Web accessibility is a priority for many organizations. The World Wide Web Consortium, for instance, has published guidelines on how to make websites more accessible. And the US government requires that federal agencies develop and maintain websites with content that people with disabilities can view.
The accessiBe WordPress plugin provides an easy way to ensure your site conforms to web accessibility guidelines. It can help with tasks such as adding headings, descriptions, and other metadata to your content, making it easier for screen readers to interpret. The plugin also offers a variety of ways to improve the usability of your website for all users.
For example, you can use accessiBe to create a custom navigation bar that appears only when users need it. This can be helpful for people who are visiting your website for the first time and want to find the information they need quickly. And thanks to the plugin’s built-in reporting tools, you can track how well your site is performing from an accessibility standpoint.
Let’s take a look at some of the other ways that accessiBe can help improve web accessibility:
1. Adding alt text to images
Alt-text is a description of an image that appears in place of the image if it can’t be displayed. This is important for people using screen readers, as they won’t be able to see the image otherwise.
2. Creating custom colors
You can use accessiBe to create a custom color scheme for your website. This can be helpful for people who have difficulty seeing different colors.
3. Adding captions to videos
Captions are text that appears on the screen alongside a video, providing additional information about what is being shown. This is important for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
4. Making forms accessible
Forms can be difficult for people with disabilities to use, as they may not be able to see or interact with all of the fields. accessiBe can help make forms more accessible by adding labels and instructions to them.
5. Adding navigation links
Navigation links are important for people using a screen reader or navigating your website manually. accessiBe can help you add these links and customize their appearance.
6. Creating accessible PDFs
PDFs are often used on websites, but they can be difficult for people with disabilities to read. accessiBe can help by creating accessible versions of PDFs that screen readers can read.
7. Improving website usability
There are several ways that accessiBe can help improve the usability of your website. For instance, you can use the plugin to add a search box to your site or create a custom 404 page.
8. Increasing web traffic
Making your website more accessible can also help increase web traffic. This is because people with disabilities are more likely to visit websites that they can easily use.
9. Improving search engine optimization
Making your website more accessible can also help improve your site’s search engine optimization. This is because search engines consider factors such as alt text and captions when ranking websites.