Title: Make WordPress Accessible – Page 2 – Equal Access For All --- [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 8:07 am _on_ June 12, 2026 Tags: [make.wordpress.org/core ( 18 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/make-wordpress-org-core/), [p2-xpost ( 95 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/p2-xpost/)    # 󠀁[X-post: Call for Testing: Unicode email addresses.](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/06/12/xpost-call-for-testing-unicode-email-addresses/)󠁿 X-comment from [+make.wordpress.org/core](https://make.wordpress.org/core/): Comment on [Call for Testing: Unicode email addresses.](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/06/10/call-for-testing-unicode-email-addresses/#comment-48899) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 9:29 am _on_ June 9, 2026 Tags: [accessibility ( 132 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/accessibility/), [meeting notes ( 131 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) # 󠀁[Accessibility Team Meeting Notes: June 04, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/06/09/accessibility-team-meeting-notes-june-04-2026/)󠁿 These is the bi-weekly notes for 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 meeting that happens on alternate Thursday in [#accessibility.](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03) You can read the [full transcript](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1780585264753449) here or see the [full meeting schedule](https://make.wordpress.org/meetings/). * WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. [Learn more](https://central.wordcamp.org/about/). Europe held last week, and contributors were encouraged to join the Accessibility Team table during Contributor DayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of [https://make.wordpress.org/](https://make.wordpress.org/) There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. [https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/](https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/). * The Accessibility Team shared updates on ongoing documentation improvements for May 2026. * The call for volunteers for the WordPress 7.1 release is closed. * Contributors were reminded that one week remained to apply as a speaker for WordPress Accessibility Day. * A hotfix addressing the publish button placement issue was released. [Docs](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1780585953724129) * [@rianrietveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/) shared an update that work on improving the Accessibility Team documentation continued. * During WordCamp Europe Contributor Day, attendees reviewed the new documentation and provided valuable feedback to help refine and improve the content. [General](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1780586124975369) * [@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) shared that most tickets milestoned for 7.1 already have patches, so the focus of bug scrubs over the coming weeks will be on reviewing those patches and confirming they still apply correctly. * It was also mentioned that some bug scrubs may need to be rescheduled due to scheduling constraints. Any schedule changes will be communicated as far in advance as possible. [Gutenberg](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1780586252482319) * [@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) shared that the GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. [https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/) team is still primarily focused on polishing items that missed shipping in the 7.0 release. [Themes](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1780586370619499) Only four weeks remain to complete re-reviews of all current `accessibility-ready` themes. By June 30, all accessibility-ready themes are expected to be either: * Approved, * Actively in progress with participation from the theme author, or * Delisted if they do not meet accessibility standards and there is no evidence of author engagement to address the identified issues. NOTE: If you’d like to have a topic added to the agenda for our next meeting, please mention it in the [comments on an upcoming agenda](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/). [#accessibility](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/accessibility/), [#meeting-notes](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 8:49 am _on_ June 3, 2026 Tags: [agenda ( 174 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/agenda/), [meeting notes ( 131 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) # 󠀁[Accessibility Team Meeting Agenda: June 04, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/06/03/accessibility-team-meeting-agenda-june-04-2026/)󠁿 This is the proposed agenda for the bi-weekly 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 meeting on [Thursday, June 04, 2026 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20260604T1500) * [We are officially in WCEU week now! ](https://europe.wordcamp.org/2026/community/contributor-day/). [Join the A11Y table on contributor day at WordCamp Europe](https://europe.wordcamp.org/2026/community/contributor-day/) * [WP A11y Docs update May 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/06/01/wp-a11y-docs-update-may-2026/) * [Call for volunteers](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/05/21/wordpress-7-1-call-for-volunteers/) for 7.1 is to be closed