Email signatures and newsletters reach almost everyone, so small barriers repeat thousands of times. This page covers both: a signature that works for everyone, and a checklist for every newsletter you send.
Email signatures
Start with the University’s Email Signature Generator from University Marketing & Communications, which keeps signatures consistent. Then check these points.
Keep it text, not a picture
- Your name, title, department, phone number and links should be real text that people can read, copy and select. Never make the whole signature an image.
- If your signature includes the University logo, check that the logo has alt text, for example “The University of Arizona”. A logo without alt text may be read out as a file name.
- Keep the logo small, and do not add other images or animated graphics.
Make it easy to read
- Use a readable font size and good contrast. Avoid light gray text.
- Use meaningful link text, such as “Accessibility at the University of Arizona”, rather than a long bare web address.
- Keep it short. Screen reader users hear your whole signature at the end of every message.
Optional lines
- Pronouns: include them if you wish.
- An access line, for example: “If you need this information in another format, please let me know.”
A plain-text example
Alex Rivera (they/them)
Program Coordinator, Example Department
The University of Arizona
520-555-0100
If you need this information in another format, please let me know.
The name and number above are examples only.
Newsletter checklist
- Headings: use real headings for each story or section, in order, not just bold text.
- Images: every meaningful image has alt text; decorative images are marked decorative. Never put important text, such as dates and deadlines, only in an image.
- Links: link text says where the link goes. Avoid “click here” and “read more” on their own.
- Color and contrast: text meets 4.5:1 against its background, and color is never the only way information is shown.
- Layout: use a single-column layout that reads in a sensible order and works on a phone.
- Buttons and calls to action: made from text, not images.
- Video: link to captioned video.
- Web version: offer a web version, or post the same content on a web page.
- Test before you send: send a test to yourself, read it on a phone and with images turned off, and check it with a screen reader if you can.
Related
- Email Accessibility
- Newsletters
- Newsletter Example
- Email Signature Generator (University Marketing & Communications)