Now it’s time to start the evaluation process of the accessibility audit. We recommend breaking things up based on the type of campaign you’re running: transactional, marketing, newsletter, promotion, etc.
Each of these campaigns will have different goals and priorities. For example, a transactional email will be more focused on getting across necessary information like order confirmations and shipping notices. A promotional email, however, will likely prioritize calls to action and coupon codes. Separating these will help you be more efficient and effective in your optimization.
Here are some processes and tips to help guide you through your email accessibility audit:
1. Use the POUR principles
The come directly from WCAG and state that accessible content must be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Let’s take a look at each of these in more detail:
Perceivable: Subscribers need to be able to consume the information presented to them. This means providing alt text to help people comprehend images, creating enough color contrast between background and foreground content, adding captions for videos, and more.
Operable: Everyone should be able to easily navigate through your email. Test all navigation components – buttons, menus, links, and other interactive elements – using voice commands, keyboard navigation, screen readers, and other methods that those with impairments might use.
Understandable: People should be able to understand both the information in an email as well as the process of interacting with that email. Make sure your text is readable and written in a way that anyone can understand. Also ensure that interactions – like clicking buttons and navigating from section to section – are set up in a way that subscribers are familiar with.
Robust: Users should be able to choose any type of technology – assistive or otherwise – to engage with your email. This means that you should focus on and maximize integration with tools like screen readers, Braille displays, and text-to-speech systems.
So when evaluating your emails, look at them from each of these perspectives and, for more details,
2. Audit your email design and copy
Before diving into the code of your emails, we recommend starting with the design and copy. You’ll want to evaluate these based on a variety of factors, including:
Color contrast: Make sure that there’s enough between text and images and their backgrounds. Those with color blindness or vision impairments should be able to easily distinguish each element.
Readable fonts: Choose legible fonts rather than decorative or hard-to-read scripts. Ensure that all of your text is large enough to read – the recommended minimum size is 14px, but it will vary based on the font you’re working with. And check the spacing between letters, words, and lines of text to make sure they aren’t bunched up, even on mobile devices.
Button legibility: Check your buttons for size and readability. Consider color contrast, fonts, and text size here as well, and also make sure that it’s easy for someone to click the button on devices of all sizes.
Link appearance: All of the links in your emails should clearly stand out, using more than color alone. So instead of just making them all blue, also underline them or use an icon to set them apart.
White space: This is the amount of empty, unused space around elements. White space helps each part of your email stand on its own so that people can more easily consume information and navigate.
Reading level: Can everyone on your list read and comprehend your copy? According to an 8th-grade reading level can be consumed by 85% of the general public, so that’s a good goal in most cases.
Information organization: Use headings to set apart different topics and areas of content and organize information with bullet points when applicable. This helps people understand, comprehend, and categorize the information in your email.
Use clear link language: Instead of using link Brazil Phone Number List anchor text like “click here,” be specific. Tell people what they’re clicking on and what action you want them to take. Instead, use text like, “Download our sizing guide” or “Read our guide to brewing coffee.”
Of course, there are also other elements to examine when it comes to accessible design and copy. Use the WCAG guidelines, testing tools you selected, and this helpful list of to identify other considerations.
3. Audit your email code
Accessible email code is especially important for subscribers who use assistive tools like screen readers – this dramatically impacts how they interact with and comprehend your emails. If you’re not a developer, you may need to partner with one on your team to evaluate and improve upon these requirements. Here are some considerations for accessible code:
Alt text: Screen readers use alt text to describe an image to those with visual impairments. Make sure your text is indicative of the photo content and avoid image-only emails – they’re too difficult to accurately explain in a few select words.
Semantic HTML: This instructs screen readers on how to interpret email elements like paragraphs, headings, and buttons. Subscribers can navigate more easily rather than having to wait for the screen reader to read the entire email just to find the section they’re looking for. Learn more about coding emails with semantic HTML.
The language attribute: Let tools like screen readers know the language your email is written in to avoid confusing pronunciations.
The code used for tables: If you include tables UAE Cell Number in your emails, always add the code role=“presentation”. This helps screen readers interpret the table correctly rather than reading all the HTML code out loud.
