Consider Accessibility
Accessibility means a person with a disability is afforded the opportunity to acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services as a person without a disability in an equally effective and equally inclusive manner, with substantially equivalent ease of use. Are you doing everything you can to make your digital communications and events accessible to all?
Alternative Text (Alt-text)
We must provide alternative (ALT) text that is contextually relevant to the message of the email, for images that we embed within the body of our email communication and that the alt tag conveys an accurate and concise description.
EXAMPLES
- lists the relevant data so that a bar graph can be understood
- explain what an image contains and why it is being used, rather than details about how the image looks
Contrast & Color
- CU Color Scheme Contrast Scale
- Contrast Checker
- Are My Colors Accessible?
- Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA) (downloadable tool for Windows and Mac)
Fonts
Larger font sizes are also easier to read. In email communications, font size should be at least 14 points.
Hyperlinks
Best Practice
- Links must reflect the context of the communication
- EXAMPLE: Interested parties can learn more about the submission criteria through resources available on our site.
- Embed the link within text that accurately describes where the link will lead
- Typing out a full email address and linking
- EXAMPLE: Questions? Contact us at email@address.com.
Bad Practice
- Saying "click this link" or "click here" is considered ambiguous and unhelpful.
- EXAMPLE: Interested parties can learn more about the submission criteria through resources available on our site.
- EXAMPLE: Interested parties can learn more about the submission criteria here.
- Pasting the full URL as the hyperlink is annoying and cumbersome to the screen reader user. Screen readers will try to read aloud all the characters of a hyperlink.
- Linking to an email address in other text.
- EXAMPLE: Questions? Email us.
Registration Questions
- Question 1
- Do you or your guest require accommodations related to accessibility? | Yes or No
- Question 2
- If the person selects yes, display this message with the appropriate dates and American's with Disabilities Act (ADA) expert contact information.
- Accommodation requests related to accessibility should be made [3-5 DAYS BEFORE EVENT] to [CAMPUS ADA EXPERT NAME AND EMAIL or PHONE NUMBER].
- CU Boulder | adacoordinator@colorado.edu, 303-492-9725
- CU Denver, Anschutz & South Denver | Doug Kasyon, doug.kasyon@ucdenver.edu
- CU Colorado Springs | Michelle Ward, mward@uccs.edu
- CU System | Ashley Eschler, ashley.eschler@cu.edu
Post-Registration Emails
- Registration Confirmation Email
- Accommodation requests related to accessibility should be made [3-5 DAYS BEFORE EVENT] to [CAMPUS ADA EXPERT NAME AND EMAIL or PHONE NUMBER].
- Know Before You Go Email
- Send questions including accommodation requests related to accessibility to {[P-EMAIL]} or call {[E-PHONE]}
CONTACT THE EXPERTS
- CU Boulder | Lauren Schipper, lauren.schipper@colorado.edu
- CU Denver, Anschutz & South Denver | Doug Kasyon, doug.kasyon@ucdenver.edu
- CU Colorado Springs | Michelle Ward, mward@uccs.edu
- CU System | Ashley Eschler, ashley.eschler@cu.edu