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Creating accessible emails in Microsoft Outlook

Last updated on December 2, 2025

When drafting an email, keep the following in mind to ensure everyone can access it.

Who does this affect?

  • Mateo has dyslexia. His colleague sent him an urgent email using a cursive font. This makes it difficult for him to read, so it takes him longer to read and respond to them.
  • Rory is photosensitive. They receive an email with an animated flashing GIF which triggers a migraine.
  • Nadiya only has her phone with her. She receives an email with a screen shot of text which is too small for her to read. She cannot properly read the email until she gets to a desktop computer.

Steps to take

  1. Use the plain language checklist
  2. Make your content legible
  3. Structure the content of your email
  4. Use descriptive hyperlinks
  5. Make sure visual content is accessible
  6. Clearly name attachments
  7. Only use very simple tables
  8. Check your signature
  9. Run Outlook’s Accessibility Checker

Make your content legible

Some text is easier for people to read. Follow these tips to improve the readability of your digital content: 

  • Depending on the font you choose, use a size 12 point or larger
  • Use a sans serif font like BC Sans, Arial or Calibri as they're easier to read especially on screens. Serifs are small decorative strokes on the ends of letters in some fonts (like Times New Roman). Sans serif fonts do not have these extra strokes, which makes them easier to read
  • Use at least 1.5 line spacing 
  • Do not write in all capital letters (all caps) unless using acronyms
  • When emphasizing text:
    • Only use bold to emphasize a few words or a short sentence, do not bold an entire paragraph
    • Avoid italics, they're difficult to read
    • Only underline text if it's a hyperlink
  • When using a text colour other than black, test the colour contrast by using a tool like WebAIM’s Colour Contrast Checker to make sure people can easily see and read it
  • Do not rely on colour alone to convey meaning. For example, do not use only red text to indicate something is mandatory. Always include another visual cue, like an asterisk, to make the meaning clear

Structure the content of your email

If you have a long email, use headings to break the content into chunks of information. People and assistive technologies scan written content for headings because they provide context. 

  • You can use multiple ‘Heading 1’ to break up content
  • Use ‘Heading 2’ as sub-headings to Heading 1s, and so on
  • Write short clear headings which describe the content
  • Use sentence case for headings (start with a capital letter, the rest should be lower case)
  • Use bulleted lists to make information easier to scan. Only use numbered lists to show ordered steps

Watch Microsoft’s video on improving heading accessibility (external link).

Clearly name attachments

Clearly name any documents you attach and include a description in the body of your email. To do this:

  • Use descriptive file names that make the content clear (for example: 'Training Schedule' instead of 'Document1')
  • Briefly explain the purpose of each attachment in your email so recipients know what it is and why it’s included
  • Ensure the attachments are accessible. Learn how to create accessible documents
  • Attach only necessary files to keep emails manageable and reduce confusion

Use descriptive hyperlinks

Hyperlink keywords which describes where the link goes. For example: 

  • Don’t write: 'Click here' for resources and guides on accessible digital content
  • Instead write: 'Learn how to create accessible digital content'

Watch Microsoft’s video on creating accessible links (external link).

Make sure visual content is accessible

Add alternative text to visual content

Visual content includes graphics, images, pictures, SmartArt, shapes, groups, charts and embedded objects.

Alternative text (alt text) helps people who cannot see the visual content understand its context. If you're not sure what to write, think about how you would describe the image to someone over the phone.

To add alt text:

  • Right click on the image
  • Select ‘View Alt Text’
  • Write a short description of the image (5 to 10 words)

If the image you're using does not convey any additional information and is purely decorative. You may select the ‘Mark as decorative’ check box.

Avoid images of text

Do not include screenshots or images of text, they're difficult to read, especially on mobile devices, and screen readers cannot interpret them.

If you need to include one, make sure to mark it as decorative and provide a description typed directly into the email.

Do not use flashing or animated content

Do not use animated GIFs, flashing images or content that blinks rapidly.

Only use simple tables in the body of your email

Outlook sends emails in HTML and different email programs may display their content differently. Tables should only be used for tabular data, not for layout or spacing. Using them correctly helps screen readers interpret their content. To do this:

  • Keep tables simple in the email body: use only a few rows and columns, and avoid merged or split cells
  • Clearly label the top row with column headings
  • When needed, use row labels in the first column
  • When sending larger or more complex tables, use Word or Excel attachments rather than PDFs or images. Make sure to include a short descriptive note in your email explaining the attachment(s)

Make your email signature accessible

Your team may have rules on how to write your email signature. Make sure they follow accessibility standards.

Run the Accessibility Checker

Use Outlook’s Accessibility Checker before sending an email to identify potential issues with headings, tables, images and links.

You can find it under File > Info > Check for Issues > Check Accessibility.

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