Accessibility essentials

As a content editor, one of your most important responsibilities is making sure your content works for as many people as possible, including those who rely on assistive technologies. Drupal CMS ships accessibility tools that find and explain common issues while you create content.

What accessibility means

Accessibility means that everyone, regardless of ability, can use and benefit from the content you create. It keeps people from being excluded from the experience you build, and it makes the web more inclusive. It also improves usability for all visitors, supports legal and organizational requirements, and reflects a commitment to content that respects every user.

The tools Drupal CMS provides

Drupal CMS integrates the open source Editoria11y tool into the Drupal content creation user interface.

Editoria11y provides an inline accessibility review for content creators. As you create and update content, it automatically scans for issues such as missing alternative text on images, improper heading structure, or low color contrast, and highlights them directly. Instead of needing a separate scan or a developer’s help, you see immediate feedback and learn how to fix issues on the spot.

Alongside Editoria11y, the Content Accessibility Report summarizes accessibility issues for the entire site. Review this report to see a complete list of the issues found, which catches anything that slipped by during editing or crept in as content evolved.

Key concepts

The accessibility tools flag issues in a few recurring areas:

• Alternative text: short descriptions that explain the purpose of images and other visual elements for people using screen readers. Avoid empty alt text, file names as alt text, or overly long descriptions.
• Document structure: headings (H1, H2, and so on) and other HTML elements used in the correct order to organize a document. Avoid skipping levels or using empty headings.
• Meaningful links: link text should describe where the link leads. Avoid generic text like “click here” and links with no text at all.
• Tables: include proper header rows or columns so screen readers can interpret the table correctly.

Some general tips that apply everywhere:

• Avoid large blocks of all-caps text.
• Provide captions for videos and transcripts for audio.
• Make sure PDFs and downloadable documents are accessible, or provide alternate formats.
• Add alt text or descriptions to social media embeds.

Why accessibility matters

Accessible content is about building a better web for everyone, not checking a box. It ensures that people using screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, or other assistive technologies can fully engage with your site. It also improves the experience for all visitors, and it benefits your search rankings by making your content more understandable to search engines.

Where to go next

• Check content accessibility with Editoria11y installs the tools and puts them to work.
• W3C Introduction to Web Accessibility gives a concise overview of what accessibility means and why it matters.
• WebAIM’s guide to clear writing offers practical guidance for writing content that is understandable for people with cognitive or reading disabilities, and better for everyone.