It’s no secret that the world is becoming an increasingly accessible place. Just about every day, there seems to be a new development in the realm of accessibility, whether it’s a new plugin like accessiBe WordPress that can be used by people with disabilities or a policy change that makes it easier for everyone to get around. In the context of website design and development, accessibility refers to making sure that your site can be used by as many people as possible, regardless of their abilities or disabilities.
Why Should You Care?
There are several reasons you should care about accessibility in general and WordPress accessibility in particular. Here are some of the most important ones:
It’s the right thing to do
Let’s face it: the world can be a tough place for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, they often have to fight for their rights and access to the same opportunities that everyone else takes for granted. By making your WordPress site accessible, you’re helping to level the playing field and giving everyone a fair chance.
It’s good for business
In addition to being the right thing to do, making your WordPress site accessible is also good for business. After all, the more people who can use your site, the more potential customers you have. And as more and more businesses realize the importance of accessibility, those that don’t will be at a competitive disadvantage.
It’s not as hard as you might think
When it comes to making your WordPress site accessible, you might think that it’s a lot of work. But the truth is, it doesn’t have to be. You can do many simple things to make your site more accessible, and many of them don’t take much time or effort.
How to Make Your WordPress Site More Accessible
Now that we’ve talked about why you should care about WordPress accessibility let’s take a look at some of the things you can do to make your site more accessible.
Use page structure wisely
The way you structure your pages can have a big impact on accessibility. For instance, if you use heading tags (H1, H2, etc.) correctly, it will be easier for people who use screen readers to navigate your site. Similarly, if you use lists and tables judiciously, it will be easier for people with visual impairments to understand your content.
Add alt text to images
If you have images on your site, it’s important to add alt text. This is the text that screen readers will read aloud in place of the image. It should be descriptive but not too long.
Make sure your links make sense
When adding links to your content, make sure the link text makes sense out of context. For instance, “Click here” is not a good link text because it doesn’t give the reader any information about where they will be taken if they click on the link. A better option would be “Learn more about WordPress accessibility.”
Use descriptive link text
In addition to making sure your links make sense out of context, you should also try to use descriptive link text. This is the text that accurately describes the target of the link. For instance, if you have a link to a PDF file, the link text should say something like “Download the WordPress accessibility PDF.”
