Make your emails accessible to everyone

What is email accessibility?

Accessibility is often treated as a “nice to have” in email. Something to consider if there’s extra time or budget.

In reality, it’s fundamental.

At EcoSend, we think about accessibility as a simple goal: everyone should be able to read, understand, and act on the emails you send.

Particularly for teams working in the public sector, government, charities, or councils, this isn’t just best practice, it’s essential.

At its core, accessibility asks:

Can everyone, including people with disabilities, use your emails?

This includes people who:

Use screen readers
Have visual impairments
Have cognitive or learning differences
Rely on keyboard navigation

Accessible emails are:

Easy to read
Easy to navigate
Clear in meaning

It’s not about doing anything complex, it’s about making your emails usable.

Why accessibility matters more than ever

Accessibility expectations have been increasing for years, and 2026 marks an important shift.

The European Accessibility Act is now coming into force across the EU.

While it doesn’t explicitly mention email newsletters, it does apply to digital services and communications.

The takeaway is clear:

If your emails are part of delivering a service, they need to be accessible.

Globally, this builds on existing standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

And crucially, even if your business is not in the EU, the Act applies if any of your recipients are.

Accessibility is no longer just recommended, it’s becoming expected.

What this means for your emails

Rather than thinking in terms of compliance, it’s more useful to think about reducing friction.

If a reader:

Can’t read your content
Can’t understand the structure
Can’t interact with key elements

Then the email hasn’t done its job, regardless of how polished it looks.

Five improvements you can make today

Even experienced teams often overlook these fundamentals.

1. Use real text (not images of text) ✍️

Screen readers struggle with interpreting text embedded in images.

Keep written content as text, and use images for visuals only. Don't be tempted to combine the two.

2. Add alt text to images 🖼️

Alt text should describe the purpose of the image, not just its appearance.

Poor: No alt text
Better: “An image of the park”
Best: “A photo of the local park reopening on Saturday”

Without alt text, assistive technologies may skip or misinterpret the image, which could mislead the reader.

3. Check your colour contrast ⚠️

Low-contrast combinations (like light grey on white) can be difficult or impossible to read.

Aim for strong contrast—when in doubt, use darker text on a lighter background. This improves readability across all devices and environments.

💡A related tip, always make sure to use 'email-safe fonts' in your campaigns!

4. Use clear, descriptive links 🖱️

Avoid vague phrases like:

“Click here”
“Read more”

Instead, write links that make sense on their own:

“Donate to the initiative today”
“View bin collection dates”

This improves accessibility, scannability, and overall clarity.

5. Keep your structure simple ✨

We recommend using:

Short paragraphs
Clear headings
Logical flow

A well-structured email helps both readers and assistive technologies navigate content easily.

Think of it like a map: clear signposts (subject lines and headings) help people find what they need quickly.

Accessibility benefits everyone

A key final takeaway here is that accessibility isn’t about designing for a minority, it improves the experience for all readers.

Clearer writing, better structure, and more thoughtful design lead to stronger engagement and more effective communication.

Accessible emails are simply better emails.

They're a win for both performance, and inclusivity 💚

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