image, then right-click the image and choose Edit Alt Text. Fill in the description immediately before moving on.
Semantic lists: Use the Unordered List and Ordered List buttons in the message toolbar. Avoid manually typing bullets or numbering.
Built-in Accessibility Checker: In Outlook desktop, go to File → Info → Check for Issues → Check Accessibility before sending. The checker flags missing alt text, contrast issues, and other barriers and provides guided fixes. In Outlook online, go to Options → Check Accessibility.