Email accessibility: why it matters and how to get it right

Why email accessibility matters

A meaningful share of recipients rely on assistive technology or need larger text and higher contrast to read comfortably. If your email ignores them, you lose those readers entirely. Accessibility also overlaps with good design: the same choices that help screen-reader users (clear structure, alt text, readable type) make email better for everyone, including people skimming on a bright phone screen outdoors.

The core accessibility rules

Four things cover most of it:

• Alt text on every meaningful image, so screen readers and recipients with images off still get the message.
• Colour contrast between text and background that meets readability guidelines.
• Readable font size, roughly 14px or larger for body text.
• Logical structure using real headings and semantic markup rather than styled text alone.

Why it also helps deliverability

Accessible email tends to be lighter and better structured, which filters like. Alt text means your message still reads when images are blocked (as they often are by default), so an image-only email does not arrive blank. Good text-to-image balance, a byproduct of accessible design, is exactly what helps you avoid the spam folder.

How to check your email

Paste your email HTML into the Accessibility Checker. It flags missing alt text, weak contrast, small fonts and structural issues, with specific fixes. Run it alongside the Mobile Email Preview so your message works for every recipient on every device.

Frequently asked questions