Did you know that one in five people have a disability? That’s a huge number of potential customers you’re excluding from your website if it isn’t accessible. Accessibility is important for everyone, not just people with disabilities. In this blog post, we will discuss why your WordPress site needs to be accessible and how to make it more accessible for all users by using tools like accessiBe WordPress and others.
What is accessibility and why is it important?
Accessibility is making your website usable by as many people as possible. This includes people with disabilities, those using different devices (e.g., mobile vs. desktop), and those with different ability levels (e.g., beginners vs. experts). Making your site accessible can help you reach a wider audience and create a better user experience.
How can you make your WordPress site more accessible for all users?
There are many ways to make your WordPress site more accessible. However, here are a few common barriers to accessibility and how to overcome them:
Images
All images on your website should have alternate text (alt-text) that describes the image. This is important for users who are blind or have low vision, as they will be using a screen reader to browse your website. It is also important for users with slow internet connections, as the alt text will be displayed in place of the image until it has loaded.
You can add alt text to images in the WordPress editor when you add or edit an image. Simply enter a description of the image in the “Alternative Text” field.
Links
Screen readers often have difficulty understanding links like “click here” or “read more.” Therefore, it is helpful to use descriptive link text that describes where the link will take the user. For example, if you have a link to your contact page, you could use the text “Contact us” instead of “Click here.”
Forms
Forms can be difficult for users with disabilities to fill out. To make forms more accessible, you can:
– Use descriptive labels for each field
– Allow users to autofill fields using information from their browser or device
– Use inline validation to give users feedback as they fill out the form
Common barriers to accessibility and how to overcome them
There are many other common barriers to accessibility, including:
– Lack of color contrast
– Unreadable fonts
– Use of CAPTCHA
– Videos without captions
Other FAQs
Q: Who benefits from accessible websites?
A: Everyone can benefit from an accessible website, including people with disabilities, those using different devices, and those with different levels of ability.
Q: Is there a law that requires websites to be accessible?
A: In some countries, some laws require websites to be accessible. Examples are the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) in Europe.
Q: I’m not sure if my website is accessible. How can I test it?
A: There are many tools that you can use to test the accessibility of your website. Some common tools are the WAVE Web Accessibility Tool, the Google Chrome Accessibility Developer Tools, and the Firefox Accessibility Extension.
Final thoughts
Making your WordPress site accessible is important for many reasons. It can help you reach a wider audience, create a better user experience, and comply with laws and guidelines. There are many ways to make your site more accessible, including adding alt text to images, using descriptive link text, and using forms that are easy to fill out.
