reala11y

Why we built reala11y after the FTC v. accessiBe ruling

Mon, 25 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT

On April 21, 2025 the FTC ordered accessiBe to pay $1M. We built reala11y to be the honest alternative.

Block Themes and Full-Site Editing: WordPress Accessibility

Tue, 20 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Block themes and full-site editing change how WordPress builds navigation, headings, and landmarks. Here are the common accessibility pitfalls and how to catch them.

WCAG 3.0 and APCA: the future contrast model, explained

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

WCAG 3.0 is an early W3C draft and APCA is its candidate contrast method. How it differs from 1.4.3, why it's not a target yet, and what to actually do today.

Write an Accessibility Statement That Doesn't Overpromise

Mon, 15 Sep 2025 00:00:00 GMT

A practical, honest structure for a WordPress accessibility statement that reflects your real conformance status—no overclaiming, no legal exposure.

The EAA is now enforceable: what WordPress owners should do

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The European Accessibility Act became enforceable on 28 June 2025. What it covers, who's in scope, and a practical, honest checklist for WordPress sites.

After the FTC Order: Why Overlay Widgets Don't Fix Accessibility

Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:00:00 GMT

The FTC fined accessiBe $1M for overstated overlay claims. Here's why overlays don't fix the HTML — and what genuine WordPress remediation looks like.

Automated vs Manual Accessibility Testing: Why You Need Both

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Scanners catch roughly 30–40% of WCAG issues by criteria. Here's what automation finds, what only a human can judge, and how to combine them.

Captions and Transcripts for WordPress Video and Audio

Tue, 20 Aug 2024 00:00:00 GMT

A practical guide to WCAG 1.2.2 captions and 1.2.1 transcripts for WordPress video and audio — what the criteria require, honest tooling options, and where automation stops.

Accessible form validation errors: aria-invalid and focus

Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Make WordPress form errors usable: associate messages with fields via aria-describedby, set aria-invalid, manage focus, and announce inline validation. WCAG 3.3.1 and 3.3.3.

The DOJ ADA Title II web rule: what WordPress teams should know

Tue, 30 Apr 2024 00:00:00 GMT

In April 2024 the DOJ set WCAG 2.1 AA as the standard for state and local government web content. What it means for WordPress site owners, devs, and vendors.

Respecting prefers-reduced-motion on WordPress

Tue, 23 Jan 2024 00:00:00 GMT

Why default-on animation hurts users who get sick from it, and how to build motion that respects prefers-reduced-motion on your WordPress site.

WCAG 2.2 Target Size (Minimum): the 24px rule for WordPress

Tue, 05 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WCAG 2.2's new Target Size (Minimum) criterion asks for 24x24 CSS pixel tap targets. Here's what 2.5.8 means for WordPress sites, with its spacing exception.

Section 508 and WordPress: what it is and who it applies to

Mon, 13 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Section 508 sets accessibility requirements for US federal IT and maps to WCAG 2.0 AA. What it covers, who's bound by it, and what it means for WordPress site owners.

WCAG 2.2 is here: the nine new criteria, explained

Tue, 10 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Blog post written, fact-checked against the site's published WCAG 2.2 guide, and passed through the legal-safe-language review.

Accessible navigation menus in WordPress: keyboard and dropdowns

Mon, 24 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Build accessible WordPress nav: semantic

Non-text Contrast (WCAG 1.4.11): the 3:1 rule for UI

Mon, 17 Apr 2023 00:00:00 GMT

WCAG 1.4.11 asks UI components, focus indicators, and meaningful graphics to hit 3:1 contrast. Here's what counts, how to check it, and how to fix it on WordPress.

Visible Focus Indicators: Don't Remove the Outline (WCAG 2.4.7)

Tue, 21 Feb 2023 00:00:00 GMT

Removing the focus outline breaks keyboard navigation. Here's why it matters for WCAG 2.4.7, and how to style a focus indicator that looks good and works.

Accessible data tables in WordPress: th, scope, captions

Tue, 08 Nov 2022 00:00:00 GMT

How to build accessible data tables in WordPress content with proper th headers, scope, and captions — plus how to tell when you shouldn't use a table at all.

Building accessible modal dialogs on WordPress

Mon, 19 Sep 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Accessible modals need focus trapping, Escape to close, focus return, and the right ARIA. Here's how to build them right — and fix the popups WordPress plugins ship broken.

Link text beyond "click here": writing links that work out of context

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Generic links like "click here" and "read more" fail WCAG 2.4.4. Here's how to write link text that makes sense out of context on WordPress.

Text Spacing (WCAG 1.4.12): don't clip text on WordPress

Mon, 09 May 2022 00:00:00 GMT

WCAG 1.4.12 says users can override line, letter, word, and paragraph spacing without losing content. Here's how to test it on WordPress and the CSS gotchas that fail it.

Skip Links and ARIA Landmarks: Bypass Repeated Navigation

Tue, 15 Mar 2022 00:00:00 GMT

Skip links and ARIA landmarks let keyboard and screen-reader users jump past repeated navigation (WCAG 2.4.1). Here's how they work on WordPress and how to add them.

Reflow and zoom to 400% (WCAG 1.4.10) on WordPress

Mon, 24 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

WCAG 1.4.10 Reflow asks your content to survive 400% zoom with no horizontal scrolling. Here's what that means for WordPress themes, and the viewport mistake to avoid.

Accessible forms in WordPress: labels, errors, instructions

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Build accessible WordPress forms: visible labels, programmatic association, clear errors and instructions. A practical, honest guide to WCAG 3.3.2 and 3.3.1.

Accessible PDFs on WordPress (and when to offer HTML instead)

Mon, 13 Sep 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Why PDFs are so often inaccessible, the tagging, reading-order and alt-text basics that fix them, and why an HTML alternative is usually the better answer on WordPress.

A 10-minute keyboard accessibility test for WordPress

Tue, 08 Jun 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Run a quick keyboard-only pass on any WordPress site: tab order, visible focus, skip links, and keyboard traps. Practical steps, no special tools.

Your first screen-reader test: a practical NVDA and VoiceOver workflow

Mon, 22 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT

A beginner's screen-reader testing workflow with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on Mac — the keys to learn, what to listen for, and the issues you'll find first.

Why Heading Order Matters for Screen Readers

Tue, 19 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Skipped heading levels break screen-reader navigation. Here's why H1–H6 order matters and how to fix a broken outline in WordPress.

How assistive tech computes an accessible name

Mon, 30 Nov 2020 00:00:00 GMT

label, aria-label, aria-labelledby, alt, title — the accessible name computation decides what a screen reader announces. Here's the order it uses and how to control it.

Meeting WCAG 1.4.3 colour contrast without ruining your design

Tue, 22 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMT

How to hit WCAG 1.4.3 contrast ratios (4.5:1 and 3:1) on WordPress without wrecking your brand — the numbers, the tools, and the mistakes to skip.

ARIA landmarks and roles: when to use native HTML5 instead

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 00:00:00 GMT

A practical guide to landmark regions (banner, nav, main, contentinfo) — when native HTML5 elements are enough, when to reach for roles, and the WordPress theme pitfalls to avoid.

How to Write Effective Alt Text in WordPress

Tue, 14 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT

A practical guide to alt text in WordPress: what to include, decorative vs meaningful images, when to use empty alt, and the common mistakes to avoid.