Creating Accessible Emails in Google Mail
- Christopher Taverna
- Daniel LaGrow
- Jonathan Woolson
- T. John McCune
Instructions
Section 1.1: Images
Be careful of using images in email as the sole means of conveying information. If you use an image, be sure to use alternative text to convey the information found in the image. Google Mail now has a built in mechanism to add alternative text to an image. You can add alt text by following these steps:
Add your image to your email
Select the image
Select “Edit Alt Text” directly below the image
Enter the descriptive text and click Apply
Section 1.2: Links
When creating links, you want to avoid using phrases like “Click Here” or “this link”. This will confuse readers and they wont know where the link is. Instead, use descriptive text or phrases.
Section 1.3: Text and background
Google Mail has four text sizes, Small, Normal, Large, and Huge. Avoid using Small as that can be difficult to read. It is a good idea to use the default black text on a white background. You can also use other colors, as long as they give a high contrast ratio and are easily readable. Use bold or underline text to denote emphasis rather than using different color text.
Section 1.4: Formatting an email signature block to be accessible
To format your email signature so that it remains accessible, please go to EMAIL: How to format your email.