Tips on Making Your WordPress Site ADA Compliant – accessiBe WordPress

Making a website ADA compliant is a little trickier than it may seem at first glance. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was created in 1990 to protect the rights of disabled people when dealing with commercial businesses and state or local governments. In 2008, the ADA started requiring website owners to make their sites accessible through assistive technologies such as screen readers for visually impaired people and certain keyboards for those who cannot use a traditional mouse. Tools like accessiBe WordPress can assist you with this.

The Disability Law Center provides this helpful checklist to determine if your site is ADA compatible: Does my website have a text-only option? Can users increase website text size and contrast? Is the audio used with visual elements, such as video and multimedia presentations, synchronized with the visual elements? Is there enough time for users to read and use website content or navigate website elements before the timed media advances? Do I have a Contact Us page that explains how someone can contact me with issues related to my website, for example, for having questions answered about products or services offered through my site? The list goes on.

Here are some tips for making your WordPress site ADA compliant:

Make a Text-Only Option

Make sure there is a text-only option to prevent the potential for content becoming unreadable when upsized. Maximize contrast to make it easier for visually impaired visitors to see and read text. Add descriptive links or “alt” tags in images so that someone using a screen reader can understand what each image represents.

Create Audio Descriptions

Create audio descriptions for multimedia content to make it easier for someone using a screen reader to understand your site. You can also add open captions to videos that will automatically show up on screen readers.

Time Content Effectively

To prevent your site’s timed content from advancing too quickly for someone using a screen reader, make sure there is enough time for users to read and use website content or navigate website elements before the timed media advances. You can also provide controls to stop, pause, and resume the video.

Add a Contact Us Page

Create a contact us page that provides information about your website for someone using assistive technology (such as screen readers). This should include whether you offer text alternatives for images or other features that may not be compatible with specific kinds of assistive technologies. This page could also include contact information for someone who wants to report an issue with your website.

Provide Accessible Customer Support

While it’s important to address accessibility issues on your website, make sure you are providing accessible customer support as well. If a person is having trouble using your site because it is not ADA compliant, they will likely call or email your customer service department with questions or issues. Make sure your team is trained to provide customers with accessible solutions and information as quickly as possible.

Closing Thoughts

Website accessibility is an important issue, especially as more and more people use the internet every day. According to a recent survey by Pew Research, 64% of Americans use the internet, and for those aged 18-29, 91% never go online without it. So ensuring your site is accessible makes good business sense — but it’s also simply the right thing to do.