Content checks for web accessibility

This page gives an overview of the manual checks you can do to provide readable content for as many users as possible. Read the detailed explanation about how to write accessible content in Content and images in the section Standard and best practice of this documentation.

Alternative text for images

Describe (for non-visual readers) the contents and purpose of a meaningful image in your alternate text. That purpose may depend on the context in which an image is used. The Alt decision tree by the W3C helps you decide what the alternate text should be for various situations.

Documentation about alternative text for images:

• Alternative text on images and graphics in Theme guidelines for the WordPress accessibility-ready program.
• Alternative text for images in Standards and best Practices: Content and images.
• Images as links in Standards and best Practices: Content and images.
• Alternative text for images, SVGs and icons in development in Standards and best Practices: Frontend code.

Headings

Headings are the framework of your content. A good heading structure reflects the content on your page, like the index of a book:

• One H1 per page, describing what the page is about.
• Use other headings meaningfully according to their level, not for their appearance.
• A good heading briefly describes the content that follows it
• Do not skip heading levels.

Documentation and test tools for the heading structure:

• Headings with meaningful structure in Theme guidelines for the WordPress accessibility-ready program.
• Headings in the content in Standards and best Practices: Content and images.
• Heading structure in theme development in Standards and best Practices: Frontend code.
• Use the browser tool HeadingsMap to test the heading structure of an entire web page.

Link texts

• Use meaningful link text that describes the content being linked to.
• Avoid “click here”, “read more”, ”download”, ”continue reading” or equivalent phrases as link text. It’s meaningless and people have to read around the link to see what’s it about.
• If you use an image as a link, use the alternative text as link text.

Documentation about link texts:

• No ambiguous link text in Theme guidelines for the WordPress accessibility-ready program.
• Write meaningful link text in Standards and best Practices: Content and images.
• Images as links in Standards and best Practices: Content and images.
• Link destination in Standards and best Practices: Content and images.

Video and audio

• Make sure video has closed captions.
• Make sure audio has transcriptions.
• Don’t autoplay video and audio.
• Avoiding using video with rapid flashing content, or provide content warnings.

Documentation about video and audio:

• Accessible audio, video, and animations in Theme guidelines for the WordPress accessibility-ready program.
• Making Audio and Video Media Accessible, by the W3C.
• What’s the difference between “closed captions” and “subtitles” on Stack Exchange.

Readability

How you write your text and what reading level you aim for depends on the purpose of and audience for your content, but here are a few best practices:

• Start with a short summary of the content.
• Divide the rest of the text in short blocks.
• Keep your text simple and to the point.
• Use headings, lists, and meaningful link text.

Documentation about readability: Readability in Standards and best Practices: Content and images.

Note: The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at level AA don’t address readability. Decent readability is considered a recommendation. However, WCAG 2.2 Level AAA has four success criteria for readability: 3.1.3 Unusual Words, 3.1.4 Abbreviations, 3.1.5 Reading level, 3.1.6 Pronunciation.