at the end of this week * [Speaking at WP Accessibility Day](https://wpaccessibility.day/2026/speaking-at-wp-accessibility-day/) * [Hotfix for publish button placement](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/05/28/hotfix-available-for-65286/) ## Updates from the working group * Documentation * General * GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. [https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/) * Themes ## Open floor If you want to have a topic added to the agenda, please mention it in the comments of this post. The Accessibility Team bug scrub is every Tuesday at 16:00 UTC, held in the [#accessibility](https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/C02RP4X03) channel on the Make WordPress SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/) ( [registration required](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/)). [#agenda](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/agenda/), [#meeting-notes](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/) [Rian Rietveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/) 7:46 am _on_ June 1, 2026 Tags: [wp-a11y-docs ( 15 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/wp-a11y-docs/) # 󠀁[WP A11y Docs update May 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/06/01/wp-a11y-docs-update-may-2026/)󠁿 With: * the updated 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)-ready requirements for themes, * work in progress on the documentation, * our plans for the contributor dayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of [https://make.wordpress.org/](https://make.wordpress.org/) There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. [https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/](https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/) at WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. [Learn more](https://central.wordcamp.org/about/). Europe. ## ⏎ The new accessibility-ready requirements for themes The main work in May on wpaccessibility.org was adding and updating the new accessibility- ready requirements for themes, by Amber Hinds ([@alh0319](https://profiles.wordpress.org/alh0319/)) and Joe Dolson ([@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/)): * [Guidelines for the WordPress accessibility-ready tag](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/theme-guidelines/), in Standards and best practices. * [Set up testing for the WordPress themes accessibility-ready tag](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/testing/testing-themes/), in Test for accessibility. Joe Dolson posted about this new requirements in [Accessibility-Ready Requirements Updated](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/05/06/accessibility-ready-requirements-updated/). This means that all [themes with the tag accessibility-ready](https://wordpress.org/themes/tags/accessibility-ready/) need to be reviewed again and for this Amber organized a [GAAD Theme Accessibility Testing Workshop](https://equalizedigital.com/gaad2026/). Many people joined in to learn how to test a theme. ## Work in progress on the documentation Jessica Lyschik ([@luminuu](https://profiles.wordpress.org/luminuu/)) opened the issue [Enhance accessibility-ready guidelines with classic vs. block theme information and examples how to achieve the guidelines](https://github.com/wpaccessibility/wp-a11y-docs/issues/332) for extending the info with a guideline with technical details on how to implement the requirements for both the tester and the theme developer who might have to fix these things. Rian Rietveld is working on cross linking the topics in [Standards and Best practices](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/) with the new accessibility-ready guidelines, and making way of adding resources uniform cross the site. Rian is also working on updating the pages about [how to test for accessibility](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/testing/). Annelies Verhelst ([@anneliesjenl](https://profiles.wordpress.org/anneliesjenl/)) wrote an update of the page about accessibility legislation worldwide, in Standards and best practice. So much has changed the last few years. This update is currently in review. Anne-Mieke Bovelett ([@annebovelett](https://profiles.wordpress.org/annebovelett/)) is working on updating and extending pages about the Accessibility for your business, in Start with Accessibility. ## WordCamp Europe contibutor day In preparation for [WordCamp Europe](https://europe.wordcamp.org/2026/), Rian makes an inventory of the accessibility info on wordpress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) and its sub sites. She plans to talk to the docs and metaMeta Meta is a term that refers to the inside workings of a group. For us, this is the team that works on internal WordPress sites like WordCamp Central and Make WordPress. team about how to make the info about accessibility available in a workable way while avoiding duplicate content. Also, we want your opinion about the info on wpaccessibility.org and perform user testing on the site. So hop by the accessibility table if you want to test or discuss the [WP Accessibility Knowledge Base](https://wpaccessibility.org/). [#wp-a11y-docs](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/wp-a11y-docs/) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 5:57 am _on_ May 28, 2026 Tags: [meeting notes ( 131 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) # 󠀁[Accessibility Team