Email Accessibility Part 6: Make Your Emails Work Without Sound
Your 10-part email accessibility series
Tiny housekeeping note: This 10-part series, Email Accessibility: How To Open Your Inbox To Everyone, will be worth it for email creators. Join me!
Imagine you’re on the train, your headphones are dead, and you finally open that email you’ve been dying to read (you know, the one from your favourite marketing creator).
But it’s all sound.
No captions, no transcript.
Just you, the silence, and a side of disappointment.
Now picture what that’s like for someone who’s deaf or hard of hearing every day.
Sound can’t be the only door into your content, because not everyone can walk through it.
So, how can you make your emails more welcoming and more human?
Let’s take a look.
Add subtitles and transcripts
If you’re sharing videos or podcasts in your emails, make sure you’ve got subtitles and a transcript ready to go because they are your bridge, instantly connecting you.
Subtitles let people follow along in real time with videos, while transcripts offer something tangible to read, skim, or save for later, giving them an easy way to catch the key info from podcasts or webinars. Both make your content feel like an open invitation.
Tiny pro tip: transcripts are super skimmable and great for all kinds of readers.
Be assistive tech-friendly
Not all deaf people experience total hearing loss. Many use hearing aids or cochlear implants to interact with sound.
Think of it like tuning into a radio station. Your sound needs to come through crisp and clear. To do this, use high-quality audio and always pair it with captions that are easy to access, so no one feels left out.
Offer more ways to connect
Phone calls aren’t the only option, and for some people, they’re not an option at all. Make sure you’re offering email, live chat, or text support so everyone can reach you in a way that works for them.
Tiny pro tip: drop the “no-reply” email addresses. Every message deserves a sunny destination for someone who really needs to get in touch.
When Your Emails Work Without Sound, They Work for More People
It’s true.
We don’t always think about accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing when we hit “send.”
But, when your emails don’t rely on sound, you open the door a little wider—for people who use subtitles, for those who need transcripts, for anyone who depends on assistive tech to truly experience your content.
You offer more ways to connect, and you create emails that feel good to open, whether someone’s wearing headphones or not.
And, when your emails work for quiet moments, they work for more people. And that’s the kind of connection that sticks.
Stay bright. ☀️
Lia
PS Now is a good time to learn more about How To Create Image Descriptions And Get Your Content Seen.
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