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Making Accessible WordPress Websites in the Full Site Editor

Danielle Zarcaro

August 15, 2022

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Danielle Zarcaro (she/they)

  • Founded Paperback Web Development & Overnight Website
  • Working with WP for 10+ years
  • Specialize in untangling and supporting existing websites as well as building awesome, hassle-free websites overnight.
  • Hot chocolate in coffee

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Today’s Topics

  • Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements
  • Images
  • Heading Order & Font Sizes
  • Color Contrast

FSE = Full Site Editing or Full Site Editor

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Benefits to FSE Approach

from developer’s perspective

  • Streamlined markup
  • Modular development through blocks that can be implemented as needed
  • Separate the styles, templates, content, and advanced functionality
  • Can make changes to any part of the site without impacting the original theme

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Disclaimer

The full site editor is not fully accessible.

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Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements

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Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements

Skip Links

All you need is a <main> element on the page.

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Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements

Navigation Block

Navigation blocks are keyboard accessible. The work is done for you.

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Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements

Navigation Block

You can also make a more advanced navigation layout and it will still be accessible.

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Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements

Button Block

Button blocks have machine-readable text and are the correct markup.

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Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements

Spacer & Separator Blocks

Empty div is not an ideal way to handle space, but it is aria-hidden and correct semantic choices.

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Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements

Element Selection

Use case: if you have a completely blank template available, this is a great way to make all options available.

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Images

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Images

Alt Text

More obvious area to add alt text with a link for more information.

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Images

Featured Image and Image Block

Empty alt for empty image placeholders or decorative images.�

Include width and height.

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Images

Image Block with Default Image

Include an image block with a placeholder and provide an alt tag where appropriate.

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Heading Order & Font Sizes

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Heading Order & Font Sizes

Heading Order in Code

Still adding headings, divs, and paragraphs to the page.

Consider heading order.

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Heading Order & Font Sizes

Heading Order in Block Editor

The block editor will show some information about the page as well as notices about headings out of order.

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Heading Order & Font Sizes

Typography in Block Editor

Class- and style-based approach to typography.

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Heading Order & Font Sizes

Typography in Block Editor

Select options without typing in all caps or using headings for style.

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Heading Order & Font Sizes

Controlling Typography

You can set values or disable options in theme.json.

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Color Contrast

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Color Contrast

Color Selection Tool

Can set a specific color palette.

Can limit options and disable areas of color selection.

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Color Contrast

Hover States

Can set default hover states.

Currently can’t edit these in the block editor.

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Color Contrast

Global Style Variations

Default (Dark Mode)

Black & White (Light Mode)

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Default (Dark Mode)

Black & White (Light Mode)

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Color Contrast

Warnings in Block Editor

Default (Dark Mode)

Black & White (Light Mode)

Most accurate when text & background are both defined.

Otherwise, it’s based on what it thinks is background or text.

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In Review

  • Keyboard Users & Semantic Elements
  • Images
  • Heading Order & Font Sizes
  • Color Contrast

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Links & Resources