Body
Accessible Content in WordPress (Classic Editor)
SUNY Cortland faculty websites use approved WordPress themes that are managed centrally. Because of this, most accessibility-related tasks for content creators focus on the content you add to your pages rather than the site's overall design.
The guidance below highlights accessibility best practices for creating content in WordPress using the Classic Editor. If you encounter an accessibility concern that appears to be related to the website's theme or layout, please contact Web Services for assistance.
NOTE: At SUNY Cortland, it is important to understand that there are two different WordPress editing experiences:
- Faculty websites typically use the Classic Editor, a traditional WYSIWYG editor.
- sites.cortland.edu and other campus websites often use the newer Block Editor experience.
The guidance below is intended for content creators working in the Classic Editor.
Headings For Content Organization
Apply heading 2, heading 3, and heading 4 styles in a logical hierarchical order. Do not use heading 1s as those are reserved for the page itself. Headings should not be created by simply making text bold, larger, or a different color. Adding actual HTML headings makes your content more well organized and navigable by screen readers and assistive technology.
Alternative (alt) Text for Images.
Alt text should briefly describe the information or purpose of an image. Decorative images should use empty alt text.
Alt text can be added to an image both while editing a page or post or directly in the media library.
Descriptive Links
Avoid generic link text such as "click here" or "read more." Instead, use text that describes the destination or action, such as "View the Academic Calendar."
Formatting Tools
Create bulleted and numbered lists using the toolbar options rather than manually typing dashes, bullets, or numbers.
Tables Are For Data, Not Layout
Avoid using tables for page layout. When creating data tables, identify column headings and keep the structure simple.
Visual Cues Alone
Do not rely solely on visual cues such as color, shape, size, or position to convey information by providing related text and labels.
Avoid PDFs
Publish information directly on a web page instead of uploading a PDF. Web pages are generally easier to access and maintain.
Accessibility Checking
Consider adding Webaim's Wave Accessibility extension to your browser and evaluating your form's accessibility score and learn about any potential issues..