Inclusive email practices make your messages clearer, easier to navigate, and more useful for everyone. Someone reading on a small screen, scanning quickly between meetings, using a screen reader, or reading in a second language all benefit from the same things: plain language, meaningful links, and well-described images. This guide covers four practices that make the biggest difference. Steps are written for Outlook, but the same options are available in Gmail and other clients under similar menus.
Write in Plain Language
Plain, direct language helps all readers, especially those with cognitive differences, non-native speakers, and anyone reading quickly or under pressure.
- One idea per sentence. Break complex instructions into separate sentences.
- Active voice. Write “Email your assignment to me” rather than “Assignments should be emailed.”
- Be specific about deadlines. Write “by 11:59 PM Eastern on May 14” rather than “soon” or “end of the week.”
- State the action first. Tell the reader what to do before explaining why.
Less clear: In light of the current circumstances, recipients are advised that submission of the relevant materials should occur via the alternate method that was previously communicated.
More clear: Please email your completed form to hr@university.edu by 5:00 PM on May 14.
Add Alt Text to Images
Alt text is a written description of an image that screen readers read aloud. Without it, someone using a screen reader will hear “image” or nothing at all.
When an image doesn’t have alt text, anyone who can’t see it — whether they use a screen reader, have images turned off, or are on a slow connection — receives nothing; no context, no meaning, no access to the information the image was meant to convey. For a sighted reader, a missing caption is less of an inconvenience. For someone who relies on assistive technology or a slow connection, it can mean missing instructions, misunderstanding content, or being excluded from a conversation entirely. Alt text is one of the simplest ways to make sure the meaning you intended actually reaches everyone.
Every informational image in your email needs alt text. Decorative images must be explicitly marked as decorative — not left with a blank description.
How to add alt text in Outlook
The steps below are for Outlook. In Gmail, right-click an inserted image and select Alt text.
- Insert your image via Insert > Pictures.
- Right-click the image and select Edit Alt Text. On a Mac, you can also go to Format > Alt Text from the menu bar.
- Type a description in the panel that opens on the right.
- For decorative images, leave the alt text field completely empty. Outlook does not have a “Mark as decorative” option — an empty field tells screen readers to skip the image.
What to write
Describe what the image communicates, not just what it looks like. Aim for one to two sentences. Avoid starting with “Image of” or “Picture of” — screen readers already announce that an image is present.
- Logo: “Office of Student Affairs logo: a blue torch on a white background.”
- Chart: “Bar chart showing final grade distribution: 40% A, 35% B, 20% C, 5% D or F”
- Decorative divider: Leave the alt text field empty
Signature images
If your email signature includes a logo, it also needs alt text.
- Windows: Go to File > Options > Mail > Signatures, select your signature, right-click the logo, and choose Edit Alt Text.
- Mac: Go to Outlook > Settings > Email > Signatures, select your signature, and right-click the logo to access alt text options.
If your name and institution already appear as text next to the logo, leave the alt text field empty so screen readers skip it.
Use Descriptive Hyperlink Text
Screen readers can pull all links out of an email and read them as a list. Link text like “click here” or a raw URL tells the reader nothing about where the link goes.
- Use: “View the Week 13 assignment instructions (Google Doc).”
- Use: “Schedule a 20-minute office hours appointment.”
- Avoid: “Click here.”
- Avoid: “https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xKz…”
How to insert a hyperlink
In Outlook or Gmail, select the text and press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac).
- Select the descriptive text you want to link.
- Press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac).
- Confirm the Text to display field shows your descriptive text.
- Paste the URL in the Address field and click OK.
Run the Accessibility Checker Before Sending
Outlook’s built-in Accessibility Checker scans your email and flags issues before you send. Run it before sending any important email. Gmail does not have a built-in checker, but the practices in this guide cover the most common issues.
- In your composed email, go to the Review tab.
- Click Check Accessibility.
- Review the results panel. Fix all Errors before sending. Address Warnings when possible.
The Review tab and Check Accessibility option are available on both Windows and Mac versions of Outlook.
Keep the checker running while you compose
You can set Outlook to flag issues in real time as you write.
- Windows: Go to File > Options > Ease of Access and check “Keep accessibility checker running while I work.”
- Mac: This option is not available in the current Mac version of Outlook. Run the checker manually before sending.
