Smore

Planning your newsletter before you begin can help make it easier to read, understand and use.

Before creating a Smore newsletter:

• Decide what information families, staff or the community need to know.
• Put the most important information near the top of the newsletter.
• Use clear section titles to organize related information.
• Keep paragraphs short and use plain language.
• Use bulleted or numbered lists when they make information easier to scan.
• Choose images that support the information in the newsletter.
• Plan alternative text for meaningful images.
• Make sure videos include captions.
• Use descriptive text for links instead of phrases such as click here or long web addresses.
• Make sure any PDFs, Word documents or other files you plan to attach are accessible before adding them to the newsletter.

Do not rely on color, images, audio or video alone to communicate important information. Make sure the same information is available in a format that can be understood by people using assistive technology.

Keeping your content simple and organized from the beginning will make the newsletter easier for everyone to use.

Images Have Appropriate Alternative Text

Every image that provides meaningful information should include alternative text, also called alt text.

Alternative text should briefly explain the purpose or important information shown in the image.

Good alternative text:

• Describes the important information in the image.
• Explains the image in the context of the newsletter.
• Is clear and concise.
• Does not begin with phrases such as image of or picture of.

Example:

Students and families attending the Columbia Public Schools Back to School Bash.

Do not use file names such as:

IMG_4832.jpg

If an image contains important text, include that information in the newsletter text whenever possible instead of requiring readers to get the information from the image.

Decorative images that do not provide meaningful information should be marked as decorative when that option is available.

Links Use Descriptive Text

Link text should clearly tell readers where the link will take them.

Avoid vague phrases such as:

• Click here
• Learn more
• Read more
• More information

Also avoid displaying long web addresses when descriptive text can be used instead.

Avoid:

https://www.cpsk12.org/family-resources/enroll

Use:

Columbia Public Schools Enrollment Information

Readers using screen readers may navigate through links separately from the surrounding text. Each link should make sense on its own.

Videos Include Captions

Videos should include accurate captions for spoken words and other important sounds.

Before adding or sharing a video:

• Make sure captions are available.
• Review automatic captions for errors.
• Correct names, locations and other words that may have been captioned incorrectly.
• Make sure important sounds are identified when they are needed to understand the video.

Do not rely only on automatically generated captions without reviewing them.

If important information appears visually but is not explained in the audio, provide that information in text when needed.

Attached Documents Are Accessible

Adding a PDF, Word document, spreadsheet or other file to a Smore newsletter does not automatically make the file accessible.

Before attaching or linking to a document:

• Make sure the document has a clear title.
• Use real headings and lists.
• Add alternative text to meaningful images.
• Make sure tables have appropriate headers.
• Use descriptive links.
• Check color contrast.
• Make sure the reading order is correct.
• Run the appropriate accessibility checker before publishing.

Whenever possible, place important information directly in the Smore newsletter instead of requiring readers to open a separate document.

Do Not Use Color Alone to Communicate Meaning

Color can help organize information, but it should never be the only way information is communicated.

Avoid instructions such as:

Items in red are required.

Instead, use color along with text or another visual indicator.

For example:

Required: Emergency Contact Form

This makes the information understandable for people who cannot see color differences.

Use Clear and Readable Text

Keep newsletter text easy to read and understand.

• Use short paragraphs.
• Use clear section titles.
• Use plain language whenever possible.
• Avoid writing large sections in all capital letters.
• Avoid using bold or italic formatting for long sections of text.
• Use lists when they make information easier to scan.

Important dates, deadlines and actions should be easy to find.

Keep Content in a Logical Order

Organize the newsletter so information follows a clear and predictable order.

Place the most important information near the top of the newsletter.

Use section titles that clearly describe the content that follows.

Keep related information together instead of spreading it across different sections of the newsletter.

A logical structure helps everyone navigate the newsletter, including people using assistive technology.

Check Images That Contain Text

Avoid using images, flyers or graphics as the only way to communicate important information.

Text inside an image may not be available to screen readers and may be difficult to read when the newsletter is viewed on a phone.

If you use a graphic that contains important information, include the same important information as regular text in the newsletter.

For example, if an event flyer contains the event name, date, time and location, include those details as text near the image.

Check Dates, Times and Contact Information

Make important details easy to understand and find.

Review:

• Dates
• Times
• Locations
• Deadlines
• Phone numbers
• Email addresses
• Registration information

Do not require readers to locate this information inside an image or attached flyer.

Preview the Newsletter on Different Screen Sizes

Review the newsletter before publishing to make sure the content works on both desktop and mobile devices.

Check that:

• Text is easy to read.
• Images display correctly.
• Important information is not cut off.
• Links are easy to identify and select.
• Sections appear in a logical order.
• Large graphics do not make important information difficult to find.

Many families may read the newsletter on a phone, so the mobile version should be easy to navigate.

Complete a Final Accessibility Review

Before publishing or sending your Smore newsletter, complete a final review.

• Check that meaningful images have appropriate alternative text.
• Make sure links use descriptive text.
• Confirm videos have accurate captions.
• Verify that attached documents are accessible.
• Make sure important information is not communicated by color alone.
• Check that important information from images is also available as text.
• Review the newsletter for clear headings and logical organization.
• Preview the newsletter on desktop and mobile devices.
• Test important links before publishing.

Make any needed corrections before sharing the newsletter with families, staff or the community.

Smore Accessibility -  Learn about Smore's built-in accessibility features, including alternative text, keyboard navigation, readable colors, adjustable font sizes and screen reader support.

Smore Accessibility Features -  Review Smore's accessibility features and learn how the platform supports accessible newsletter creation and reading.

Smore WCAG Accessibility -  Learn about Smore's accessibility updates, including screen reader support, keyboard navigation, high contrast viewing, adjustable text sizes and alternative text.

Accessibility in School Newsletters -  Learn why accessible newsletters matter and how accessible design helps schools communicate with more families.

Accessible School Newsletter Templates -  Learn about Smore newsletter templates with built-in accessibility features, mobile-friendly layouts and translation tools.

Smore Frequently Asked Questions -  Find answers to common questions about creating, publishing and using Smore newsletters.