WordPress is a personal publishing system used by individuals and organizations across the globe to post information online. The site you are viewing right now was built and is hosted on the UMass Dartmouth WordPress system. In education, WordPress is commonly used by students, instructors, or groups of students to keep an online blog or website about an experience or topic. WordPress sites can also be used by faculty or students to create online portfolios of their work and accomplishments. Here at UMass Dartmouth, we use our own hosted version of WordPress that the presenter refers to as “WordPress.com.”
What does WordPress offer?
- Space for public or private online journals/blogs that allow comments on postings
- Websites with multiple pages and a customizable menu structure.
- Ability to filter content by date, category, or author.
- Easily integrate images, video, and other types of online media.
Where can I find support for WordPress?
- Creating a WordPress site.
- Publishing a Post
- Editing a Post
- Writing and Publishing a New Page
- Editing a Page
- Creating a Static Front Page
- More on Working with Posts and Pages
- Comment Options
WordPress at UMass Dartmouth can be accessed from the Quicklaunch menu of the myUMassD portal under Campus Tools > WordPress. The system can also be accessed directly from the UMass Dartmouth WordPress homepage.
Who is responsible for ensuring accessible content on WordPress sites? – Everyone!
Faculty members share the responsibility of creating accessible content for their courses, regardless of whether students with documented disabilities are enrolled in the class. This includes ensuring digital course materials, such as documents, presentations, and videos, are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities.
- Documents: Use heading styles, provide alternative text for images, ensure sufficient color contrast, create accessible tables, and include descriptive links.
- Presentations: Use high-contrast color schemes, include speaker notes, provide alternative text for visuals, use simple, clear layouts, and share accessible digital versions.
- Videos: Use captions and transcripts, describe visual content orally, and avoid using built-in media players that may not support accessibility features.
- Online Courses: Ensure that the learning management system itself is accessible and that course content, including videos and documents, is accessible.
Which WordPress sites need to be ADA-compliant?
The purpose, creator, and audience of the WordPress site are factors that determine whether ADA compliance is required. I.e., who is uploading the content, and for what purpose?
Scenarios:
- Faculty directing people to use a UMass Dartmouth WordPress site for personal or professional use – NEEDS TO BE ADA-COMPLIANT.
- UMass Dartmouth clubs or organizations using a UMass Dartmouth WordPress site for communicating or recruiting student membership – NEEDS TO BE ADA-COMPLIANT.
- A UMass Dartmouth student required to use a UMass Dartmouth WordPress site to complete an assignment or course project – DOES NOT NEED TO BE ADA-COMPLIANT.