Improving Accessibility on WordPress Website – Best Practices?

  • Body:
    Hello fellow WordPress enthusiasts,

    I hope you’re all having a great day! I’m currently working on a WordPress website and want to ensure that it is as accessible as possible to all users, including those with disabilities. I believe that inclusivity is essential, and I want everyone to have a seamless experience while navigating through my site.

    I’m reaching out to the community to gather insights and best practices for improving accessibility on WordPress websites. If you have experience or knowledge in this area, I’d be incredibly grateful if you could share some tips and techniques.

    Specifically, I’m interested in learning about:

    Plugin Recommendations: Are there any accessibility-focused plugins that you’ve found particularly helpful? Whether it’s for improving keyboard navigation, enhancing screen reader support, or any other accessibility-related aspect.

    Themes and Design Considerations: What are some design elements or themes that prioritize accessibility? Are there any specific design practices to follow to make the site more inclusive?

    Content Structure: How can I ensure that my content is structured in a way that makes it easy for all users to understand and navigate? Are there any guidelines to follow for creating accessible headings, lists, and other content elements?

    Testing and Validation: What tools or methods do you recommend for testing the accessibility of my website? Are there any validation processes I should go through to ensure compliance with accessibility standards?

    User Experience (UX): In your experience, what aspects of UX play a significant role in improving accessibility? Are there any particular UX considerations that tend to be overlooked but can make a big difference for users with disabilities?

    Your insights and experiences will be immensely valuable to me and others who aim to create more inclusive websites on WordPress. Thank you so much for taking the time to contribute to this discussion and helping us make the web a better place for everyone!

    [moderator note:?signature moderated]

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
  • Moderator Steven Stern (sterndata)

    (@sterndata)

    Volunteer Forum Moderator

    A good place to start: https://www.ads-software.com/search/accessibility/

    Hello,
    Thank you for your interest in improving the accessibility of your WordPress website. As a blind WordPress developer with 1.5 years of experience, I’d like to share some recommendations that can greatly enhance the accessibility of your site:
    1.
    Singular Heading1 Tag: To facilitate navigation for users of screen readers, ensure that you have only one <h1> tag on your website. This tag should represent your main title within the <main> content section.
    2.
    Utilize Landmarks: Incorporate the three landmarks <header>, <main>, and <footer> appropriately. Doing so will significantly improve the accessibility and user experience for those using assistive technologies.
    3.
    Shortcut Keys (Keyboard Navigation): Consider adding shortcut keys to your navigation menu items. For example, you can use the <a href="/about" accesskey="a">About us</a> format. This allows users to press “Alt+A” on Windows to navigate directly to your “About us” page.
    4.
    Alt Text for Images: Provide descriptive and meaningful alt text for every image on your website. This allows screen readers to convey the content of images to visually impaired users.
    5.
    Aria Attributes: Define proper ARIA attributes to ensure that any dynamic elements or changes on your website are noticed by screen readers. This helps users stay informed about important updates.
    6.
    Role Attributes: Use role attributes to categorize and label elements, providing a clearer understanding of their purpose to assistive technologies.
    7.
    Proper Text Display: Favor semantic HTML elements like <div> or <p> over <span> for better organization and presentation of content.
    By implementing these suggestions, you can significantly enhance the accessibility of your website and create a more inclusive user experience for all visitors.
    If you have any questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask. Our community is here to help!

    There is a virtual WordPress Accessibility Meetup that may be helpful to you.

Viewing 3 replies - 1 through 3 (of 3 total)
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