Are accessibility standards only for public sectors?

Accessibility standards weren't written with e-commerce brands or SaaS companies in mind. They started in government and public services, where legal requirements made them unavoidable. But that doesn't mean the rest of us get a free pass. It just means the pressure to comply is different, not that the need is.

The honest case for accessible email isn't about legal risk. It's about reach. Around 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability. Add people who read email in bright sunlight, on a small screen, with images turned off, or with their phone at arm's length, and you're talking about a huge chunk of your actual list. Accessible emails don't just reach screen reader users. They reach more people, full stop.

Here's what WCAG guidelines actually ask of your emails in practice:

• Alt text on images. Write it like a human. "Red sneaker product shot" is useless. "Nike Air Max 90 in coral red, side profile" tells a screen reader user what they need to know. When images are blocked (which happens in plenty of corporate inboxes), that alt text shows in place of the image for everyone.
• Colour contrast. WCAG AA requires a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text. If your brand uses light grey text on a white background, that's failing the contrast check and making life hard for anyone with low vision or reading in glare.
• Logical heading structure. Use H1, H2, and H3 tags in the right order. Screen readers navigate by heading. Skipping levels or using headings only for visual sizing breaks that navigation entirely.
• Descriptive link text. "Click here" tells a screen reader nothing. "Download your invoice" or "View this month's offers" gives context when the link is read in isolation (which is exactly how some screen reader users browse).
• Font size. Anything below 14px is a strain. WCAG recommends at least 16px for body text. If your email designer has 11px fine print at the bottom, it's time for a conversation.
• Readable HTML structure. Don't build your entire email as one big image. That's invisible to screen readers and invisible to anyone with images off. Real text in real HTML is always better.

There are two levels of WCAG most senders aim for: AA and AAA. AA is the practical target. It covers colour contrast, text alternatives, and navigation. AAA goes further (things like sign language interpretation) and is rarely required or achievable in marketing email. AA is the goal worth setting for your templates.

The nice side effect? Many of these changes also help your deliverability. Properly structured HTML with real text loads better across clients. Good alt text keeps your email usable when Gmail or Outlook clips images. A logical heading hierarchy helps email clients parse your content correctly.

You don't have to rebuild every template at once. Start with the things that affect the most people: alt text, contrast, link text, and font size. Those four changes alone cover the majority of accessible email problems, and none of them require a design overhaul.

Want to check where your current templates stand? Our free Accessibility Checker gives you a quick read on what's passing and what needs attention.