Repost Message will copy the article into draft mode and enable you to edit/change dates and information.
Do not change the dates of this posting because it will affect the original.
valid_elements: 'strong/b,p,br,i,em,ul,ol,li[style],a[href|target]',

MCC Daily Tribune

Creating Accessible Emails

While emails sent between individuals or small, known groups of recipients do not need to meet the Title II guidelines, emails sent to broader groups, such as class rosters, distribution lists, or any emails sent via automation, should comply with accessibility standards. All of the criteria outlined in yesterday’s Tribune article on the Fundamentals of Digital Content Accessibility should be factored in when writing emails.

Outlook includes tools to make your content accessible.

• To add alt text to an image, simply right-click on the image in the body of your email and choose “Edit Alt Text.”
• You can change the font type, size, and color using the options in the toolbar across the top of the window, under the Message tab. In that same toolbar, you will find tools for creating ordered and unordered lists.
• To create hyperlinks within your email, remember to use descriptive link text. You can then highlight the link text, right-click, choose “Link,” then enter the URL in the “Address” field.

Including video and audio directly within the body of an email is not recommended. Instead, link to properly captioned/transcribed video or audio on an external website using descriptive link text.

Remember that any email attachments should also be made accessible. Be sure to attend our sessions this week on Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat. Also, stay tuned for more How-To articles in this week’s Tribune.

Email Signatures
The use of MCC’s old signature generator is also no longer recommended. The signatures generated with that tool included a spelled-out URL for the MCC Website and 8.5-point text, which is below the recommended size for WCAG 2.1 AA. If you are using an email signature generated by the old tool, you can update it:

• In Outlook on your desktop, go to File, then Options, then Mail, and click on the “Signatures…” button.
• In Outlook for the Web, go to File, then Account Info, then Signatures.

Remember that the minimum recommended font size is 12 points and that any links should use descriptive link text. Also, remember to include alt text for images, such as the MCC logo.

Outlook Accessibility Checker
Both the desktop version of Outlook and Outlook for the Web have built-in Accessibility Checking tools.

• In Outlook on your desktop, click on the Review tab at the top of the email window, then click “Check Accessibility.”
• In Outlook for the Web, click on the Options tab at the top of the screen, then click on “Check Accessibility.”

Outlook Quick Parts
If you or your department use boilerplate text in emails for things like responses to common questions, reminders, instructions, etc., consider using the Quick Parts feature in the desktop version of Outlook. Quick Parts allow you to store and reuse frequently used text to speed up email composition. Better yet, once you have ensured that your Quick Parts text is accessible, you can reuse it over and over again without needing to reassess your email content.

Create a Quick Part:

1. Highlight the portion of your email message you would like to save for future use.
2. Click on the Insert tab at the top of the email window.
3. Click on the three dots on the far right of the toolbar.
4. Choose “Quick Parts.”
5. Choose “Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery.”
6. Enter a descriptive Name so you can easily find this Quick Part again in the future.

Insert a Quick Part:

1. Place your cursor in the spot where you would like to insert the Quick Part within the body of your email.
2. Click on the Insert tab at the top of the email window.
3. Click on the three dots on the far right of the toolbar.
4. Choose “Quick Parts.”
5. Select the Quick Part you wish to insert into your email.

Jamie Hoover
Title II Digital Content Accessibility Committee
04/07/2026