There’s a constant pressure for marketers to deploy and optimize the latest technologies and many struggle to keep up. The message I hear over and over again from every company that I consult with is that they’re behind. I assure them that, while they may be, so is everyone else. Technology is advancing at a relentless pace that’s almost impossible to keep up with.
Assistive Technology
That said, much of the Internet’s technologies were built on a foundation that was inclusive to all people, including those with disabilities. Assistive technologies continue to evolve as rapidly as the tools and technologies do. Some examples of impairments and the technologies that allow people with them to adapt:
- Cognitive – systems that educate and assist memory.
- Emergency – biometric monitors and emergency alerts.
- Hearing – assistive listening devices, amplifiers, and aids as well as voice-to-text systems.
- Mobility – prosthesis, walkers, wheelchairs, and transfer devices.
- Visual – Screen readers, braille embossers, braille displays, magnifiers, tactile keyboards, navigation assistance and wearable technologies.
Accessibility
To make computer systems accessible, there are hardware and software systems that enable use of computers by people with disabilities and impairments. For people with physical impairments, eye-tracking and large input devices can assist. For visual impairments, screen readers, text-to-speech, high-contrast visual devices, or refreshable braille displays are available. For hearing impairments, closed captions can be utilized.
Email is now a primary communication medium, especially for people with disabilities. Marketers could and should create, design and develop email campaigns that are accessible. This infographic from Email Monks will help you to enhance your emails for visual, hearing, cognitive, and neurological impairments.
Email marketers worldwide have always been looking for new ways to improve the engagement and effectiveness of their email campaigns. In doing so, some have embraced technology to make their emails more accessible to those one billion people in the world living with some form of disability (source: World Health Organization).
Email Monks: How to Make Emails Accessible
This infographic details everything from content creation, styling, to structure. As well, the infographic details some tools that you can utilize:
- WAVE – Web accessibility evaluation tool. These browser extensions can assist you to evaluate and correct issues with your HTML.
- A Checker – This tool checks single HTML pages for conformance with accessibility standards to ensure the content can be accessed by everyone. You can paste your email HTML directly to it.
- VoiceOver – VoiceOver is unique because it’s not a standalone screen reader. It’s deeply integrated in iOS, macOS and all the built-in apps on Mac.
- Narrator – Narrator is a screen-reading app built into Windows 10.
- TalkBack – TalkBack is the Google screen reader included on Android devices.
Here’s the full infographic, Email Accessibility: How to Craft the Perfect Accessible Email:
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