Meeting Notes: May 21, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/05/28/accessibility-team-meeting-notes-may-21-2026/)󠁿 These is the bi-weekly notes for 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 meeting that happens on alternate Thursday in [#accessibility.](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03) You can read the [full transcript](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1779375628939349) here or see the [full meeting schedule](https://make.wordpress.org/meetings/). * GAAD Live accessibility-ready theme testing * WordPress 7.0 Armstrong is released on 20th May [Docs](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1779376146076069) * Accessibility documentation updates are currently in progress. * [@Annelies Verhelst](https://wordpress.slack.com/team/U0560GHP2Q6) wrote an update of the page about accessibility legislation worldwide. The PR is under review. * Work is ongoing to improve cross-linking, consistency, and overall usability of accessibility resources. * Accessibility testing documentation is also being updated. * An inventory of accessibility information across WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) and related sites is being prepared ahead of WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. [Learn more](https://central.wordcamp.org/about/). Europe. [General](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1779376324099669) * WordPress 7.0 has officially been released, and trunk is now re-opened for commits. * Work on WordPress 7.1 can now begin, though the release schedule is not finalized yet. * The upcoming bug scrubs will mainly focus on reviewing tickets currently assigned to the 7.1 milestone. * The team will also monitor and address any new issues that may need inclusion in the 7.0.1 release. [Gutenberg](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1779376761358249) * Several accessibility issues in GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. [https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/), particularly around visual revisionsRevisions The WordPress revisions system stores a record of each saved draft or published update. The revision system allows you to see what changes were made in each revision by dragging a slider( or using the Next/Previous buttons). The display indicates what has changed in each revision., are still being worked on for WordPress 7.0.1 and 7.1. * Key features expected to receive accessibility testing for 7.1 include: - Tabs blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience. - Real-time collaboration - Client-side media editing * These features were originally planned for 7.0 but were moved to the 7.1 cycle late in the release process. * Some accessibility fixes have already been committed in Gutenberg, while others are still in progress and may be split between the 7.0.1 and 7.1 releases. [Themes](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1779376935057529) * The Accessibility team re-tested `accessibility-ready` themes against the updated guidelines. * There are 108 accessibility-ready themes were under review. * Reports were planned to shared with theme authors to request any necessary accessibility updates and improvements.’ NOTE: If you’d like to have a topic added to the agenda for our next meeting, please mention it in the [comments on an upcoming agenda](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/). [#meeting-notes](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 12:49 pm _on_ May 20, 2026 Tags: [accessibility ( 132 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/accessibility/), [agenda ( 174 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/agenda/)    # 󠀁[Accessibility Team Meeting Agenda: May 21, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/05/20/accessibility-team-meeting-agenda-may-21-2026/)󠁿 This is the proposed agenda for the bi-weekly 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 meeting on [Thursday, May 21, 2026 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20260521T1500) * [Join Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026](https://equalizedigital.com/gaad2026/) * [WordPress 7.0 Updates & Testing – FAQ](https://make.wordpress.org/test/2026/05/20/wordpress-7-0-updates-testing-faq/)( WordPress 7.0 Releasing today) ## Updates from the working group * Documentation * General * GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. [https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/) * Themes ## Open floor If you want to have a topic added to the agenda, please mention it in the comments of this post. The Accessibility Team bug scrub is every Tuesday at 16:00 UTC, held in the [#accessibility](https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/C02RP4X03) channel on the Make WordPress SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/) ( [registration required](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/)). [#accessibility](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/accessibility/), [#agenda](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/agenda/) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 1:07 pm _on_ May 11, 2026 Tags: [meeting notes ( 131 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) # 󠀁[Accessibility Team Meeting Notes: May 07, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/05/11/accessibility-team-meeting-notes-may-07-2026/)󠁿 These is the bi-weekly notes for 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 