Chapter 8
In the past, or rather in the beginning, deliverability was mostly about infrastructure. If your IP was warm and your reputation was decent, and you had basic SPF and DKIM you were fine. But the definition of deliverability is evolving. Authentication, compliance, and now accessibility all factor in, and user experience is shaping the standard for sending.
Our survey and the data in this report shows the inbox has become more selective, more regulated, and more focused on recipient experience. And the trend is only going to continue. As of June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act taking effect adding in another layer of expectation for senders.
However, the truth is still the truth, if you’re a good sender, creating good emails, and caring about your perceived trust and sender reputation – you’re going to be just fine.
First it was Yahoogle. Then Microsoft. Now accessibility has taken the headlines.
With the European Accessibility Act taking effect on June 28, 2025, brands sending email to EU consumers will be legally required to meet digital accessibility standards. That means the structure, content, and design of your email must be usable for people with disabilities. In other words, it’s time for email for all.
This act isn’t just a checkbox for devs to deal with. Accessibility is a deliverability issue. It is a usability issue. And it is a brand trust issue.
“Most of the accessibility issues in email are fixable with structure, hierarchy, and color contrast. That means your email templates matter. So do your fallback experiences. And your design system, your copy, and your development tools all need to support a more inclusive experience.”
Accessibility in email often gets reduced to alt text and ARIA labels, but it goes deeper than that. Think visual hierarchy, color contrast, meaningful headings, and assistive tech compatibility.
According to the World Health Organization, we have an estimated 1.3 billion people who have disabilities, and that is about 16% of the world population. 4.6 billion of those users use emails, so around 736 million email users have disabilities.
And it’s not just a user experience stat. If you’re not thinking about accessibility, you’re leaving roughly 59 million dollars on the table.
Accessibility is not only the right thing to do, it’s also good sending. Accessible emails are easier to read, faster to understand, and build trust with your audience.
These emails tend to load faster, be more scannable, and improve engagement metrics like opens, clicks, and unsubscribes. And since mailbox providers use recipient behavior to decide if you belong in the inbox, accessible design indirectly boosts your deliverability.
And therein lies the hidden benefit of getting ahead of EAA. You are not just complying. You are optimizing.
“Accessibility isn’t about checking a box it’s about making your email readable and functional for everyone. That’s just good sending.”
Deliverability used to be all about reputation and infrastructure. Now it’s also responsibility to email subscribers and making the inbox a better, safer place.
Mailbox providers are raising the bar, first Yahoogle and now Microsoft. Users are expecting more and governments are demanding accessibility be factored in. Legislation is catching up. But the senders who get this right will keep their spots in recipient inboxes as standards continue to evolve.
We’re seeing a shift that’s more than just technical updates or policy changes. The future is looking like a long-term movement toward user-first email. That means putting transparency, usability, and identity at the center of every message.
Authentication, Compliance, Accessibility, these are the three foundational pillars. Senders who invest in that foundation now will not only stay ahead of changes like the EAA; they’ll be better positioned for whatever inbox expectations come next.
The future of email is not about finding new tricks. It’s about getting the basics right and keeping them right.
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