=== Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker - Audit Your Website for WCAG, ADA, and Section 508 Accessibility Errors ===
Contributors: equalizedigital, alh0319, stevejonesdev
Tags: accessibility, accessible, wcag, ada, WP accessibility
Requires at least: 6.6
Tested up to: 6.8
Stable tag: 1.32.0
License: GPLv2 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-2.0.html


Find and fix accessibility issues on your website. Detailed reports, autogenerated accessibility statement and one-click fixes to improve compliance.

== Description ==

[Plugin Website](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/) | [Documentation](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/documentation/) | [Compare Free to Pro](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/features/#comparison) | [Get Pro](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/pricing/) | [WP Accessibility Meetup](https://equalizedigital.com/wordpress-accessibility-meetup/) | [WP Accessibility Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/wordpress.accessibility)

### Make Your Website Accessible with Accessibility Checker

Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker helps you find and fix accessibility problems as you create content — no need to leave the WordPress editor. The plugin scans your posts and pages each time you save or publish, then shows errors and warnings directly in the edit screen so you can fix issues in real time.

Accessibility Checker runs over 40 automated checks based on Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 and highlights exactly which elements fail WCAG. If you aren't sure what a code snippet means, flip to the front-end view to see the element highlighted on your website.

Accessibility Checker also includes 10 automated fixes to resolve common accessibility barriers for you. Helpful documentation is available for every issue, and accessibility consulting is available if you need expert help.

### Automated Accessibility Fixes

Have accessibility issues on your website that you can't fix? Accessibility Checker can fix common issues in themes and plugins. One-click fixes include:

* Add skip links
* Add focus outlines
* Block links opening new windows
* Force links to be underlined
* Label comment fields
* Label search fields
* Add `lang` & `dir` attributes
* Make the viewport scalable
* Remove positive tab index to fix incorrect focus order
* Remove title attributes from elements with preferred accessible names
* Add warnings to links that open in new tabs
* Add file size & type to links [Pro]
* Add missing page titles [Pro]
* Block PDF uploads [Pro]
* Label form fields [Pro]

### Ensure Ongoing ADA, Section 508, AODA, European Accessibility Act & WCAG Compliance

Laws around the world require websites to be accessible. Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker is the best automated tool to run to support your accessibility strategy.

* Find problems fast.
* Learn accessibility as you go.
* Easy automated fixes.
* Personalized support and custom plans for more complex remediation needs. [Pro]

Start making your website comply with accessibility laws and requirements today. Making your website accessible reduces legal risk, improves SEO, and can increase conversions.


### A Vital Part of Your WordPress Accessibility Strategy

Accessibility Checker is the best automated tool to run along with your manual accessibility tests. It's perfect for **small business websites**, **large enterprise organizations**, and everything in between. Whether you're running a small brochure website, an **eCommerce** store with thousands of products, or a **multi-site** network for a university, Accessibility Checker is the right tool for your website.

* **No limits on pages scanned.** Have hundreds of blog posts or pages on your website? No problem!
* **Coded and tested by accessibility experts.** Equalize Digital team members are certified accessibility professionals by the International Association of Accessibility Professionals and experts at building accessible WordPress websites.
* **WCAG 2.2 A, AA, & AAA guidance.** Flags errors and warnings for accessibility problems according to WCAG 2.2.
* **Readability analysis & auto insertion of simplified summary.** Includes a Flesch Kincaid grade level analysis and a place to enter a simplified summary to meet WCAG Success Criterion 3.1.5 Reading Level.
* **Ignore feature.** Easily close errors or warnings that have been assessed manually and determined to be not relevant. Optionally, document a reason/notes with each ignore. Logs the username and date/time when errors/warnings are ignored.
* **Accessibility statement.** Draft accessibility statement that you can modify for your organization and publish on your website to share your accessibility efforts with the public.
* **Footer accessibility statement.** One-click to insert an accessibility statement in your footer.
* **Detailed documentation.** Thorough help articles and instructions for fixing problems - the perfect resource for learning more about accessibility.
* **[Pro] Bulk scanning.** Scan all posts and pages in bulk rather than one-by-one for an overview of your entire site's accessibility.
* **[Pro] Scan additional post types.** Add the Accessibility Checker in-post accessibility audit to any post type present on your website.
* **[Pro] Admin columns.** Quickly seeing the accessibility status of posts and pages at a glance by adding accessibility status columns.
* **[Pro] Centralized Open Issues list.** See all existing issues in one place for fast-track accessibility remediation.
* **[Pro] Ignore Log.** See all items that have been ignored on the website, by whom, and when, in one central place. Reopen errors or warnings that have been incorrectly ignored.
* **[Pro] User restrictions on Ignore.** Limit which user roles can ignore errors and warnings - allows for greater admin control and management of accessibility review.

Additional paid add-ons include;

* **Audit History add-on:** track and report on changes over time.
* **CSV Export add-on:** export issues to CSV for management in a spreadsheet or project management tool.
* **Multisite add-on:** see accessibility status and manage settings for all sites in your network.

