Understanding and using WordPress effectively is essential to the success of your website. If you’re new to the subject, accessibility is exactly what it sounds like: the extent to which everyone can access and fully utilize something.
Chances are your site will be used by as many people as possible. We often think that we are talking about people with disabilities.
Still, the accessibility system allows the use of other groups, for example, those who use mobile devices or those who have a slow connection.
The more space your website has, the more people can use it. When a site is unavailable, or access is not a priority, a portion of your audience is blocked or denied access to all the information it offers.
Fortunately, there are many ways to make your site more useful. We discuss the three best ways to optimize your WordPress site. Let’s take a look!
Page Contents
1. Accessibility-Ready Theme
Improving the usability of an existing website can be a challenge at times. The setup and equipment you already have (i.e., WooCommerce pre-order) may implement some essential features.
But to make those features accessible, your theme may not have all the options and features you need.
If you are creating a new site or want to change the theme of your site, you can avoid this problem altogether. Choosing a custom theme allows you to design your website from scratch to be friendly to as many visitors as possible.
In the WordPress Themes Directory, each theme must meet a set of criteria to be considered “Availability Ready.” They should provide only keyboard navigation schemes, correct headings, color images, clear contrast, etc.
You will limit your choices by carefully choosing one of these research topics. However, optimizing your site for usability will be much easier. If you don’t like the WordPress options, you can also find themes to use in other directories like ThemeForest.
Also check out – The guide to crawlability
2. Creating Accessible Content
Having a simple theme and plugins will make your site undiscoverable. The content itself should also be available. In many cases, it’s about understanding how to integrate WordPress tools and making intelligent decisions.
The web has evolved into a rich media landscape. Imported content is not available to assistive technology users except for writing. The image reader does not know what is in the image and cannot interpret it without your help.
The WordPress editor allows you to customize the fonts and background colors, which means you can choose colors that are not available.
Multiple support options allow users to move from one link to the next. This can be a great way to direct other users to understand your journey quickly. However, this is useless if they do not reveal themselves on the surface.
You can use a simple test to navigate the site using the keyboard. Start at the top of the page and use the Tab and Shift + Tab keys to move up and down the page to ensure you can find all the links in the list.
Also, in each section, make sure which elements you focus on.
When designing your website, you must ensure that the communication elements can be easily identified. Since most users have special needs to use a screen reader, your list of examples should be flexible and transparent.
The better your web page structure, the more user-friendly and understandable it will be for users, screen readers, and search engines.
To make your website easier to navigate for all visitors, try to design it with a user-friendly interface and easy-to-navigate elements.
Organize your shopping list content correctly and consistently, and make sure your shopping list is fully responsive and mobile-friendly.
Make them visible and make them look the same on every page. Try simplifying the search for main menu items and solutions; find the main page and contact forms.
Some users with mobility issues cannot use a mouse and rely heavily on the keyboard for navigation. Your website should be keyboard enabled so that they can easily access your website using the keyboard.
Make sure people can use the Tab key when they visit your site. Use the Tab key to enable guest links, menus, sidebars, forms, and buttons. There is a simple accessibility test to ensure your site is keyboard accessible.
Start at the top of the page and use “Tab” and “Shift + Tab” to go up and down the page; check if you can find all the links in the list.
Regarding the list of available navigation methods, navigation menus are one of the most overlooked topics. Page readers don’t look between the menu and content when you use sponsored links.
A scrollable link is used to navigate users directly to the main content by scrolling through navigation.
WordPress is built to support the information you need to get started. You can also play around with the custom menus to ensure you offer the most straightforward communication options.
Also read – Types of flyers
Pro Tip: Include image alt-text and transcription for video content
Alt text is required for people who are blind or use a screen reader (they can hear most of the text being read aloud) and for people with visual impairments for speed or bandwidth.
Other texts are also crucial for the SEO of your website – they help search engines understand what your website is about.
If your website has video, consider adding captions or text (a recording of speech, sound, and actions observed on the screen). Podcasts are also beneficial.
It’s best if the video and audio don’t play automatically, but if that’s not possible, the page should show options to stop or adjust the audio.
Conclusion
To make your website accessible, you should take the time to learn about the common problems faced by people with disabilities. Remember, none of the above features guarantees that your website will be 100% available.
However, if you use these methods, people with special needs will be more able to access your website and all other visitors.
Please let us know in the comments section if you have other ways to make the WordPress website accessible. We appreciate any information, support, or advice!
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