- 30.01.25
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- SEO
WordPress Accessibility: Is Your Website Accessible?
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Article by
Rosie Rivers
Web accessibility isn’t just about compliance; it’s about creating a welcoming experience for everyone.
But what if your website could break down those barriers and invite everyone in, regardless of their abilities? That’s the power of web accessibility, it opens your site to all users, creating a more inclusive and user-friendly experience.
If you’re using WordPress, improving accessibility is easier than you might think.
What is Website Accessibility?
Website accessibility refers to designing and developing websites that are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities.
This encompasses various conditions like vision impairment, hearing difficulties, physical disabilities, and cognitive limitations.
A truly accessible website allows users to navigate, read, and interact with the content, regardless of their abilities.
Why Accessibility Matters
Beyond being the right thing to do, ensuring website accessibility can help you reach a wider audience.
According to the World Health Organisation, over 1 billion people, or about 15% of the world’s population, live with some form of disability. By neglecting accessibility, you could be excluding a significant number of potential visitors.
Moreover, accessibility isn’t just good for your users; it’s also beneficial for your SEO.
Google prioritises accessible websites in search rankings, meaning a well-optimised, accessible site can boost your visibility.
WordPress Accessibility: Where to Start
If you’re running a WordPress site, you’re in luck. WordPress offers a variety of features, plugins, and best practices to improve your website’s accessibility.
Choose an Accessible Theme
When selecting a WordPress theme, it’s crucial to find one that supports accessibility.
WordPress even offers themes tagged as “accessibility-ready.” These themes adhere to certain guidelines set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), making them a great starting point.
Use WordPress Accessibility Plugins
One of the best things about WordPress is its extensive plugin library. Here are some of the most popular plugins to enhance WordPress accessibility:
- WP Accessibility: This plugin adds features such as skipping links, enforcing alt attributes on images, and improving colour contrast.
- Accessibility Widget: Helps users adjust text size and contrast directly on the website, improving readability.
- Accessibility by UserWay: Adds an accessibility widget to your site, offering features like text resizing, colour adjustments, and screen reader-friendly navigation.
These plugins can help automate some of the necessary adjustments to make your site more accessible.
Alternatively, accessibility coding, such as Signly, offers even more accessible benefits, such as a British Sign Language on-screen translator.
Optimise Your Content
Even with the right theme and plugins, content plays a huge role in accessibility.
- Alt Text: Every image should have a descriptive alt text, which screen readers use to describe the image for visually impaired users.
- Use Headers Properly: Structure your content with proper heading tags (H1, H2, H3). This improves the user experience for screen readers.
- Write Descriptive Links: Avoid vague links like “click here” or “read more.” Instead, use descriptive phrases like “download our accessibility guide.”
Test for WordPress Accessibility Compliance
To ensure your website complies with accessibility standards, testing is essential. Several tools and online services can help you identify areas that need improvement:
- WAVE Web Accessibility Tool: This free tool helps detect accessibility issues on any web page.
- Lighthouse: Google’s Lighthouse tool offers an accessibility audit that highlights problems directly within your browser.
- Screen Reader Testing: Use screen reader software to experience your website as a visually impaired user would.
SEO Benefits of WordPress Accessibility
Search engines like Google reward sites that follow best practices, and many accessibility improvements overlap with SEO optimisations:
- Alt text: Screen readers use it, but so does Google to understand the context of your images.
- Headings and structure: Proper use of headings makes content easier for search engines to index and rank.
- Fast loading times: Accessibility improvements, such as optimised code and images, also enhance website speed, which Google considers when ranking pages.
By improving your site’s accessibility, you’re also laying the foundation for better SEO performance, making it a win-win.
Keep Up with New Accessibility Technology
Accessibility standards are always evolving.
Stay updated with the latest guidelines, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.
Regularly audit your WordPress site for accessibility to ensure ongoing compliance and usability for all visitors.
Make WordPress Accessibility a Priority
If you’re building or managing a website with WordPress, accessibility should be a top priority. Not only does it make your site more inclusive and easier for people with disabilities to use, but it also improves your SEO, making your content more discoverable.
By choosing an accessibility-ready theme, using plugins, optimising content, and testing regularly, you’ll ensure that your site is open and functional for everyone.
So, ask yourself: Is your website accessible? If not, now’s the time to make WordPress accessibility part of your design and development strategy.
Need more help? At Eighty3 Creative, we specialise in accessible web design that cater to all users. Whether you’re looking to enhance the usability of your existing site or starting fresh, our team is here to ensure your digital presence is welcoming and functional for everyone, including those with disabilities.
To discover more about accessible web design, feel free to get in touch today.
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