Have you ever hit send on an email campaign and wondered why 15% of your subscribers never engage? Not because they're uninterested. Because they literally can't read your email.
You designed this gorgeous campaign with custom fonts, image-heavy layouts, and tiny links packed together like sardines in a can. Simple enough, right?
What an idiot.
Your email is completely inaccessible to screen reader users, people with low vision, color blindness, motor disabilities, and anyone checking email on a crappy connection where images don't load.
And before you say "but my list doesn't have disabled people."
Shut up.
15% of the global population lives with some form of disability. That's not a niche. That's like saying you don't care about mobile users.
Why Email Accessibility Actually Matters
Let's get one thing straight. This isn't just about being a good person, though that's a nice bonus.
Accessible emails perform better. Period.
When you follow accessibility best practices, three things happen:
Better deliverability. Screen reader-friendly structure means clean HTML. Clean HTML means fewer spam filter triggers and better inbox placement across email clients.
Higher engagement. Alt text loads when images don't. Readable fonts work on all devices. Proper link spacing means fewer accidental clicks and unsubscribes.
Legal compliance. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to digital communications. Getting sued over an email campaign is a special kind of stupid.
I learned this the hard way when our SaaS company got an accessibility complaint that turned into a $40,000 settlement. All because I used 10px gray text on a white background and called it "minimalist design."
Use Semantic HTML Structure
Screen readers navigate by headings. If your email is just <div> soup with no structure, users can't jump to the content they want.
Your email needs a proper hierarchy. One <h1> (usually your main message), followed by <h2> sections, with <h3> subsections if needed.
Don't just make text big and bold. Use actual heading tags.
Wrong way:
<p style="font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">Big Text</p>
Right way:
<h2>Actual Heading</h2>
Most ESPs default to semantic HTML, but the second you use a custom template or drag-and-drop builder, you're probably breaking it.
Check your HTML source. If you see 47 nested <div> tags and zero semantic elements, you've created an accessibility nightmare.
Write Descriptive Alt Text for Every Image
Here's what most people do: Leave alt text blank or write "image."
Here's what you should do: Describe what the image shows and why it matters.
Alt text serves two purposes. It loads when images don't (roughly 40% of email clients block images by default). And it tells screen reader users what they're missing.
Bad alt text examples:
alt=""(nothing)alt="image"(useless)alt="IMG_2847.jpg"(lazy)
Good alt text examples:
alt="Woman reviewing email analytics dashboard showing 43% open rate"alt="Red warning icon indicating spam filter detection"alt="Product photo: ergonomic standing desk with bamboo surface"
If your image is purely decorative (like a background pattern), then yes, use alt="". But if it conveys information, describe it.
And for the love of all that is holy, don't stuff keywords into alt text. "Best email marketing platform software tool for small business" is not a description. It's spam.
Make Your Links Obvious and Clickable
Tiny text links crammed together are hell for anyone with motor control issues or fat fingers.
Make your links at least 44x44 pixels (Apple's guideline). Give them visual distinction beyond just color. Use descriptive link text.
Bad link patterns:
- "Click here" (doesn't tell you where you're going)
- Adjacent links with no spacing (tap the wrong one, unsubscribe by accident)
- Color-only distinction (invisible to color blind users)
Good link patterns:
- "Read the full deliverability guide" (descriptive)
- Buttons with padding (minimum 44px touch target)
- Underlined or clearly styled (visible without color)
I once sent a campaign where the unsubscribe link was 3 pixels away from our main CTA. Guess which one got more clicks?
Nope. The unsubscribe link.
400 people rage-quit our list because they kept fat-fingering the wrong button.
Use Readable Fonts and Sizes
Designers love tiny, elegant fonts. Screen readers don't give a damn about elegance.
Minimum font size: 14px for body text. 22px for headings.
Line height: 1.5x your font size minimum.
Stick to web-safe fonts or widely supported web fonts. That custom handwritten script font you downloaded? It renders as rectangles on half of email clients. Check out our email design best practices guide for more font recommendations.
Best email fonts for accessibility:
- Arial, Helvetica (sans-serif clarity)
- Georgia, Times New Roman (serif readability)
- Verdana, Tahoma (designed for screens)
Avoid:
- Cursive or decorative fonts
- Font sizes under 14px
- All caps for more than a few words (harder to read, sounds like shouting to screen readers)
And please. Stop using light gray text on white backgrounds. That's not "subtle." It's invisible.
Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) requires a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text.
What does that mean in practice?
Fails contrast:
- Light gray (#999) on white background
- Yellow text on white background
- Light blue links on light gray background
Passes contrast:
- Black (#000) on white background (21:1 ratio)
- Dark blue (#003d7a) on white background (9.3:1 ratio)
- White text on dark purple (#4a148c) (10.4:1 ratio)
Test your colors with a free contrast checker. WebAIM has a good one.
I used to think "on-brand" meant sticking to our pastel color palette no matter what. Then I learned our light purple on light blue scheme had a 1.8:1 contrast ratio.
Our open rates sucked. People couldn't read the damn thing.
We switched to high-contrast alternatives that still felt on-brand. Engagement jumped 28%.
Structure Tables for Screen Readers
If you're using tables for layout (which you shouldn't, but I know you are), at least mark them as presentational:
<table role="presentation">
If you're using tables for actual data (pricing comparisons, feature lists), use proper table markup:
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th scope="col">Plan</th>
<th scope="col">Price</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Starter</td>
<td>$29/mo</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
The <th> tags with scope attributes tell screen readers which cells are headers and how they relate to data cells.
Without this, a screen reader just reads: "Plan. Starter. Price. $29/mo." With proper markup, it reads: "Plan column, Starter. Price column, $29/mo."
See the difference?
Test With a Screen Reader
You can read all the guides you want. Until you actually listen to your email through a screen reader, you won't understand what you're inflicting on users.
Free screen readers to test with:
- NVDA (Windows, free)
- JAWS (Windows, trial version)
- VoiceOver (Mac/iOS, built-in)
- TalkBack (Android, built-in)
Turn on VoiceOver on your Mac (Cmd+F5) and navigate your email with Tab and arrow keys. If you get confused, annoyed, or lost, your subscribers feel the same way.
Most email accessibility issues become obvious the second you hear your email read aloud.
That beautiful hero image with no alt text? Screen reader says "image."
Those text links with no spacing? Screen reader reads them as one long word.
That tiny gray text? Screen reader users can't even see it to try reading it.
Don't Rely on Images Alone
If your entire message is one big image, congratulations. You've created an email that's completely useless when images don't load.
And images don't load a lot. Gmail blocks images by default. Outlook has image blocking on. Corporate email filters strip images for security.
Bad email structure:
- Single image with all text baked in
- No HTML fallback text
- Blank email when images are off
Good email structure:
- Text-based layout that works without images
- Images enhance but aren't required
- Alt text describes what's missing
I've seen entire product launch campaigns that were just one giant image. Beautiful design. Zero conversions.
Because 40% of recipients just saw a blank email with "display images" at the top.
FAQ
Q: Do I really need alt text on every single image?
Yes. Except purely decorative images (background patterns, spacers). Everything else needs descriptive alt text. Screen readers, image blocking, and poor connections all depend on it.
Q: What if my brand guidelines don't meet contrast requirements?
Your brand guidelines are wrong. Fix them. Accessibility isn't optional just because your designer likes pastels. Find compliant alternatives or prepare for lawsuits.
Q: How do I test my email's accessibility?
Three ways: Use automated tools (Litmus, Email on Acid have accessibility checkers), manually test with a screen reader, and hire people with disabilities to review your emails. In that order.
Q: Are plain text emails more accessible?
Not necessarily. Plain text works everywhere, but HTML emails with proper semantic structure, alt text, and contrast can be more helpful. The format matters less than the implementation.
Q: Can I be sued for inaccessible emails?
Yes. ADA lawsuits targeting digital communications are increasing. Companies like Domino's, Netflix, and hundreds of retailers have been sued over accessibility. Don't be next.
Q: What's the easiest win for email accessibility?
Alt text and color contrast. Fix those two things and you've solved 60% of common accessibility issues. Takes 10 minutes per campaign.
The real secret to email accessibility? It makes your emails better for everyone.
Readable fonts help people on mobile. High contrast helps people in bright sunlight. Descriptive links help people deciding whether to click. Alt text helps people on slow connections.
Stop thinking of accessibility as extra work for a minority. It's better design that improves metrics across your entire list.
Start with alt text and contrast. Test with a screen reader. Fix the obvious problems.
Your engagement rate will thank you. Your legal team will thank you. And 15% of your subscribers will actually be able to read your damn emails.