Making your WordPress site accessible is crucial for ensuring that all users, regardless of their abilities, can navigate and interact with your content. Here’s a guide to improving your WordPress site accessibility compliance:

WordPress offers themes labeled "accessibility-ready," which follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These themes are designed to ensure that all users, including those using screen readers or keyboard navigation, can access your website effectively. When choosing a theme, look for clean design, proper heading structure, and minimal reliance on complex animations or JavaScript elements that may hinder accessibility.

One of the simplest ways to make your website more accessible is by adding descriptive alt text to all images. Alt text provides a text alternative for images, which screen readers use to describe the content to visually impaired users. When writing alt text, focus on the essential aspects of the image that convey meaning within the context of your content. Avoid using generic terms like “image” or “photo.”

For an image of a person holding a phone:

• Good: “Woman holding a smartphone while checking email.”
• Bad: “Woman with phone.”

Some users rely on keyboard navigation instead of a mouse to access websites. This makes it essential to ensure that every part of your WordPress site is fully navigable via the keyboard. Elements like links, buttons, and form fields should be accessible by using the tab key. Make sure that interactive elements, such as drop-down menus, can be operated without a mouse and that focus indicators (the outlines that show which element is selected) are clearly visible.

Proper heading structure is key for screen readers, as it helps users quickly understand and navigate the content of your pages. Use heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to organize your content logically. Your main title should be an H1 tag, and subheadings should follow in hierarchical order (H2, H3, and so on). Avoid skipping levels, such as jumping from an H1 directly to an H3, as this can confuse assistive technology.

Forms are an integral part of many websites, whether for contact, sign-ups, or comments. To make your forms accessible:

• Ensure that every input field is clearly labeled.
• Place instructions or error messages near the relevant form elements.
• Use descriptive labels and avoid relying solely on placeholders for field descriptions.

Adding ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) labels can also improve form accessibility by providing additional context to screen readers.

Screen readers interpret the code on your website to read the content aloud to users. To improve screen reader compatibility, structure your content semantically, ensuring HTML tags are used correctly. Use headings, lists, and paragraphs in a meaningful way. Avoid using tables for layout purposes, as this can confuse screen readers.

WordPress plugins like WP Accessibility or Accessibility Checker can help identify areas of your site that need improvement to enhance screen reader functionality.

Color plays a crucial role in design but can create barriers if not used thoughtfully. Ensure that the text on your website has enough contrast against its background. This helps users with visual impairments or color blindness read content clearly. There are tools like the Contrast Checker by WebAIM that allow you to test your site’s color contrast to meet WCAG compliance standards.

Also, avoid using color as the only way to convey information. For example, if links are only distinguishable by color, users with color vision deficiencies may miss them. Consider underlining or bolding links to make them more accessible.

If you use video or audio content on your website, ensure that you provide captions and transcripts. Captions help users who are deaf or hard of hearing understand the video content, while transcripts offer an alternative format for those who may prefer to read the information.

You can use tools like YouTube’s auto-captioning feature or third-party services to generate captions for your videos.

To make sure your WordPress site meets accessibility standards, it’s essential to conduct regular tests. Use tools like WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool), Lighthouse (built into Chrome DevTools), or Accessibility Insights to evaluate your site. These tools scan your pages for common accessibility issues and offer suggestions on how to fix them.

Additionally, testing your website manually by navigating through it using only a keyboard or screen reader can help you identify any usability issues that automated tools might miss.

Maintaining accessibility isn’t a one-time task—it’s an ongoing process. Each time you update your WordPress theme, plugins, or content, check for potential accessibility issues. Regularly review your site’s design and functionality to ensure it continues to meet accessibility standards.

Improving the accessibility compliance of your WordPress site ensures it is usable by all individuals, regardless of their abilities. By choosing an accessibility-ready theme, adding alt text to images, ensuring keyboard navigation, optimizing for screen readers, and using color and contrast wisely, you can make your site more inclusive. Regular testing and maintenance will keep your site compliant and improve the user experience for everyone. Implementing these changes not only helps with legal compliance but also opens your website to a broader audience, enhancing its overall usability and appeal.