### How It Works

To get started with Accessibility Checker or learn more about how it works, please reference our [Getting Started Quick Guide](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/getting-started-quick-guide/) or watch this quick video demonstration of the software. Please note that the video demonstration does show some features that are only available in the paid version.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncAfP06dPpU]

### Our Support Team is Here to Help You

The Equalize Digital team aims to provide regular support for Accessibility Checker on the WordPress.org forums. If you have a question about the plugin or its use, please post in the support forum, and we will do our best to help you quickly. Our support hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM U.S. Central. Please understand that we do prioritize support for purchasers of Accessibility Checker Pro.

If you need one-on-one email support, please consider purchasing [Accessibility Checker Pro](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/pricing/). Accessibility Checker Pro customers receive unlimited personal support on plugin usage and features.

Join our [WordPress Accessibility Facebook group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/wordpress.accessibility) for community support and to connect with other developers, designers, and content creators who are working to make their websites more accessible. This is a great place to get free WP accessibility remediation assistance from others in the community.

For paid Accessibility Checker customers on a small business plan or above, we provide two accessibility [office hours](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/pricing/#common-pre-sale-questions) calls each month to address your remediation queries. This is an invaluable resource for those who need direct assistance and expert insights when making their sites more accessible.

### Multi-platform Accessibility

Accessibility Checker supports a variety of WordPress editors and can scan and identify issues no matter how you're building your site. Accessibility Checker has been tested and confirmed compatible with:

* Gutenberg Block Editor
* The Classic Editor
* Advanced Custom Fields
* Beaver Builder
* Divi
* Elementor
* Oxygen
* **[Pro]** WooCommerce

### Learn Accessibility

Want to learn more about accessibility and stay on-top of accessibility best practices? Attend an official WordPress Accessibility Meetup!

These free virtual meetups are held twice per month via Zoom and are live captioned. [Learn more about WP Accessibility Meetup](https://equalizedigital.com/wordpress-accessibility-meetup/)

### About Us

[Equalize Digital](https://equalizedigital.com) is a mission-driven organization striving to create a world where all people have equal access to products and tools on web, regardless of ability. Our team has been building custom WordPress websites, themes, and plugins since 2010, including government, higher ed, and enterprise websites.

== Installation ==

Getting started with Accessibility Checker is as easy as installing and activating the plugin, then configuring a few basic settings.

### Installing Accessibility Checker Within WordPress
1. Visit the plugins page within your dashboard and select ‘Add New’.
2. Search for ‘Accessibility Checker’;
3. On the Accessibility Checker plugin, click or activate the 'Install' button.
4. Activate Accessibility Checker from your Plugins page.
5. Follow the ‘after activation’ steps listed below.

### Installing Accessibility Checker Manually

1.Upload the unzipped ‘accessibility-checker’ folder to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory on your website via FTP.
2. Activate Accessibility Checker from your Plugins page.
3. Follow the ‘after activation’ steps listed below.

### After Activation
After activating the plugin, go to the Accessibility Checker settings page in your WordPress admin (found at '/wp-admin/admin.php?page=accessibility_checker_settings') to configure the plugin settings.

Current settings in the free plugin include:
* Ability to control when the plugin prompts for a Simplified Summary.
* Ability to set the position of the Simplified Summary, if using, above or below content or manually with a function in a page template.
* Ability to turn off Accessibility Checker for posts or pages as desired.
* 10 automated fixes for common accessibility problems.

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Does this plugin make my website accessible? =

Accessibility Checker will fix common accessibility problems, but it will not make your website 100% accessible. Despite what other plugins, integrations, or overlay products might tell you, there is **NO** way for any automated tool or plugin to ensure your website is fully accessible.

True accessibility can only be achieved through a combination of automated scans, manual review, and remediation of identified problems. Some accessibility problems may require you to switch plugins or hire a developer. If you don't have a developer and need help with accessibility remediation, we can help: [See our remediation plans.](https://equalizedigital.com/services/website-accessibility-remediation/)

= Is this an accessibility overlay or toolbar like AccessiBe, Userway, AudioEye, etc.? =

No. Accessibility Checker is a testing tool that scans for problems and presents reports in the admin dashboard. It has some intelligently designed fixes, but it doesn't add any overlays, toolbars, or widgets to the front end of your website. It will not use JavaScript to modify how screen reader and other assistive technology users are able to engage with your website.

Accessibility Checker is the kind of accessibility tool that accessibility consultants and people with disability support - one that helps you identify issues so that you can make your website accessible the right way.

= Does Accessibility Checker scan all of my content? =

Accessibility Checker **Free** scans blog posts and pages, including the header, content area, sidebar, and footer on those pages. There is no limit to the number of pages or posts that you can scan with Accessibility Checker or the number of times any one page or post can be scanned. So, if your website only contains standard posts and pages, then YES, Accessibility Checker will scan all of your content. If you have custom post types (such as a portfolio, team member pages, or WooCommerce products), the free version of the plugin will not scan these post types.

For bulk full-site scanning or to check custom post types for accessibility, please upgrade to [Accessibility Checker Pro](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker).

