If you are running a WordPress website and have had your eye on all the ADA news, you might like this list of web accessibility plugins for your WordPress website.
There are three levels of ADA compliance. A, AA, and AAA. For an overview of each, check out our ADA Web Compatibility Page.
The work to make your website accessible is very tedious and time-consuming. So while there are great plugins and tools, it’s still time you or someone will need to spend completing compliance.
WP Accessibility Plugin
This is the ADA plugin from Joe Dolson. It can fix many technical issues your theme developer may not have considered on your site.
Again while remediation of ADA compliance on websites is not as simple as a plugin, it does help to clear up and cover you in case you or your developer missed something.
Accessibility by UserWay Plugin
Userway is a great plugin. But there are a few catches. As I wrote earlier, installing a plugin is not the fix for ADA compliance. But it helps if you pick the right ones.
Like most web accessibility plugins, Userway increases compliance with WCAG 2.1, ATAG 2.0, ADA, & Section 508 requirements.
Unlike the previous plugin, it requires you to sign up for an account, and installation is more involved than just clicking “activate” in your plugin list.
It’s a worthy inclusion in our list as the API allows you to customize and run across multiple sites.
WP Accessibility Tools & Missing Alt Text Finder Plugin
Easily add any missing alt text from your website’s images. Though this sounds great, it will take time to do as you cannot, or shouldn’t, bulk edit and use one description for all images.
Description, alt text, and captions are necessary with ADA compliance of pictures in your WordPress media library. It’s also good practice for search engine optimization.
This plugin will also add these to pictures already published on your Pages and Posts.
Even forms have to meet ADA compliance.
For HIPPA compliance, we recommend Jot Forms or Gravity Forms. The latter is our favorite and is provided with every website we design and service.
Web accessibility plugins do not cover other aspects of accessibility, such as content order, clear instructions, color contrast, etc., so be prepared for the work you’re undertaking if you DIY it.
Web accessibility is not a new thing in the world of the web. But it is becoming more noticeable with legal actions against retailers, hotels, and the fast food industry.
lawsuits alleging website accessibility violations totaled 1,053 in the first six months, a number that is projected to rise to 2,000 by year’s end, up 90% from 2017
L.A. Times
If Beyonce can be sued, then no one is exempt. ADA Compliance is very muddy right now. There are many opinions on what makes a website ADA-compliant.
The best way to avoid a potential suit is to plan and invest in ADA website accessibility. It’s the best investment in your 2020 marketing budget.
Ask NerdBrand for a quote for a limited accessibility review or site audit. Rather than every single one, which can be very expensive. We will sample a few of your pages to test.
