Around 20% of the world’s population live with some form of disability. However, less than 2% of websites globally are fully accessible to people with disabilities. Adding web accessibility to your website ensures that everyone can access and navigate websites, regardless of their disability status. Fortunately, the WordPress platform makes it relatively easy to add web accessibility to your website.
Web Accessibility Tips
Here are some tips to enhance its accessibility and make it more inclusive for all users.
1. Choose an accessible WordPress theme
When selecting a theme for your WordPress website, opt for one that is designed with web accessibility in mind. Look for themes that follow accessibility standards, have clear and well-structured code, and provide customizable options for text size, color contrast, and keyboard navigation. Some examples include Kenzie, Designer Blocks, and Quiet. Choosing an accessible, visually appealing theme will make your website shine for all visitors.
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2. Create meaningful and descriptive content- Web Accessibility Tips
Content is the heart of your website, and it’s essential to present it in a way that is clear and understandable to everyone. You must adopt an editorial strategy that emphasizes the use of simple vocabulary and avoids ableist language. In addition, you should use headings to structure your content. You may either use HTML tags (e.g., <h1>, <h2>, etc.) or add headings in the WordPress editor itself. This allows screen readers and other assistive technologies to navigate the page effectively.
In addition, you should also write descriptive alt text for images. Good alt text provides concise descriptions that convey the purpose or context of the image and allows users who depend on screen readers to understand it. Headers and alt text also help with SEO by allowing search engines to index and categorize your content and make it visible to a wider audience.
Similarly, videos and audio content are increasingly popular on websites, but they can pose barriers for people with hearing impairments. Adding closed captions for videos allows users to read the dialogue and audio descriptions of visual elements. You may also provide transcripts for audio content to make it accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
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3. Highlight links and provide descriptive link text
When creating hyperlinks on your WordPress website, avoid generic terms like “click here” or “read more.” Instead, use descriptive link text that provides context and tells users where the link leads. For instance, you may use “visit the About Us page” or “Add this item to the cart”. You also have to highlight these links or add icons to them to make them more visible to users who have visual impairments
Screen readers often present a list of all the links on a page, and meaningful link text allows users to understand the destination without having to read surrounding content. The highlighted link text can also help users who depend on voice navigation to explore your website more effectively.
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4. Ensure color contrast- Web Accessibility Tips
Color plays a significant role in web design, but it’s crucial to ensure sufficient color contrast for readability. Choose color combinations that meet accessibility guidelines, such as dark text on a light background or vice versa. The recommended color contrast ratios are 4.5:1 for regular text and 3:1 for large text.
In addition, you need to avoid color combinations that offer low visibility for users with color blindness, such as red and green. Finally, you also need to avoid color combinations that could trigger seizures, especially when they flash in quick succession.
Testing your website per page for color contrast is a tedious yet important aspect of web accessibility. To automate the testing process, you may use a color contrast checker instead, which will also allow you to spot potential contrast issues at the code level.
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5. Implement keyboard accessibility- Web Accessibility Tips
Many people with disabilities rely on keyboards or alternative input devices to navigate websites. To accommodate them, ensure that your WordPress website is fully accessible using a keyboard alone. Test your site’s functionality by navigating through all interactive elements, such as menus, forms, and buttons, using the Tab and arrow keys, and trying to activate these elements with the spacebar or Enter key. Every element should be reachable and usable through keyboard navigation alone.
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6. Test for accessibility
Regularly test your WordPress website for accessibility to identify any potential issues or barriers. You may use automated accessibility testing tools to scan your website and highlight areas that need improvement. These tools can help you catch common accessibility problems, especially at the code level. However, manual testing, particularly one performed by a user with disabilities, is also invaluable in uncovering issues that automated tools might miss.
Accessible WordPress websites for higher traffic and improved user experience
By implementing these accessibility tips, you can make your WordPress website more inclusive and welcoming to all users. Prioritizing web accessibility not only ensures compliance with legal requirements but also opens up your website to a broader audience, improves user experience, and demonstrates your commitment to inclusivity. By considering the needs of people with disabilities, following the guidelines above, and constantly testing your website, you can unlock the power of accessibility and create websites that empower and inspire.
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