= How do I know how to fix accessibility problems on my website? =

Every error and warning in Accessibility Checker has an 'i' icon to the right of the error or warning name on the details tab. If you click these 'i' icons, you'll be directed to a help article that clearly explains what the error or warning is, what its impact on accessibility is, and how to fix or resolve it.

Generally, these help articles will provide sufficient information to point you in the right direction, but if you still have questions, here are some ways to get help:

* Ask a question in our [WP Accessibility Facebook Group](https://www.facebook.com/groups/wordpress.accessibility).
* [Upgrade to a small business plan](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/pricing), which includes an onboarding call and bi-weekly office hours calls.
* Or, if you just want us to do it for you, [purchase a remediation plan.](https://equalizedigital.com/services/website-accessibility-remediation/)

= Can you help me fix accessibility problems on my website? =

Yes! If you need accessibility fixes custom-coded for your site, we offer website accessibility remediation to help bring your current site into compliance. [Learn more about Website Accessibility Remediation](https://equalizedigital.com/services/website-accessibility-remediation/)

= What if there are accessibility errors in my theme or a plugin that I cannot fix? =

If Accessibility Checker identifies errors in your theme or a plugin and you're not sure how to fix them, the best bet is to contact the theme or plugin developer for assistance. If that does not work, we can help.  There is more guidance about how to handle problems in your theme or plugins at:
* [What to do if a Plugin You’re Using has Accessibility Errors](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/errors-in-plugin/)
* [What to do if There are Accessibility Errors in Your Theme](https://equalizedigital.com/accessibility-checker/errors-in-theme/)

= Will this slow down my website? =

Accessibility Checker was built with performance in mind and should not slow down your website. Unless you enable a fix, it does not load anything on the front end of your website for logged-out users. If you enable a fix, only the code necessary for that specific fix will load. In the editor, running a scan typically only takes fractions of a second.

= Do I have to connect to any third-party APIs? =

No, Accessibility Checker runs completely on your server and does not require you to connect to any external APIs or services for scans. This can save you thousands of dollars per year in accessibility scanning fees and is privacy-focused, ensuring that your website data stays completely under your control.

= How can I report security bugs? =

You can report security bugs through the Patchstack Vulnerability Disclosure Program. The Patchstack team helps validate, triage and handle any security vulnerabilities. [Report a security vulnerability.](https://patchstack.com/database/vdp/9e5fb76c-bea8-430c-8bec-89d6f38ad57a)

== Screenshots ==

1. Accessibility Checker Summary tab on a page with numerous errors and warnings.
2. Accessibility problems can be viewed on the front end of the website, as shown on the NASA website.
3. Accessibility Checker Details tab showing errors, warnings, and passed checks.
4. Expanded error example 'Image Empty Alternative Text' showing the code for 7 items that caused the error to be flagged.
5. Ignore comment box and button to ignore the error.
6. Example of an ignored error, including the username and date/time the error was ignored. Ignored errors and warnings can be reopened if ignored incorrectly.
7. Accessibility Checker Readability Tab checks the grade level of the content and allows for the insertion of a simplified summary to meet WCAG AAA accessibility.
8. Accessibility Checker Summary tab on a page with no accessibility error or warnings and an included simplified summary.
9. Accessibility Checker scan settings.
10. Accessibility Checker automated fix settings.

== Changelog ==

= 1.32.0 =
* Fixed: Improved highlighter behavior to maintain original size and position of scanned elements.
* Fixed: Identify out-of-sequence headings.
* Fixed: Identify missing title attributes.
* Fixed: Correctly assess alternative text requirements for image map areas.
* Improved: Implemented additional security measures for input validation and data sanitization.

= 1.31.1 =
* Added: Privacy policy link added at newsletter signup.
* Improved: Error messages returned from some ajax actions are more descriptive.

= 1.31.0 =
* Improved: Don't flag YouTube scripts as video present mistakenly.
* Improved: Underlined text rule now will find more instances of underlined text.
* Improved: Added additional string label check for links that open new windows/tabs.
* Updated: Reordered some settings for better grouping.

= 1.30.1 =
* Improved: The rescan and clear buttons in the frontend highlighter are now only shown when they can be used.
* Improved: Issue saving and clearing now has more robust capability checking.

= 1.30.0 =
* Added: Ability to clear issues on a post or page from the frontend highlighter.
* Added: More accessibility checker details in the site health check.
* Fixed: Icons stack in frontend highlighter when there multiple issues on the same element.
* Improved: Missing Transcript can better detect transcripts for videos in the content.

= 1.29.0 =
* Added: Rescan button in the frontend highlighter to rescan the current page.
* Added: Cleanup routine to clear out orphaned issues from the database.
* Added: Filter to allow tweaking the post statuses which get scanned.
* Enhanced: Updated the aria-hidden check to understand more sibling relationships.
* Enhanced: Updated the redundant alt check to understand that repeated images with same source and alt is not redundant.
* Fixed: Remove the password protected notice, and it's related features - scans can throw this error now.

Older versions can be found in the plugins `changelog.txt`.