meeting that happens on alternate Thursday in [#accessibility.](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03) You can read the [full transcript](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1778166090436999) here or see the [full meeting schedule](https://make.wordpress.org/meetings/). * [Join Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026](https://equalizedigital.com/gaad2026/) * [Accessibility-Ready Requirements are now updated.](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/05/06/accessibility-ready-requirements-updated/) Please take a moment to see the changes made. * [RC3 (“new Beta 1”) released on this Friday, May 8th](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/04/22/wordpress-7-0-release-party-updated-schedule/) ## Working Group Updates [Docs](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1778166917381609) [@rianrietveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/) shared that the work is in progress on [wpaccessibility.org](http://wpaccessibility.org): * update of the documentation about testing for accessibility. * add more internal resources to the different topics, to cross link the information on the site. [General](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1778167344894179) [@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) shared the updates: * Work is progressing toward the WordPress 7.0 release. Because of the current uncertainty around the release timeline, work on 7.1 has been moving slowly. * The major open question is whether the 7.1 cycle will be shortened or delayed, which may directly affect the scope of work. Due to this uncertainty, current priorities will focus on already-milestoned issues instead of adding new items. [Gutenberg](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1778169466160329) Primary need is to work on the many accessibility issues that [@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) cited on visual revisionsRevisions The WordPress revisions system stores a record of each saved draft or published update. The revision system allows you to see what changes were made in each revision by dragging a slider (or using the Next/Previous buttons). The display indicates what has changed in each revision.. Some of the work is already in progress, so at least **some** of the issues (and many of the most critical ones) will make it for 7.0 Please check [https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/77530](https://github.com/WordPress/gutenberg/issues/77530) for the reference. [Themes](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1778169512180919) The update was already share for `accessibility-ready` requirements. These are effective immediately, and we’ll be doing a big push to get existing themes updated. [Meta & Contribution Tracking Discussion](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1778167351579459) * Attention was drawn to ongoing work in `[#meta-janitors](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C0ATCQF2PMM)`, where several rapid changes are happening across WordPress.orgWordPress.org The community site where WordPress code is created and shared by the users. This is where you can download the source code for WordPress core, plugins and themes as well as the central location for community conversations and organization. [https://wordpress.org/](https://wordpress.org/) that may require accessibility review and input. * A discussion was introduced around **automated contribution tracking** for the accessibility team as part of the evolving [Five for the Future (FFTF) initiative.](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/pledges/) * The goal is to move beyond self-reported contribution hours and instead rely more on measurable contribution data such as: - CoreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. commits - TracTrac Trac is the place where contributors create issues for bugs or feature requests much like GitHub.[https://core.trac.wordpress.org/](https://core.trac.wordpress.org/)./ GitHubGitHub GitHub is a website that offers online implementation of git repositories that can easily be shared, copied and modified by other developers. Public repositories are free to host, private repositories require a paid subscription. GitHub introduced the concept of the ‘pull request’ where code changes done in branches by contributors can be reviewed and discussed before being merged by the repository owner. [https://github.com/](https://github.com/) activity - Patches and PRs - Ticket participation * It was also acknowledged that many valuable contributions are harder to track, including: - Accessibility reviews - Documentation work - Expert guidance and discussions - Work on external properties like WPAccessibility.org **Key Clarifications** * The current system is still in a very early and evolving stage. * No implementation decisions have been made yet for the Accessibility Team. * The team will eventually need to decide: - Which contribution signals should be tracked - Which data sources should be used * Existing pages related to this initiative currently function more like prototypes/ demos and are not fully connected yet. **Community Concerns Raised** * Some contributors shared that the documentation and process, especially steps 4 and 5 in the proposal, currently feel difficult to follow. * It was clarified that: - This initiative is **not** intended to change how contributors participate. - The focus is on understanding and