Episode 599 WordPress Accessibility Day and Website Design With Ricky Blacker
Show Highlights
The source is a transcript from The SDM Show, hosted by Rob Cairns of Stunning Digital Marketing, featuring guest Ricky Blacker from WP Engine. The central topic of their discussion is WordPress accessibility, specifically promoting the upcoming WP Accessibility Day on October 15th and 16th, which is a free, 24-hour global event. Cairns and Blacker discuss the crucial importance of designing websites to be accessible to everyone, not only for ethical and user experience reasons but also to avoid potential legal and financial issues such as class-action lawsuits. Blacker shares his journey into the WordPress space and emphasizes that accessibility should be a foundational consideration in website development rather than an afterthought, advocating for simple best practices like proper alt tags and contrasting colors. The conversation concludes with details about the conference’s structure, which involves pre-recorded talks and live Q&A sessions using the Zoom platform.
Show Notes
Why You Should Care About WP Accessibility Day with Ricky Blacker
In this episode, host Rob talks with Ricky Blacker of WP Engine about WP Accessibility Day. Rickey shares his unique journey into the WordPress space and explains why web accessibility is crucial for everyone, not just those with disabilities. The conversation covers the practical and ethical reasons for making websites accessible, the dangers of “overlay plugins,” and how building for accessibility from the start can improve user experience and even boost your bottom line.
Key Takeaways
- Accessibility is for everyone: Accessibility isn’t just about catering to people with disabilities. A website that is hard to navigate, has low-contrast colors, or confusing layouts is inaccessible to all users, causing frustration and leading to lost traffic. Rickey cites his own mother, an 80-year-old, as an example of how aging naturally impacts vision, making things like font size a crucial accessibility factor.
- Start with accessibility from the beginning: Trying to “retrofit” accessibility into a completed website is expensive and time-consuming. Just as the industry once embraced a “mobile-first” approach, developers should adopt an “accessibility-first” mindset.
- The business case for accessibility: Making your website accessible isn’t just a legal or ethical requirement; it’s also good for business. Simple practices like using alt tags on images not only help screen readers but also improve SEO and discoverability, which can lead to more sales.
- Be wary of overlay plugins: While some plugins can help, many “overlay” accessibility plugins only address surface-level issues like contrast and text size. They don’t fix fundamental problems like missing alt tags or poor site structure, leaving the website non-compliant and potentially creating a false sense of security.
- Real-world testing is essential: While automated tools and screen readers like JAWS are helpful, the most valuable accessibility testing comes from people with actual disabilities. Their firsthand experience can reveal usability issues that an able-bodied person would likely miss.
WP Accessibility Day 2025
- What it is: A free, 24-hour virtual event bringing together speakers from all over the world to share their knowledge on web accessibility.
- When it is: October 15th and 16th.
- How it works: The event runs for 24 hours to accommodate all global time zones. While the talks are pre-recorded to avoid technical issues, the speakers will be available during their scheduled time to answer questions live in the chat. All talks are recorded and will be available for viewing after the event.
- How to register: The event is free, and you can register and see the full list of speakers and topics at 2025.wpaccessibility.day.
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