You may not realize that some of the options that you use in Outlook actually make it harder to read for people with various disabilities. Here are our top tips for Email:

• Font should be clear, with high contrast between the color of the type and the background color. Black type on a white background is highly recommended. If you use color, make sure it is a dark, not pastel, color on a light background.    

• Staff should use fonts that are well spaced and not too condensed. Some easy to read examples include Verdana, Tahoma, Times New Roman, Calibri and Arial.    

• Generally speaking, for emphasis bold is preferable to italics.        

• Script fonts can be difficult to read visually and sometimes screen readers also have difficulty reading them. Please note these are often labeled as "script" in the font name, such as Brush Script, Freestyle Script and Segoe Script. Italic scripts fall into this category as well. PLEASE try not to use these types of fonts so your email is easy to read for everyone.        

• Fonts should be uniform in size and color for clarity and should not change multiple times within an email.            

• Stationery should NOT be used in email, the background makes it very difficult for some people to read. Please use a plain white or very light colored background for high contrast.