Outlook Accessibility

Writing accessible Outlook emails is a lot like writing accessible documents in Word -- there are just a few things Outlook can't do. See Quick Tips below for details.

1. Go to https://outlook.office.com & sign in
2. Click the “Settings” gear icon in the upper right
   
3. Select the “General” category
4. Select the “Accessibility” sub-category
5. Scroll down and check “Ask senders to send content that’s accessible”

1. Keep it Simple!
   • You don't need to do anything special for simple emails that just contain text.
   • If you decide to get fancy, use the techniques below:
2. Headings - if your email is long enough to have section headings, use "Styles".
   • Right-click heading text and pick "Styles" or look at the Styles section of the Format Text menu.
   • Pick Heading 1 for the overall heading/title of the email, Heading 2 for main section headings, Heading 3 for sub-section headings, etc.
   • Format the heading as you like. Right-click the heading name and pick "Update to Match Selection" to keep formatting you've already set.
3. Lists - Use "Bullets" or "Numbering" for lists.
   • Don't insert blank lines between list items; right-click and adjust Paragraph "Before/After" spacing if desired.
   • Uncheck "Don't add space between paragraphs of the same style" if you want space between list items.
4. Pictures - Add Alt Text to Pictures (and Shapes, Smart Art, etc.)
   • If you include a picture, right-click it, select Edit Alt Text, enter the appropriate alt text.
   • Don't describe the picture; enter alt text that communicates what the picture is meant to communicate.
   • Outlook doesn't have way to mark pictures as "decorative"; if you have a picture that doesn't communicate anything, enter a very short name or description.
5. Positioning - Use "In Line with Text" for Picture Positioning/Wrapping.
   • Don't position meaningful Pictures or Text Boxes "Behind text" or "In front of text".
   • If you get fancy with positioning, you will need to test the reading order with a screen reader.
6. Links - Make sure link text is descriptive.
   • Don't use ambiguous terms like "click here" (e.g., "For more info, click here.")
   • Structure sentences so the link is descriptive (e.g., "For more info, see Outlook Accessibility.")
7. Check Accessibility - Use Outlook's Accessibility Checker.
   • Click "Check Accessibility" on the Review or Messages menu.
   • Review and fix any errors and warnings the accessibility checker finds.
   • Be aware that the Accessibility Checker can find many but not all accessibility issues and sometimes makes mistakes.
8. Colors - See our Color Contrast Guide.
   • Check that all text/background color combinations Pass (AA).

• Microsoft: Make your Outlook Email Accessible
• Microsoft: Accessibility Checker