Marketing accessibility toolkit
Templates, campaign checklists, inclusive language guide.
View guideWhat this page helps you do
- Produce campaigns, newsletters, and social media that are perceivable and usable by all audiences.
- Apply UA brand tokens and accessible formats to creative assets.
- Know where to get quick captioning, alt-text, and editorial reviews before launch.
Top tasks
| Task | Steps | Primary Tools |
|---|---|---|
| Produce accessible campaigns | Plan concept → select accessible palettes → script inclusive language → test layouts. | Adobe Creative Cloud, brand templates |
| Publish accessible newsletters | Use bulletproof buttons → alt text → descriptive links → test in Outlook/Gmail + screen readers. | Marketing automation platforms |
| Create inclusive social content | Add alt text → caption video → include text-based CTAs → test for color contrast. | Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube |
Impactful principles & tools
Accessibility shouldn’t slow down creativity. Anchor every campaign to WCAG 2.2 AA highlights and automate checks with the tools below.
Color, typography, and motion
- Use UA palette tokens that meet 4.5:1 contrast for text and 3:1 for UI (SC 1.4.3/1.4.11).
- Limit motion and provide pauses for animated stories (SC 2.2.2); include transcripts or stills.
Validate via Accessibility Insights’ color contrast analyzer or WebAIM’s contrast checker.
Copy, alt text, and captions
- Follow WebAIM alt text principles for photos, graphics, and stories.
- Caption all audio/video; describe visual-only calls to action in accompanying text.
- Run Microsoft Accessibility Checker (Word, PowerPoint) before exporting press kits or talking points.
- Keep CTAs descriptive by using the Meaningful Links guide; avoid repeated “learn more”.
Testing & monitoring
- Use Accessibility Insights FastPass or WAVE for HTML newsletters and landing pages.
- Schedule DubBot scans for ongoing microsites; share dashboards with leadership.
- For PDF lookbooks, follow the Adobe remediation checklist (reading order, tags, labels).
Guidance
Visual & brand assets
Use UA-approved palettes that pass contrast requirements. Provide text overlays or scrims for background images.
Media & video
Follow the captioning playbook for Panopto, YouTube, and social clips. Provide audio descriptions or text alternatives for visual-only stories.
Email/newsletters
Apply email guidance plus Outlook/Gmail checklists for alt text, tables, and focus order.
Tools & contacts
Adobe Contact
Request Firefly guidance, alt text best practices, and asset reviews.
Adobe tipsAccessibility editorial review
Submit campaigns for quick checks before launch.
Request reviewAssistive technologies to keep in mind
Marketing content must be consumable via:
- JAWS and NVDA for HTML newsletters, landing pages, and PDFs.
- VoiceOver and TalkBack for social media apps and mobile-responsive stories.
- Fusion and ZoomText for low-vision users zooming campaign microsites or digital signage.
Captioned media and descriptive copy ensure screen-reader and magnifier users receive the same message. Review the Assistive Technology Coverage summary.
Training & community
- Inclusive storytelling workshops (quarterly).
- Email accessibility labs (bi-monthly).
- Social media accessibility roundtable (monthly).
Feedback
Share wins or blockers via the MarCom Teams channel or email accessibility@arizona.edu. Last reviewed: 2026-01-05.
Next steps for communications teams
- This week: Ensure upcoming campaign assets include alt text and captions for required media.
- This month: Validate email templates in Outlook/Gmail and run WAVE on landing pages before sending.
- Ongoing: Route high-profile releases through the Accessibility editorial review and keep a shared asset log for remediation history.
Request editorial review via the Accessibility consultation form.
Related guides you may need
Your work may overlap with these roles:
Content Creation
Documents, slides, and PDF accessibility fundamentals.
Content creatorsLeadership Priorities
Executive talking points and governance context.
Leadership guideAll Roles
Browse all role-based guides.
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