ACCESSIBILITY TOPIC: HUBSPOT EMAILS
HubSpot emails are an important way the university communicates with students, faculty, staff, and the community. Ensuring they are accessible and aligned with UNO’s brand helps create a consistent, usable experience for everyone.
Why Make Emails Accessible?
Accessible, on-brand messages allow all users regardless of device, bandwidth, or assistive technology to understand and engage with university information.
Top 10 Tips for Creating Accessible, On-Brand Emails
Follow these tips to make your email both accessible and on-brand.
1. Use readable, accessible fonts.
Choose clear sans-serif options such as Arial or Helvetica rather than decorative or script fonts.
2. Stick to UNO’s brand colors.
Use approved brand colors for both text and design elements (buttons, backgrounds, accents). Avoid red or blue text for emphasis, since users often associate these colors with hyperlinks.
Learn more about UNO’s brand guidelines
3. Use accessible, brand-aligned buttons.
Recommended button styles include white text on red buttons or white text on black buttons. These combinations meet contrast standards and reflect UNO’s visual identity.
4. Use photos instead of text-heavy graphics.
Photos are more accessible and maintain UNO’s visual style. Avoid posters, fliers, or images that contain essential text. These cannot be read by screen readers and often display poorly on mobile. Text embedded in images may appear too small, blurry, or cut off.
5. Add alternative text (alt text) to meaningful images.
Alt text is a short description that makes photos, diagrams, and logos accessible. In HubSpot, alt text is added in a separate field.
View HubSpot instructions on images and alt text
6. Keep image file sizes small.
Aim for images under 100 KB to prevent slow loading or email clipping across providers.
7. Write content directly in the email.
Do not place essential information inside images or rely on PDFs to convey the main message. Text inside images cannot be read by assistive technologies, does not scale for mobile, and may not load on slow connections.
8. Use clear, descriptive link text.
Avoid vague phrases like “Click here.” Link text should describe the action or destination.
View tips for creating good hyperlinks
9. Avoid QR codes.
QR codes cannot be scanned from mobile email screens. Use hyperlinks or accessible buttons instead.
10. Use PDFs sparingly.
Place content directly in the email or link to a web page when possible. If a PDF is necessary, ensure it is accessible.
View tips for creating accessible PDFs
Final Checks Before You Hit Send
- Does this email reflect UNO’s brand and voice?
- Are fonts, colors, images, and buttons accessible?
- Is the content readable on mobile?
- Are links descriptive?
HubSpot Questions?
Please email Sarah Casey, Senior Internal Content Manager, at scasey@unomaha.edu.
Digital Accessibility Questions?
Please email uno.web@nebraska.edu if you need assistance.
Visit UNO Digital Accessibility
