Audits and testing

WordPress regularly improves its features and creates new coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. themes. The accessibilityAccessibility Accessibility (commonly shortened to a11y) refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design ensures both “direct access” (i.e. unassisted) and “indirect access” meaning compatibility with a person’s assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility) team monitors these changes and tests them for web accessibility.

What we test

  • Core themes;
  • New functionality added in WordPress;
  • Existing functionality with known problems;
  • Patches from tickets labeled “accessibility”.

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How we test

We use a variety of assistive technologies, including:

  • Different brands of screen readers and voice recognition software on multiple browsers;
  • Keyboard only navigation, checking tab-order and discovering unreachable links;
  • Color contrast checkers;
  • Other accessibility issues we find.

Do you have something you’d like tested in WordPress core? Please contact us in SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform https://slack.com/. The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at https://make.wordpress.org/chat/. in the #accessibility channel to let us know.

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What we do with the test results

We report problems by creating a ticket on WordPress TracTrac Trac is the place where contributors create issues for bugs or feature requests much like GitHub.https://core.trac.wordpress.org/.. We test patches on existing tickets, then update those tickets with our findings. We discuss known accessibility problems and suggest workable solutions. We document these activities on Make WordPress Accessible.

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How you can help

You can help increase accessibility in WordPress, and thus in much of the web. We are looking for people familiar with WordPress, with time to run tests, especially those who:

  • Use assistive technologyAssistive technology Assistive technology is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them. Assistive technology promotes greater independence by enabling people to perform tasks that they were formerly unable to accomplish, or had great difficulty accomplishing, by providing enhancements to, or changing methods of interacting with, the technology needed to accomplish such tasks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assistive_technology to use the internet or,
  • Know about web accessibility or,
  • Are web developers that can help write patches.

Join our Monday meeting on the #accessibility channel in Slack, introduce yourself and you’re in.

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