Make Microsoft Outlook email messages accessible to people with disabilities

Differently abled or visually impaired people often have trouble reading and accessing emails. Microsoft believes that this problem can be overcome. People who are visually challenged can understand your emails more easily if you create them with accessibility in mind. Microsoft Outlook includes Accessibility features that make email messages readily accessible to visually impaired & differently-abled individuals.

Microsoft Outlook Accessibility features

Make Microsoft Outlook emails accessible to differently-abled people

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Include alternative text with all visuals and tables

Alt text is crucial for assisting screen readers or browsers that have images disabled. By including alt text with images, you can provide meaning to someone who otherwise can’t view the image. Microsoft Outlook lets you create alternative text (alt text or Alt Text) for shapes, pictures, charts, tables, or other objects in your Office document.

Right-click on an image, select Format Picture and then choose Layout & Properties from the options listed.

Next, select Alt Text (Text, SmartArt graphics, and more)

When done, give the layout a suitable title and add a small description.

By doing a few things, you can make hyperlinks, text, and tables accessible.

Add hyperlink text and ScreenTips

To do so, select the text to which you want to add the hyperlink, and then right-click it.

Choose the “Hyperlink” option, and the text you selected earlier will appear in the “Text to display” box. This is the text that will be hyperlinked.

If required, you can change the hyperlink text.

When done, go to the Address box and enter the destination URL.

After that, select the ScreenTip button and, in the ScreenTip text box, type a Screen Tip.

Use accessible font format

Select your text and chose the Format Text tab.

To change the font on your document, go to the Font group in the top toolbar and select the desired option from the drop-down menu.

Use accessible font color

When using high contrast mode, it is best to use the automatic setting for font colors. To do this, select the text, choose Message, and then Font Color.

How do I make my email ADA compliant?

There are numerous things you can do to make sure your email abides by the Americans with Disabilities Act, such as including instructions on how to manually order the email, using an informative subject line, and adding alternative text for pictures. If you want to include code, make sure it is legible and not hidden.

How do I check accessibility in Outlook?

Making Outlook emails accessible to people with disabilities is possible by using the Accessibility feature in both Outlook.com and in Outlook app. This feature allows you to check your email in a different way, which can be useful for those with disabilities. To make use of this feature, simply follow the tips and tricks below.