Building an Inclusive Email Strategy

Accessibility in email is often overlooked, partly because it feels technical, and partly because email itself comes with its own set of constraints. Unlike websites, emails need to perform consistently across a wide range of platforms, from modern mobile apps to older desktop clients like Outlook, which can behave very differently.

That combination of accessibility requirements and technical limitations means inclusive email design requires a slightly different way of thinking.

Rather than treating accessibility as an add-on, the most effective approach is to build it into the structure, content and design from the beginning. When done well, it improves not just accessibility, but clarity, usability and overall performance.

Typography: Start with readability

At the heart of any accessible email is clear, readable text. Typography plays a bigger role than many people realise, particularly for users who may have visual or cognitive impairments, or who are simply scanning quickly on a mobile device.

A few simple principles go a long way:

• Use web-safe, easy-to-read fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, Calibri or Verdana
• Keep body text at a minimum of 14px, with generous line spacing (around 1.5x)
• Align text to the left wherever possible, as large blocks of centred or justified text are harder to read
• Avoid using all caps for long sections of text, as it can reduce readability and feel more difficult to process

These choices are not just about accessibility. They make your content easier for everyone to engage with.

Content: Write to help, not impress

Accessible content is also about how you write. Emails perform best when the message is clear, concise and easy to follow. That means using straightforward language, keeping sentences relatively short, and avoiding unnecessary jargon or overly polished copywriting.

If a reader has to work to understand your message, there is a good chance they will disengage.

It is also worth being mindful with elements like emojis. They can add personality when used sparingly, but overuse or placing them mid-sentence can disrupt how content is read, particularly by screen readers. Keeping them to the end of a message is usually a safer approach.

Imagery: Select thoughtfully

Images are a valuable part of email design, but they need to be used carefully.

Every image should include meaningful alt text. This ensures that screen readers can describe the content to users who cannot see it, and also provides context if images are blocked, which is still common in some email clients.

It is also important to avoid relying on images alone to communicate key information. Emails that are built entirely as images can create significant accessibility issues and often require duplication of content in alt text, which is not always practical or effective. If an image contains important information, that information should also be included in the body of the email.

For animated elements like GIFs, subtlety is key. Keeping animations simple not only helps with file size and load times, but also ensures they do not cause discomfort. As a general rule, avoid anything that flashes more than three times per second.

Dark mode is another consideration that is becoming more important. Some email clients automatically invert colours, which can affect contrast and how images, particularly logos with transparency, are displayed. It is worth testing how your emails behave in both light and dark environments to avoid unexpected issues.

Tables: Structure matters

Email design still relies heavily on tables for layout, particularly to ensure consistency across different clients.

This creates a challenge for accessibility, because screen readers interpret tables as structured data, rather than layout containers.

To address this, layout tables should include the attribute role=”presentation.”This tells assistive technologies to treat the table as a simple container, allowing the content to be read in a natural, logical order.

Without this, screen readers can announce rows and columns before reading the content, which can make the experience confusing and difficult to follow. It is a small piece of code, but it makes a significant difference to how accessible your email is.

The good news is that many email platforms, including HubSpot and Salesforce Marketing Cloud, already handle much of this structure behind the scenes through their email builders and templates. This is typically more important when emails are custom coded from scratch or built using more advanced templating systems such as Liquid, where accessibility considerations need to be managed more deliberately during development.

The key thing to remember is that role=”presentation” should only be applied to tables used for layout. If you are presenting actual data in a table, proper table structure with headers should be used instead.

Interactivity: Making it easy and intuitive

Interactivity in email is often limited, but there are still important considerations.

Links should always be clear and descriptive. Phrases like ‘click here’ or ‘read more’ do not provide enough context, especially for screen reader users who may navigate through links independently of the surrounding text.

Buttons should be large enough to tap comfortably on mobile devices, with a minimum target size of around 48px by 48px. Adequate spacing around buttons also helps prevent accidental clicks.

It is also worth considering keyboard navigation. Users should be able to move through interactive elements using the tab key, and there should be a visible focus state so they can see where they are on the page.

These details improve usability for a wide range of users, not just those relying on assistive technologies.

Testing: Check before you send

One of the realities of email design is that it rarely behaves exactly the same across different platforms.

An email that looks perfect in Gmail on a desktop might render quite differently in Outlook or on a mobile device. That is why testing is such an important part of the process.

Tools like Litmus and Email on Acid allow you to preview how your email will appear across a wide range of clients and devices. This helps identify issues early, before they reach your audience.

Accessibility should be part of that testing process. Checking how content is read by screen readers, how it behaves without images, and how it performs in different viewing modes all contribute to a more inclusive final result.

Inclusivity works better for everyone

Inclusive email design is often framed as a compliance requirement, but in practice, it is much broader than that.

Accessibility doesn’t mean sacrificing creativity or ending up with emails that feel basic or restricted. You can still create beautifully designed, modern and engaging campaigns while being thoughtful about choices that support a wider range of users. Accessibility is not about limiting design so much as it is designing with greater consideration and intention.

When emails are easier to read, navigate and interact with, they perform better. More people can engage with them and take action. What starts as an accessibility consideration often becomes a quality improvement across the board.

For businesses, this is an opportunity to take a more thoughtful, structured approach to email design. You’ll not only support a wider audience, but also strengthen the effectiveness of your communication.

More information:
Vision Australia Email Guide
Rock Email Marketing