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(info) About Digital Accessibility

Digital accessibility ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can effectively access and interact with online content. Established by the U.S. Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and later expanded by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), it mandates that public institutions and federally funded programs make electronic and information technology available to everyone. In 1998, amendments introduced Section 508, requiring federal agencies to ensure digital content is accessible. Under Title III of the ADA, businesses must also provide equal access to digital spaces, including websites and online communications like emails. This ensures that all users can access exclusive offers, information, and services shared online, regardless of ability.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) developed the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), now in version 2.1, as an international standard for web accessibility. To achieve meaningful access, public institutions must meet WCAG’s AA compliance level, which applies to all website components—from text and images to PDFs and videos.

👥 Why Does ADA Compliance Matter?

  1. Accessibility Promotes Equality

According to the CDC, one in four Americans has a disability. Failing to accommodate this 25% of visitors is like a physical store turning away every fourth customer—leading to frustration, lost business, and fewer recommendations. Ensuring accessibility isn’t just good practice; it’s essential for building a welcoming, inclusive experience for all users.

  1. Legal Compliance Protects Maricopa Community College’s

Ensuring your website is ADA-compliant helps avoid costly lawsuits, including legal fees, potential settlements, the expense of re-building your site to meet ADA standards, and possible PR issues that could harm your revenue. Compliance is a proactive step to safeguard your business.

  1. ADA Compliance Enhances Usability

Websites designed with accessibility in mind tend to be more user-friendly for all. Features like video captions benefit users watching in noisy environments, making content accessible and convenient for everyone.

📧 Building Accessible Emails in HubSpot

 Composing an Email - Body Content

📖 Design for Readability

Designing for readability is key to writing good digital content, including emails.

Best Practices:

  • Choose accessible fonts like Arial, Verdana, Tahoma, Century Gothic, Trebuchet, Calibri, Open Sans, and Sans serif.

  • Use a minimum of 12px for body text and 18px for headlines, and ensure readable line spacing and font size to accommodate all screen sizes.

  • Left-aligned text is easier to read, especially for users with dyslexia, as it maintains consistent word spacing.

  • Break up text into short paragraphs.

  • Keep the email copy short and easy to read. Break down long sentences (less than 80 characters) for better readability. This will help users with cognitive disabilities understand your message.

📄 Attachments

Documents can be challenging to access and remediate. Before attaching a document, ask:

  • Is this the best way to share information?

  • Can the content be added directly to the email body?

If an attachment is necessary, follow best practices:

  • Use headings for document structure.

  • Include alternative text for images.

  • Be mindful of color contrast to ensure readability.

  • Confirm the documents or other attachments in your email are accessible and that the files have descriptive names. Verify all document properties and content for accessibility before attaching them to your email.

▶️ Video and Audio

When you embed a video or audio player in an email, add accurate

  • Add accurate captions for all videos.

  • Provide transcripts for audio content.

  • Ensure media controls (e.g., play, pause, stop) are keyboard accessible.

📅 Event Flyers

If you add an event flyer to an email, ensure that any text in the image is repeated in the email body text or in the alt text.

Best practices:

  • Repeat all text within the image in the email body, such as event details (e.g., date, time, location).

  • Include alt text for the image.

📹 Animation

Avoid auto-playing animations and videos and distracting animations.

🖊️ Signatures

When adding signatures, use actual text for name and contact information to ensure greater accessibility.

Best practices:

  • Use actual text for names and contact information in email signatures.

  • Including a logo (e.g., college or organization shield) is fine, but add alt text to describe the image for accessibility.

Ensure the visible link text describes the link's purpose and/or destination.

Best practices:

  • Use clickable elements such as buttons with descriptive CTAs such as “Read our Guide" instead of "Click here."

  • Avoid generic phrases like “Click here” or “Read more”.

  • If a link leads to a non-web page document such as a PDF or Word document), include the format in the link text.

(big grin) Emojis

Emojis can enhance communication, but avoid overusing or relying on them to convey meaning.

Best practices:

  • Add emojis at the end of a message, not between words.

  • Avoid replacing words with emojis.

🗨️ Layout

Keep the layout simple and use a single-column layout to enhance readability, reduce sensory overload, and ensure device compatibility.

Best practices:

  • Use color combinations that are easily readable to low-vision users and users with difficulty differentiating color.

  • Avoid using background effects with images or patterns that lower the text-to-background contrast.

 Adding Alt Text for Images in Emails

Alt text is a short description displayed in place of an image when content is read by a screen reader, or images are being blocked. Include descriptive and concise alt text for all images, enabling screen readers to describe them to visually impaired users. The email loses all meaning without alt text when the image does not load.

Best Practices

  • Alt text should be concise and descriptive.

  • Avoid duplicating text already present in the email body.

  • Limit the use of decorative graphics and images. Rely on text-based content rather than embedding all content in an image, such as a flyer. This approach avoids issues for users whose email clients block images or use screen readers.

  • If an image contains text (e.g., banners or event flyers): Ensure the text is also included in the email body or alt text.

How to Add Alt Text in Emails

  1. Open the Email:

    • Navigate to Marketing > Email in your HubSpot account.

    • Open an existing email or create a new one using the Drag-and-Drop Editor.

  2. Add or Select the Image:

    • Click on the image module where you want to add alt text.

    • If the image isn’t already uploaded, click Replace to add an image.

  3. Add Alt Text:

    • In the Image Settings panel on the right, find the Alt text field.

    • Enter a concise and descriptive alt text that conveys the purpose of the image.

      • Example: “Student holding books at Maricopa Community College.”

  4. Save Your Changes:

    • Once added, click Done or Save to ensure the alt text is applied.

 Use color mindfully

  • Adequate Color Contrast

    • WCAG recommends using a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for standard text (and 3:1 for larger text) to assist those with visual impairments.

    • Provide enough white space around elements to prevent crowding, helping users visually differentiate and navigate content easily.

📚 Digital Accessibility Courses

To learn more about creating accessible web pages and digital content, refer to the following websites:

Accessibility Courses

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