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Hi there friend,

I don’t know if it’s my age (I’m getting closer to the big 5-0) or the fact that I stare at a screen all day but over the past year or so I’ve had trouble reading things that are right in front of me. 

Sometimes I have trouble reading newsletters because of the way they’re structured - fonts are too small or there’s no white space. I was having such trouble that I took the plunge last year and got my first pair of progressive eyeglasses 🤓 and that’s helped.

If I’m having trouble reading some of these newsletters, what’s it like for someone with a disability?

I’ve seen different stats on the number of people with a disability, but most of the data show between 16% - 25% of the population has a disability.

So when you’re putting together your newsletter, it’s important to make your emails accessible so anyone can read them. 

Not everyone reads emails in the same way. Some people may use dictation or magnification to consume your email, while others may only see grayscale or certain colors.

Here are some of the disabilities conditions that need to be considered when writing your email:

• Vision - Make the content accessible for Blindness, low vision, and color blindness.
• Auditory - Making the email content accessible for deaf or hard of hearing individuals.
• Motor - People who are unable to use a mouse can use a keyboard to access the mail.
• Cognitive - Making email accessible to learning disabilities, distractibility, and inability to remember to focus on large amounts of information.

But don’t worry with a couple of quick tips, you can easily ensure that you are following email accessibility best practices.

Be aware of image file size

Don't include images with HUGE file sizes in your email. This is an accessibility issue because it can make your emails more difficult to read for people on slow connections, and it unnecessarily uses your readers data when they may be on plans with limited data.

A good rule of thumb is to keep your images <200KB. Thankfully, AWeber's message editor automatically creates an optimized version of any image you upload. Once your image is uploaded in your email, just select the “optimized” image size.

Don’t use flashing GIFs

You should not include GIFs that flash too frequently. GIFs of flashing "sale" or other images may seem tempting to catch people's attention; but they can be disruptive, or even harmful for certain people. As a minimum, do not use GIFs that flash more than 3 times a second.

Use larger fonts

The goal is to have people easily read your email. If the font is too small, then you’re making it difficult for people with a vision impairment to read it.

My recommendation is using a font of 16 - 18. This will ensure your readers will be able to consume the content on any device.

Just take a look at this example and see for yourself:

Can you easily read me at a font size 12

Can you easily read me at a font size 14

Can you easily read me at a font size 16

Can you easily read me at a font size 18 (this is what we use)

Align copy to the left

Screen readers are better at reading left-aligned text in a comprehensible way.

Use image alt text correctly

Your image alt text in the copy that displays when an image doesn’t load when the email is open. For example:

But the image alt text is needed for screen readers, which is a tool that reads the email aloud.

So it’s important to clearly articulate what the image is about.

Let’s look at an example, suppose you’re an Etsy seller and you just sent an email promoting your newest coffee mug. What’s going to sell this mug more:

A - Image alt text: Mug

B - White coffee mug with black handle with image of cat at a laptop and text “Purr my last email” below

I know sometimes we’re working to get our emails out as quickly as possible, but taking the time to accurately describe the image is important for email accessibility.

Here’s where you add the image alt text in AWeber:

Use readable fonts

Readability should be your primary goal, just like we discussed in this newsletter. So don’t use decorative fonts for your main copy or headers. 

Some of the most accessible fonts are Tahoma, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, and Times New Roman.

Avoid using “click here”

Steer clear of using "click here" as link text. People who use screen readers often navigate by tabbing through content to scan emails quickly. Providing descriptive link text helps these users decide whether they want to click on the link or not.

For example, if the Etsy seller we referenced above wanted to drive traffic to their shop where they had more mugs, their copy could be “Go to my Etsy shop to check out more funny mugs”. That whole statement could be hyperlinked.

Give copy space

Reading dense paragraphs and text blocks with closely spaced lines can pose challenges for some individuals. Adjusting the line height of text can enhance readability for everyone.

We recommend line height should be 1.5 times the font size. By default, that’s what the line height is in your AWeber account.

Be email accessible friendly

I told you not to worry. With just a few simple tweaks to the way you’re creating your emails, it’s easy to be email accessible. 

If you want more information on email accessibility, please read our blog “How to make your email campaigns more accessible”.

What did you think of this email?

❤️❤️❤️ Loved it. Can't wait to get the next one.

💔 I didn't really care for it.

Make your emails accessible with one click

Trying to manually make sure all of your text is the same size and color or your buttons all match is a waste of valuable time, and inevitably, something gets overlooked. 

With theme settings, you can change fonts, colors, buttons, and more from a single settings panel and everything throughout your email will be updated. 

Want rounded corners on your buttons? Set it once and they’ll all match. 

Want a different headline font throughout? Just a couple of clicks will do it. 

Now you can create more beautifully consistent emails in seconds, not minutes.

Check out our blog to learn how you can use theme settings to keep your emails consistent, beautiful, and email accessible.

Get our latest expert advice and helpful tips 

As always, thanks for reading!

- Sean T. and the rest of the AWeber team