How to Make an Accessible Website on WordPress

Making sure your WordPress website is accessible isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s essential. When I first started focusing on accessibility for my site, I realized that it wasn’t just about being inclusive, it was about creating a smoother, more enjoyable user experience for everyone. The cool thing is, that making your site accessible helps you with SEO, boosts user engagement, and shows your audience that you care about making the web a better place for all. This Blog will explore practical tips and tools to improve your WordPress website’s accessibility.

Why Accessibility Matters

I remember the first time I thought about accessibility. It felt like something “nice to have” rather than essential. But after diving deeper into it, I realized how important it is. Accessibility isn’t just about helping people with disabilities; it’s about making your website better for all users. Whether it’s ensuring a screen reader can read your images or providing proper captions for your videos, accessibility touches on many parts of your site.

What also hit me hard was the legal side of things. As I started learning more about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), I saw that accessibility isn’t just a recommendation, it’s a requirement for many businesses.

Tools and Plugins for Accessibility

When I began working on accessibility, one of the first things I did was search for plugins that could help. I came across tools like Accessibly and WP Accessibility that made the process smoother. These plugins can help you with things like adding alt text automatically to images, adjusting color contrast, and ensuring that forms are correctly labeled. It’s almost like having a personal assistant looking after the accessibility aspects of your site.

But while plugins do a lot of the heavy lifting, it’s still important to go beyond that. For instance, I always review the alt text on my images to ensure they fully describe what’s happening. The plugin might add something like “image,” but I make it a point to personalize it with descriptive, SEO-friendly text. That extra step has changed how people engage with my content. Discover Best Languages for Front End Web Development to choose the right front-end development language that can enhance accessibility and user experience.

How to Make an Accessible Website on WordPress

Let’s talk about the core practices that will make the biggest difference on your site. I can personally vouch for how each of these has helped me and made my website more inclusive.

Use Alt Text for Images

Alt text is super important. When I first started using WordPress, I didn’t realize how many users rely on screen readers to access content. It wasn’t until I met someone who was blind and showed me how they navigated the web that I fully grasped the importance of alt text. Now, I ensure every image has a clear, descriptive alt text.

For example, if you’re posting a picture of a sunset, instead of simply labeling it “sunset,” describe it like this: “Vibrant orange and purple sunset over the ocean, with clouds tinged gold.” This doesn’t just help screen reader users, it also makes your images more searchable, boosting your SEO.

Write Descriptive Captions and Links

One thing I quickly learned was that vague link text like “click here” isn’t helpful at all. Now, I make it a point to be very specific. For instance, instead of saying “Click here for more info,” I write something like, “Learn more about how to improve your website’s accessibility.”

This may sound small, but trust me—it’s the little things that can make a huge difference. Not only does this help with navigation for those using screen readers, but it also helps people who are simply scanning your page to find exactly what they’re looking for.

Create a Clear Content Hierarchy with Headings

Headings are key to keeping your content organized. I’ve been guilty of getting carried away with fancy formatting, but I’ve since learned that a clear hierarchy of headings is crucial for both user experience and accessibility. Now, I always follow a logical structure starting with <h1> for the page title, <h2> for main sections, and <h3> for sub-sections.

By using headings properly, I’ve found that my visitors can easily navigate through the content, and I’m able to maintain a logical flow for screen readers. It just feels more intuitive and user-friendly. Discover Content Strategy for Web Development, to create accessible, user-focused websites.

Add Labels to Forms

Forms are one of the trickiest parts of a website to make accessible. I realized this the hard way after receiving feedback from a user who was struggling to navigate my forms with a screen reader. It was a lightbulb moment for me. I quickly went back and added clear labels to every form element.

For example, instead of just saying “Name,” I made sure to add a label like this: HTML Code<label for=”input-name”>Enter your full name</label>

<input id=”input-name” type=”text” name=”name”>

It’s these small changes that can make a big difference for users who rely on assistive technologies.

Optimize Fonts, Colors, and Contrast

At one point, I chose a beautiful light gray font on my site, thinking it looked sleek and modern. However, I soon realized that it didn’t have enough contrast against the background, making it difficult for people with visual impairments to read. I took that feedback to heart and re-evaluated the contrast on my site.

I ensure my font color has enough contrast to pass accessibility checks. Tools like Color Contrast Analyzer can help you ensure that your text is legible for everyone, including those with color blindness.

Add Transcripts to Multimedia Content

When I uploaded videos to my site, I assumed that the visuals alone would be enough for people to understand the message. But as I learned more about accessibility, I realized that not everyone can hear the audio in videos. That’s when I started adding transcripts for all of my video content. Now, anyone can access the information, whether they prefer reading or listening.

Choosing Accessibility-Ready Themes

Choosing the right theme is an easy win when it comes to accessibility. I used to pick themes based solely on aesthetics, but now I always make sure the theme is “accessibility-ready.” These themes are built with accessibility in mind, ensuring that they follow best practices for things like color contrast and keyboard navigation.

A theme like Twenty Twenty-One (a default WordPress theme) is a great choice because it’s designed to be visually appealing and accessibility-friendly.

Following WordPress Accessibility Guidelines

As I got deeper into accessibility, I realized that following the official WordPress accessibility guidelines was key. WordPress provides a set of standards for developers and website owners to follow to ensure their sites are accessible. These guidelines are based on the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), which are recognized worldwide.

For example, when I added custom code to my site, I double-checked to ensure it met the WCAG standards. I also use tools like the WAVE Web Accessibility Tool to regularly test my site’s compliance with accessibility standards.

Advanced Tips: Custom Code for Accessibility

Once I had the basics covered, I began to implement custom features. I created a more keyboard-friendly navigation menu, so users could navigate my site without needing to use a mouse. It was challenging at first, but I felt a deep sense of pride when I saw how much easier it made the experience for people with mobility impairments.

Here’s a snippet of custom code I used:

php code add_filter( ‘the_content’, ‘add_custom_headings’ );

function add_custom_headings( $content ) { $custom_headings = ‘<h2>Keyboard Accessibility and the Use of Headings and Labels in WordPress</h2>’; return $custom_headings . $content;}

By going the extra mile with custom code, I was able to offer a more personalized, accessible experience for my users.

Benefits of an Accessible Website

Since focusing on accessibility, I’ve noticed a huge difference not just in how my site works for people with disabilities, but in how people engage with my content. More people are staying on my site longer, my bounce rate has dropped, and my SEO rankings have improved. And beyond the metrics, I feel good knowing that I’m making the web a better place for everyone.

Conclusion

Making your WordPress site accessible isn’t just about compliance, it’s about creating an inclusive, user-friendly experience for everyone. By using alt text, headings, proper color contrast, and following accessibility guidelines, you can significantly enhance your site’s usability. These steps not only improve the experience for users with disabilities but also boost your SEO and overall site performance. Ready to take your website to the next level? Contact BugsLink TECH today for expert support in optimizing your site’s accessibility.

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