Documents, including email messages, that are public facing or agency official communication must comply with Section 508 Standards to ensure all individuals, including those with disabilities, can easily read, understand, and interact with the content.
This checklist for email messages covers five key areas to help incorporate accessibility when creating email content, including GovDelivery bulletins and newsletters. These five areas provide the foundation for making information accessible to everyone, aiming to make the experience as easy and frustration-free as possible. This checklist is a quick reference guide and does not serve as a substitute for a comprehensive understanding of conformance requirements.
Structure
The following table outlines key accessibility checks for email messages focusing on message structure and formatting.
| Check Name | How to Check Email Message |
|---|---|
| Message Format | Email is formatted as Plain Text or HTML, when available. |
| Message Type | Information is intended for members of the public or is agency official communication. |
| Backgrounds | Email message is free of custom stationary, wallpaper, background images and watermarks. |
| Plain Language | Audience has been identified for use of plain language. |
| Font and Size | Message uses a sans-serif typeface that is 10 to 11pt, or 13 to 15px, and avoids cursive and other fancy typefaces. |
| Headings | All visual headings and subheadings start with “Heading 1” and work down in hierarchical order. |
| Paragraph | The default or “Normal" style is used for email message text. |
| Lists | The “List” tool is used to create unordered (bullets), ordered (numbers or letters), and multilevel lists (1.A.i.). |
| Tables | Simple data tables are inserted using the “Table” tool and header and row columns indicated, and lack complex tables or images of tables. |
| Links | Email message uses unique and [descriptive links and hypertext](/blog/accessibility-bytes/4/) instead of vague terms like “click here” or “read more.” |
General Content
The following table outlines key accessibility checks for email messages focusing on message content.
| Check Name | How to Check Email Message |
|---|---|
| Styles | Agency writing and design guidelines are followed. |
| Subject | Email “Subject” clearly conveys the purpose of the email, gives a snapshot of the content, and is easily searchable. |
| Abbreviations and Acronyms | Email message avoids the use of abbreviations and acronyms, or uses acronyms after spelling the full word followed with the acronym in parentheses. |
| Color Contrast | Ensure that normal-sized text and images of text on a background have a 4.5:1 contrast ratio. |
| Color Only | Charts, graphs and other images that use color to convey meaning have another visual element like a symbol or text to convey the same meaning. |
| File Attachments | All attachments have unique and descriptive file names, and have been tested and conform with Section 508 Standards. |
| Signature Block | Signature block complies with agency policy and is free of slogans and personal or extraneous statements or messages. |
Graphics and Sensory Characteristics
The following table outlines key accessibility checks for email messages focusing on graphics, images and other content with sensory characteristics.
| Check Name | How to Check Email Message |
|---|---|
| Images | All meaningful images have an equivalent text alternative. |
| Images of Text | Email message does not contain images of text and content copied from another source as an image. |
| Sensory Characteristics | Avoid references to shape, size, sound, color, and location. |
| Pause, Stop, Hide | Email message does not include moving, blinking, scrolling, and auto-updating information. |
Data Tables
The following table outlines key accessibility checks for email messages with a focus on structured data and their headings.
| Check Name | How to Check Email Message |
|---|---|
| Table Purpose | Tables are used for structured data and not layout. |
| Table Type | Data tables are simple tables with no nested rows or columns. |
| Images of Tables | Images of data tables are not used. |
| Table Headers | Data table has defined column and row headers. |
| Completeness | Data table is not missing cells in any table row. |
| Data Integrity | Data table cells contain the same type of data and do not use empty cells to provide captions, footnotes and endnotes. |
| Spacing | Avoid putting two or more tables together either side by side or top to bottom to allow navigation by keyboard users. |
Saving Files
The following table outlines key accessibility checks for email messages focusing on and saving email messages as a document file.
| Check Name | How to Check Email Message |
|---|---|
| Email File Type | Saved email messages use either the .MSG (Microsoft Outlook) or .EML (Google Gmail) format. |
| Email File Name | Saved email message has a unique and descriptive file name, typically the message “Subject.” |
Additional Resources
Reviewed/Updated: September 2024
