Email Accessibility: The Overlooked Tactic That Boosts Opens by 20%

20% of your subscribers can't properly read your emails. Fixing this isn't just good ethics - it's free reach waiting to be unlocked. Here's how accessible emails = more opens and conversions.

 

The Shocking Cost of Ignoring Accessibility

🔍 Key Stats:

  • 15-20% of people have visual, motor, or cognitive disabilities (WHO)
  • Accessible emails see 20% higher open rates (Litmus 2024)
  • 67% of users will abandon an inaccessible email (A11Y Project)

Yet most marketers treat accessibility as an afterthought.

3 Simple Fixes That Make a Big Difference

1. Alt Text That Actually Helps (Not Just SEO)

❌ Generic: "Image123.jpg"
âś… Helpful: "Woman smiling while using our mobile app dashboard"

Pro Tip: Describe the action or emotion - screen readers can't see colors or fonts.

2. Fonts & Colors That Don't Exclude

đźš« Avoid:

  • Pure red/green color coding (colorblind users)
  • Fonts below 14px for body text
  • Low-contrast text (less than 4.5:1 ratio)

âś… Better:

  • Use patterns + colors (like striped bars in graphs)
  • Tools: MailerSpot's built-in contrast checker

3. Keyboard-Friendly Design

Many users navigate emails with:

  • Tab keys (not mice)
  • Voice commands
  • Screen readers

Test your email: Try navigating it using just your keyboard.

 

Real Results: How Accessible Emails Performed

Company: SaaS Startup
Before: Standard HTML email

  • Open Rate: 18%
  • Click Rate: 2.3%

After: Accessible redesign

  • Added alt text
  • Increased font sizes
  • Improved color contrast
  • Structured headings

Results:
âś… 22% open rate (+4 pts)
âś… 3.1% click rate (+35%)

 

How MailerSpot Makes Accessibility Easy

  1. Automated Alt Text Suggestions - AI describes your images
  2. One-Click Contrast Check - Flags unreadable color combos
  3. Screen Reader Preview - Hear how your email sounds

 

Key Takeaway

Accessibility isn't just compliance - it's:

  1. Reaching 20% more potential customers
  2. Better UX for all subscribers
  3. Future-proofing your emails

Start small: Add alt text to your next campaign.

 

Tweetable Stat:

"Accessible emails get 20% higher opens by simply being readable to everyone. [Tweet this]"

 

Up Next: Want our free accessibility checklist? Reply "A11Y" and we'll send it!