WordPress Accessibility Day 2025 Archive

Demystifying Screen Readers: Your Guided Intro to Manual Accessibility Testing for WordPress Sites

Beginner

October 16, 2025 at 02:00 UTC

Most accessibility professionals know that screen reader testing is essential — but very few feel confident doing it. In this session, Akosua Asabere (a native screen reader user and seasoned accessibility engineer) and Deneb Pulsipher (a visual developer and accessibility advocate) team up to demystify screen reader use for beginners and intermediate testers alike. Together, they’ll introduce key concepts from the Screen Reader Ropes Course — a structured framework designed to help WordPress professionals better understand how screen readers work, what users experience, and how to begin testing with confidence.

Participants will be equipped with the tools to:

  • Understand how screen reader users navigate WordPress websites using tools like NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack
  • Identify and describe common accessibility barriers in WordPress themes, content structures, and design components
  • Use clear, user-centered language to document accessibility issues in ways that resonate with developers and stakeholders

The session also explores how usability differs between sighted and non-sighted users, and why collaboration across perspectives results in stronger accessibility outcomes. Whether you’re an accessibility consultant, QA tester, developer, or content creator, you’ll leave this session with the knowledge, vocabulary, and practical strategies to make your testing efforts more confident, credible, and impactful.

Speakers

Deneb is a white man in his 40s with short light brown hair and the twinkle in his eye that comes when he knows he's going to get to talk about accessibility.
Captain Accessible, SeaMonster Studios
Professional headshot of Akosua (Kosi) Asabere, a Black woman with long, wavy black hair parted in the middle. She is smiling warmly and wearing a light blue blouse, set against a plain white background.
Senior Accessibility Engineer & Inclusive Design Strategist, Head of Accessibility, Desert Wing Design LLC