representing existing contributions more accurately. **Action Items / Next Steps** * Before further discussions, more clarity is needed around the technical implementation and data pipeline details. * No immediate action items were assigned. * The topic will be considered as a potential agenda item for a future bi-weekly meeting (likely not the next one due to GAAD scheduling). NOTE: If you’d like to have a topic added to the agenda for our next meeting, please mention it in the [comments on an upcoming agenda](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/). [#meeting-notes](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/meeting-notes/) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) [Joe Dolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) 2:30 pm _on_ May 6, 2026 Tags: [accessibility-ready ( 25 )](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/accessibility-ready/) # 󠀁[Accessibility-Ready Requirements Updated](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/05/06/accessibility-ready-requirements-updated/)󠁿 Effective today, the theme 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)-ready guidelines have been updated. The new guidelines more closely adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGWCAG WCAG is an acronym for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines are helping make sure the internet is accessible to all people no matter how they would need to access the internet (screen-reader, keyboard only, etc) [https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/).) expectations, although it continues to be the case that WCAG does not apply directly to themes; WCAG is a measurement for content, and themes are only a wrapper for your content. ## Why are the accessibility-ready requirements changing? The original requirements were written in 2011, and added to the theme review process in 2012. This was before WCAG 2.1 or WCAG 2.2 were published, and before HTML5 or ARIA had wide support and adoption.  Since 2012, general awareness of accessibility has increased, and the capabilities for creating more accessible websites have also improved. It’s become increasingly important for WordPress’ Accessibility-ready requirements to modernize, to ensure that people implementing accessibility-ready themes are getting the best experiences. ## Where can I find the new accessibility-ready requirements? The theme review guidelines have been updated and are listed in the [Accessibility section of the theme review handbook](https://make.wordpress.org/themes/handbook/review/accessibility/required/). The topics are currently being maintained on the [Accessibility Team’s documentation site](https://wpaccessibility.org). On that site, you can also find extensive guidance on all of the accessibility issues raised by the theme review requirements.  ## What has changed? You should read the requirements for full details on what has changed. At a high level, here is a summary of changes: * Guidelines for themes have been updated to only include requirements, and “recommendations” have been removed. Some recommendations have been made requirements; other recommendations have been removed as they are best practices and not blockers to receiving accessibility- ready tag approval. * Requirement titles have been rewritten to clearly summarize the expectation. * All guidelines now follow a standard format with the following sections: - Basic principle: explains what the requirement is and why it matters. - Testing: includes a list of tools needed for the testing process and detailed, numbered, step-by-step explanations on how to test the requirement, with clear pass/fail criteria at each step. - WCAG resources: links to relevant WCAG docs that apply to our requirement, for people who want to learn more. * A standard process has been established for documenting testing in a Google Sheet, with a copyable template. The aim of this process is to make it easier for anyone to test, even without prior accessibility knowledge, and to ensure that theme developers receive consistent feedback, regardless of who tests their theme. * Some new requirements have been added: - [Support for reflow, resize, and text spacing changes](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/theme-guidelines/reflow-resize/) - [No unexpected changes of context](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/theme-guidelines/unexpected-changes-of-context/) - [Content on hover or focus is accessible](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/theme-guidelines/content-hover-focus/) - [Accessibility statement](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/theme-guidelines/accessibility-statement/) - [Must not recommend or require inaccessible plugins](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/theme-guidelines/no-inaccessible-plugins/) ## How can I learn more about the requirements? The documentation is very detailed, and covers how to test each requirement. However, to help users understand the process from the beginning, [@alh0319](https://profiles.wordpress.org/alh0319/) will be [hosting a webinar on Thursday, May 21st – Global Accessibility Awareness Day](https://equalizedigital.com/gaad2026/). She’ll walk through the entire process of testing a theme for accessibility-ready standards, and attendees will be able to learn by testing themes during the webinar. If enough people sign up for the webinar, the aim is to get all of the [current 108 accessibility-ready themes](https://wordpress.org/themes/tags/accessibility-ready/) re-tested against the new requirements. [@rianrietveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/) and [@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) will be available to provide support and help testers work through challenges! ## How does this impact my live accessibility-ready theme? All accessibility-ready themes will be expected to update their themes to meet the new standards. Many of the requirements are essentially the same, but there are some new requirements as noted above.  **Theme authors will have until June 30th, 2026 to begin the process of getting their themes updated — either to update their accessibility, or to remove the tag.** Read the requirements, update your theme, then please request a review when you’re ready! [Read the Requirements](https://wpaccessibility.org/docs/topics/theme-guidelines/) [Request an Accessibility Review](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/request-an-accessibility-ready-review/) ## Thanks & Props The primary work on the new accessibility-ready guidelines was done by Amber Hinds, with assistance from Joe Dolson. However, many others have contributed to the long process of developing the requirements and the process for testing: * _[@rianrietveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/)_ * _[@jessicagoddard](https://profiles.wordpress.org/jessicagoddard/)_ * _[@miriamgoldman](https://profiles.wordpress.org/miriamgoldman/)_ * _[@slferguson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/slferguson/)_ * _[@mpmike](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mpmike/)_ * _[@christophermhinds](https://profiles.wordpress.org/christophermhinds/)_ * _[@pirenko](https://profiles.wordpress.org/pirenko/)_ * _[@clumi](https://profiles.wordpress.org/clumi/)_ * _[@Ryokuhi](https://profiles.wordpress.org/ryokuhi/)_ * _[@Nadav](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nadav/)_ * _[@Tehila](https://profiles.wordpress.org/tehila/)_ * _[@oksankaa](https://profiles.wordpress.org/oksankaa/)_ * _[@akinom500](https://profiles.wordpress.org/akinom500/)_ * _[@stuartpyper](https://profiles.wordpress.org/stuartpyper/) _ * _[@nikunj8866](https://profiles.wordpress.org/nikunj8866/)_ * _[@maxelementary](https://profiles.wordpress.org/maxelementary/)_ * _[@mirasus](https://profiles.wordpress.org/mirasus/)_ * _[@vineettalwar](https://profiles.wordpress.org/vineettalwar/)_ * _Cam Coulter_ * _Karim Jetha_ _Did you help with this process, but don’t see yourself in the list? Please comment below to let us know!_ Additional thanks are owed to [InstaWP](https://instawp.com), for donating their services to mount testing sites. You may wonder why this process isn’t using Playground, which is already available on [WordPress.org](http://wordpress.org). Unfortunately, Playground renders inside an iframeiframe iFrame is an acronym for an inline frame. An iFrame is used inside a webpage to load another HTML document and render it. This HTML document may also contain JavaScript and/or CSS which is loaded at the time when iframe tag is parsed by the user’s browser., which breaks a number of key testing tools used to examine the content, particularly bookmarklets. It is possible to test within Playground, but considerably more labor-intensive.  The goal is to make it easier for anyone to contribute to theme accessibility-ready testing using common tools, and InstaWP makes this possible. _Reviewed by [@alh0319](https://profiles.wordpress.org/alh0319/) and [@rianrietveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/)._ [#accessibility-ready](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/tag/accessibility-ready/) [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 8:25 am _on_ May 6, 2026   # 󠀁[Accessibility Team Meeting Agenda: May 07, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/05/06/accessibility-team-meeting-agenda-may-07-2026/)󠁿 This is the proposed agenda for the bi-weekly 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 meeting on [Thursday, May 7, 2026 15:00 UTC](https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/fixedtime.html?iso=20260507T1500) * [Join Global Accessibility Awareness Day 2026](https://equalizedigital.com/gaad2026/) * Update will be shared for accessibility-ready guidelines for themes * [RC3 (“new Beta 1”) scheduled for this Friday, May 8th](https://make.wordpress.org/core/2026/04/22/wordpress-7-0-release-party-updated-schedule/) ## Updates from the working group * Documentation * General * GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. [https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/) * Themes ## Open floor If you want to have a topic added to the agenda, please mention it in the comments of this post. The Accessibility Team bug scrub is every Tuesday at 16:00 UTC, held in the [#accessibility](https://wordpress.slack.com/messages/C02RP4X03) channel on the Make WordPress SlackSlack Slack is a Collaborative Group Chat Platform [https://slack.com/](https://slack.com/). The WordPress community has its own Slack Channel at [https://make.wordpress.org/chat/](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/) ( [registration required](https://make.wordpress.org/chat/)). [ ](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) [Krupa Nanda](https://profiles.wordpress.org/krupajnanda/) 11:15 am _on_ April 30, 2026   # 󠀁[Accessibility Team Meeting Notes: April 23, 2026](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/2026/04/30/accessibility-team-meeting-notes-april-23-2026/)󠁿 