Media library now works with voice control; color contrast fixed

WordPress 7.0 continues to polish accessibility across WordPress Core and Gutenberg, advancing the goals to meet accessibility standards. WordPress 7.0 includes fixes across the platform, improving media management, usability for voice control, and improvements to color contrast with the new admin color scheme. The editor ships with new blocks and improvements to editor navigation and interaction.

Core

Improvements to WordPress Core include 24 accessibility enhancements and bug fixes. Major changes include enhancements to the media library for voice control users and the import of alternative text from image metadata, improvements to control semantics, and fixes to color contrast.

Media

Significant changes to media will improve both the editor and user experience. In WordPress 7.0, using the media library with voice control technology is now possible. Alternative text embedded in photo meta data will be imported and automatically set as the image text alternative when available.

• #23562 – Using Speech Recognition Software with the Add Media Panel
• #55535 – Pre-populate Image Alt Text field with IPTC Photo Metadata Standard Alt Text
• #63895 – Accessibility: Alt Text Metadata is not imported but Description is
• #63984 – Assess if the tabpanels in the media modals should receive focus
• #64374 – Alt text helper text can be more educational and visual indicator of opening in new tab
• #63980 – Set featured image button incorrectly coded as link and missing required ARIA attributes

Admin

Improvements to predictability and verbosity for screen reader users have been made across the admin to provide users with a more consistent and stable interface.

• #23432 – Review usage of target="_blank" in the admin
• #33002 – List table: avoid redundant Edit links and reduce noise for screen readers
• #43084 – dashboard confuses published posts count with all posts
• #64065 – Dragging theme/plugin ZIP outside file input field, downloads file instead of uploading.
• #64375 – Set word-break property in screen reader only css.
• #64313 – Color Contrast raises errors in automated tests for WordPress Dashboard
• #64382 – Post search input “close” (×) button should use cursor: pointer
• #64811 – Zero comment notification in admin toolbar has insufficient color contrast

Themes

Numerous improvements to theme template functions and core themes.

• #62835 – Remove title attributes from author link functions
• #62982 – Twenty Twenty-Five: The Written by pattern on single posts has too low color contrast in some variations
• #64064 – Twenty Ten: remove auto-focus script from 404 template
• #64594 – Block Support: Allow serialization skipping for ariaLabel
• #64361 – Leverage HTML API to implement block template skip link

Miscellaneous

Improvements in the classic editor, code editing, the Customizer, and login and registration.

• #63981 – Taxonomy meta box tabs not programmatically identified
• #42822 – CodeMirror: HTML attributes values hints not fully operable with a keyboard
• #60726 – The WordPress core password reset needs to pre-populate the username to meet WCAG 2.2
• #63861 – Explore removing wpmu activation styles
• #64013 – Color contrast below WCAG standards for newly-added items in customizer menus

Gutenberg

Changes within Gutenberg include 16 accessibility fixes and enhancements, including the addition of new interactive blocks that have undergone accessibility reviews. Numerous fundamental components have had accessibility improvements to ensure that interfaces across the editor are more consistent and understandable.

While there are relatively few accessibility fixes and enhancements in the editor for WordPress 7.0, there are many new interfaces that have undergone accessibility review, per the WordPress commitment to meeting WCAG 2.2 at level AA for all new and updated code. These include the Visual Revisions inspector, Gallery lightboxes, and the new Connectors interface.

Bug fixes:

• #75165 – RangeControl: support forced-colors mode
• #66735 – Resize meta box pane without ResizableBox
• #74387 – Use 12px as minimum font size for warning on fit text (see also #73730)
• #74205 – add ariaKeyShortcut and shortcutFormats exports
• #73674 – Fix block toolbar icon CSS when using show icon label preference
• #73245 – Make DataViews table checkbox permanently visible
• #72997 – DataViews: Add grid keyboard navigation
• #70787 – Button: update font-weight to 500
• #75689 – DataForm: Fix focus loss and refactor Card layout
• #75271 – Accordion block: Add list view support.
• #75407 – Gallery: Add list view block support
• #73823 – Add Heading level variations

New Features:

• #62906 – Gallery: Add lightbox support
• #16484 – Add an Icons block
• #75833 – Add Connectors screen and API
• #74742 – Add visual revisions

Reviewed by @amykamala, @sabernhardt

#7-0, #accessibility, #dev-notes, #dev-notes-7-0