Beginning April 2026, all public colleges and universities must adhere to the Americans with Disabilities Act Title II requirements for digital content. This means that all digital collateral, including emails, syllabi, coursework, and more, must be designed with accessibility in mind.
Acing Accessibility is a new communications series dedicated to delivering you bite-sized accessibility lessons to keep the College of Medicine compliant. Accessibility is everyone's responsibility, and with a few small changes, meeting the digital needs of everyone in our community will be second-nature.
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Lesson 2: Microsoft Outlook and Email Tools |
Regardless of who you are emailing (colleagues, students, or an outside party), and regardless of the method of delivery (standard email, a message to one of UI COM's listservs, or a mass communication), your message must be comply with Title II accessibility guidelines. Fortunately, Microsoft Outlook's accessibility tools are similar to those available in Word.
Emma users, please see the Acing Accessibility in Emma guide for program-specific accessibility features. Webtools users, please email Marketing & Communications if you have further questions.
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Use Clear and Descriptive Subject Lines |
Give your email a clear and specific subject line to help users identify its purpose and content. Give insight into the reason for the message, the project or event to which it pertains, and a frame of reference. Not only is this useful for recipients who rely on screen readers to hear what the email is about before having it read aloud in full, it is a useful and important element of communication for all email users.
Be specific and brief, and avoid vague subjects solely stating "Update" or "Meeting Notes."
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Structure Your Email With Headings and Lists |
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Similar to Word, use Outlook's built-in heading styles such as Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3 instead of bolding or resizing text to provide structure and flow to your document. Structured headings assist screen readers with organization.
Additionally, using short paragraphs and bullet points help readers quickly scan steps and key details.
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Use Plain Text Instead of Text Embedded Within Images |
Screen readers cannot read the text contained in images. Images should serve solely to support the message in the body text of your email, and cannot contain vital information you wish to communicate to all recipients.
When emailing items such as fliers or graphics, be sure to include the necessary information in the body of your message. For best results, only include this information in the body text and use the flyer as a supplemental graphic element, rather than duplicating the same information. And remember! All images must have alt text!
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Always Add Alt Text to Images |
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All digital images must include alternative text, more commonly referred to as alt text, to enable screen readers to describe the image to users with visual impairments.
To add alt text, right click the image, select View Alt Text, and briefly describe what the image shows. If the image is purely decorative (e.g. the image is only on the page to provide graphic ambiance), mark it as decorative. The vast majority of images should not be marked as decorative.
See also: Improving Image Accessibility in Outlook
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Emails are required to have strong color contrast, such as dark text on a white background. Avoid combinations of bright or similar colors that may make text difficult to read. Tools such as TPGI Color Contrast Checker or WebAIM verify that your color choices meet accessibility standards.
Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning (e.g. using red text to communicate "stop"). Use labels and text in addition to color.
See Instructions for Using the WebAIM Tool for details.
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Use Accessible Fonts and Sizes |
Choose standard, easy-to-read fonts such as Arial, Calibri, or Verdana. Use a minimum font size of 12 pt. for body text. Text legibility must also apply to email signatures.
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Include Descriptive Links |
Use clear and meaningful link text to create hyperlinks, rather than generic phrases like, "Click here" or, "Read more." For example, phrases such as, "See the Accessibility Guide" or, "Visit UIC Today" clearly state the destination of a hyperlink.
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Use Attachments Thoughtfully |
Attachments should be supplemental to the content in the body of your email. Include a description of the attachment, its contents, and its format.
Remember! All attachments must also meet accessibility standards, regardless of file type. See our Accessibility Resources for details on PDFs, Word documents, and PowerPoint.
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Add Signatures in Plain Text |
Email signatures should be in plain text and easy to read. Avoid decorative fonts or image-based signatures, including those containing screenshots for formatting. If including the UI COM logo, use the approved logo and add alt text: “University of Illinois College of Medicine
logo” in the signature. The Office of Marketing and Communications also has an email signature template available on the website.
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Review With Accessibility Tools |
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Use Outlook's built-in accessibility checker by selecting the Options tab and clicking Check Accessibility. Address any issues identified before sending your message.
NOTE: Outlook does not check email attachments (PDF, PPT, Docs, etc.) for accessibility issues. These must be manually checked before attaching to your message.
See Checking Accessibility in Microsoft Outlook for more information.
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University of Illinois College of Medicine 1853 W. Polk St. | Chicago, IL 60612 US
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