These is the bi-weekly notes for 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 meeting that happens on alternate Thursday in [#accessibility.](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03) You can read the [full transcript](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1776956413106589) here or see the [full meeting schedule](https://make.wordpress.org/meetings/). * Looking for Table leads for WordCampWordCamp WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress. They're one of the places where the WordPress community comes together to teach one another what they’ve learned throughout the year and share the joy. [Learn more](https://central.wordcamp.org/about/). Europe 2026 Contributor DayContributor Day Contributor Days are standalone days, frequently held before or after WordCamps but they can also happen at any time. They are events where people get together to work on various areas of [https://make.wordpress.org/](https://make.wordpress.org/) There are many teams that people can participate in, each with a different focus. [https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/](https://make.wordpress.org/support/handbook/getting-started/getting-started-at-a-contributor-day/) * During the last triage, Joe shared a [Google Doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1C71zjreVOMqp8G1tU1XSHrn6JIRNEdQ7FB2hEa1ZQfE/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.ski1r0nxyh0x) for capturing feedback and observations on how the new changes (slider, editor, and controls) are working. * [WordPress Accessibility Day 2026’s call for speakers is officially open!](https://wpaccessibility.day/2026/share-your-knowledge-at-wordpress-accessibility-day/) * Updated [schedule](http://WordPress%207.0%20Release%20Party%20Updated%20Schedule) for the WordPress 7.0 Release party. ## Working Group Updates [Docs](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1776957024962499) **New and updated documentation**: about alternative text for images, headings and links plus an introduction to WCAGWCAG WCAG is an acronym for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These guidelines are helping make sure the internet is accessible to all people no matter how they would need to access the internet (screen-reader, keyboard only, etc) [https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/](https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/).. **Work in progress:** documentation about how to test for accessibility, update of the info about the accessibility-ready tag in the themes handbook and figure out a section “Can I use”. [General](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1776957299667189) In bug scrubs, focus has been on assigning tickets for the 7.1 release, with 22 tickets currently milestoned. Due to the extended 7.0 release cycle, several new interfaces; mainly in GutenbergGutenberg The Gutenberg project is the new Editor Interface for WordPress. The editor improves the process and experience of creating new content, making writing rich content much simpler. It uses ‘blocks’ to add richness rather than shortcodes, custom HTML etc. [https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/](https://wordpress.org/gutenberg/); still need review. Since the 7.1 schedule isn’t finalized yet, no significant increase in tickets is expected for now. [Gutenberg](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1776957707813959) Focus has been on reviewing new coreCore Core is the set of software required to run WordPress. The Core Development Team builds WordPress. features, particularly visual revisionsRevisions The WordPress revisions system stores a record of each saved draft or published update. The revision system allows you to see what changes were made in each revision by dragging a slider (or using the Next/Previous buttons). The display indicates what has changed in each revision., with many areas still needing attention. While work continues on client-side media and the tabs blockBlock Block is the abstract term used to describe units of markup that, composed together, form the content or layout of a webpage using the WordPress editor. The idea combines concepts of what in the past may have achieved with shortcodes, custom HTML, and embed discovery into a single consistent API and user experience., priority remains on features planned for the 7.0 release. Key references include visual history updates and improvements to the Admin Font Library. There is a strong need for more review time to identify and raise issues, especially for features that haven’t yet been evaluated. Notably, real-time collaboration has not undergone accessibility testing yet. Contributors are encouraged to explore and help identify any gaps. [Themes](https://wordpress.slack.com/archives/C02RP4X03/p1776958464921799) Progress on themes has been limited due to other priorities. Thank you [@joedolson](https://profiles.wordpress.org/joedolson/) and [@rianrietveld](https://profiles.wordpress.org/rianrietveld/) for sharing the updates on working group. NOTE: If you’d like to have a topic added to the agenda for our next meeting, please mention it in the [comments on an upcoming agenda](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/). ## Post navigation [← Older posts](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/page/3/?output_format=md) [Newer posts →](https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/?output_format=md)