Web Accessibility with WordPress
Web accessibility is a very important part of creating a website but it’s often overlooked during the creation process. WordPress, which is one of the most popular content management systems for websites, allows for compliance with web accessibility standards. But, there are some things to keep in mind when creating an accessible website using WordPress.
First, what is web accessibility? In general, it is the process of making sure your website is accessible and usable for everyone, no matter the way they interact with the site. This includes any auditory, visual, physical, neurological, or cognitive experiences the user may encounter while using your website. Many people think of web accessibility as mostly just being for individuals who are visually impaired. But it can also include “situational impairments” like being in a moving vehicle or having a slow internet connection. There are also “environmental impairments” such as being in a crowded area and not being able to play audio aloud (Everett, 2020). So, web accessibility really comes down to making sure the user experience is as great as possible for anyone in any situation.
Why is accessibility so important as a creator? Well, you usually want as many people to visit your website as possible. If your website isn’t accessible, you could potentially be missing a large portion of your target audience. For example, if there is a visually impaired user visiting your website, they may be using a screen reader to navigate it. This is where using things like alternative text on images and tab orders are important. A second, but big reason to make sure accessibility is as good as possible is the fact that Google and other search engines are starting to favor websites that provide a better user experience, including accessibility and mobile responsiveness. In some jurisdictions and situations, there can also be a legal mandate to have an accessible website.
Generally, WordPress usually helps to ensure a certain level of web accessibility, but there are some things to keep in mind. Images can be an accessibility issue if there’s no alternative text entered when an image is placed on a page. Alternative text (or alt text) is read by a screen reader and should give the user an idea of what the image is showing. WordPress allows you to insert an image without alt text, but it’s good practice to put it on each image. To do this, enter a short description of what the image is in the “Alternative Text” field in WordPress when inserting an image. If the image is purely decorative and serves no informational purpose, alternative text may be omitted.
WordPress themes and plugins can also influence accessibility, but generally the more popular and widely used themes should be compliant with accessibility standards. If you’re using a customized theme built just for your website, you may need to be more careful. A WordPress theme is what creates the layout and style of your content. If the layout and styling isn’t being presented in an accessible way, then there may be an issue with the theme.
To test your website’s accessibility, there are many tools available, but here are some helpful ones. First, use a screen reader to hear what a visually impaired individual would experience. The ChromeVox Chrome extension can be useful, otherwise VoiceOver on Mac or Narrator on Windows can also be helpful. For a more comprehensive accessibility report, you can use the WAVE by WebAIM Chrome extension, which will point out any accessibility issues on the page.
For more information about accessibility and WordPress themes/plugins, take a look at “WordPress Accessibility Guide” by Ronnie Burt, where they give a lot of great tips about WordPress accessibility.
