{"id":1122,"date":"2026-07-31T18:33:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T18:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/style-guide\/?page_id=1122"},"modified":"2026-10-26T20:04:29","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T20:04:29","slug":"accessibility-essentials","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/getting-started-with-wordpress\/accessibility-essentials\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility Essentials"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accessibility helps ensure that all visitors can access and understand website content, regardless of ability or technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Creating accessible content is the responsibility of every content editor. Small changes, such as using proper headings, writing meaningful link text, and providing alternative text for images, can significantly improve the user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning Objectives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After completing this module, you will be able to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Use headings to organize content<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Write descriptive link text<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create accessible lists<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Understand when tables should be used<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Identify accessibility requirements for documents, videos, and audio content<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Accessibility Matters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Accessible content helps all users find, understand, and interact with information on your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Benefits of accessible content include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Improved usability<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Better content organization<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support for assistive technologies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Compliance with accessibility requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Headings<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Headings create structure and help visitors understand how content is organized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use headings in order:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Heading 2\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Heading 3\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Heading 4<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Avoid skipping heading levels whenever possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Use headings to organize content logically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep headings concise and descriptive.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not use headings simply to make text appear larger.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Link Text<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Link text should clearly describe the destination or action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color has-gray-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Good Example<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2705 View Financial Aid Deadlines<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color has-gray-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Poor Example<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u274c Click Here<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Make link text meaningful on its own.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid vague phrases such as &#8220;Click Here&#8221; or &#8220;Read More.&#8221;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clearly identify documents and downloads when linking to files.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lists<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use WordPress List blocks when creating ordered or unordered lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Best Practices<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Use bulleted lists for related items.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use numbered lists when sequence matters.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid manually typing bullets, numbers, or dashes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tables<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tables should only be used to present tabular data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color has-gray-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Appropriate Uses<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u2705 Course schedules<br>\u2705 Event information<br>\u2705 Data comparisons<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color has-gray-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Avoid<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u274c Using tables for page layout<br>\u274c Creating columns using tables<br>\u274c Using tables purely for visual formatting<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Documents<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Uploaded documents should meet accessibility requirements whenever possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Considerations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Use meaningful headings within documents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify document content can be read correctly by assistive technologies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure PDFs are accessible before publishing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Note:<\/strong> Accessibility issues within uploaded documents cannot always be corrected from within WordPress.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Videos and Audio<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Multimedia content should be accessible to all visitors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color has-gray-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Videos<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Include captions whenever possible.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify captions are accurate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column has-border-color has-gray-border-color has-white-background-color has-background is-layout-constrained wp-block-column-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"border-width:1px;border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Audio<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Provide a transcript for audio-only content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ensure transcripts include all meaningful information presented in the recording.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before Moving On<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Before continuing, make sure you can:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-7387b849 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:15px\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-container-core-column-is-layout-2130f694 wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:66.66%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-09d3b6f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<i class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-icon-block has-mtsublue-color has-text-color has-link-color far fa-circle-check wp-elements-1\" style=\"font-size:1em\"><\/i>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Use headings to organize content<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-09d3b6f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<i class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-icon-block has-mtsublue-color has-text-color has-link-color far fa-circle-check wp-elements-2\" style=\"font-size:1em\"><\/i>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Write descriptive link text<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-09d3b6f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<i class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-icon-block has-mtsublue-color has-text-color has-link-color far fa-circle-check wp-elements-3\" style=\"font-size:1em\"><\/i>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Create accessible lists<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-09d3b6f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<i class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-icon-block has-mtsublue-color has-text-color has-link-color far fa-circle-check wp-elements-4\" style=\"font-size:1em\"><\/i>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Identify appropriate uses for tables<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-09d3b6f4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<i class=\"wp-block-mtsu-blocks-icon-block has-mtsublue-color has-text-color has-link-color far fa-circle-check wp-elements-5\" style=\"font-size:1em\"><\/i>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Understand accessibility considerations for documents, videos, and audio<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-gray-color has-alpha-channel-opacity has-gray-background-color has-background is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Next Module: Publishing Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Learn how to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list is-style-compact-list\">\n<li>Review content before publishing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perform final quality checks<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verify accessibility and formatting<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confirm links and media are working correctly<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Publish updates to your website<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/style-guide\/getting-started-with-wordpress\/publishing-quality-control\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"1124\">\u2192 Continue to Publishing Content<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Accessibility helps ensure that all visitors can access and understand website content, regardless of ability or technology. Creating accessible content is the responsibility of every content editor. Small changes, such as using proper headings, writing meaningful link text, and providing alternative text for images, can significantly improve the user experience. Learning Objectives After completing this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":1110,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1122","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2181,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1122\/revisions\/2181"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1110"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mtsu.edu\/web-training\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}