Elementor Ally: How to make your Elementor website accessible?

Why does accessibility matter?

This whole topic would probably take multiple pages to cover (if we were to write a book about it).

So, to make it easier, let’s split it into two parts: why it matters for 1) users and 2) search engines.

1) For users

• Anyone can use your website: We want everyone to be able to use your website. Visitors with visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor impairments need to be able to engage with your content fully. When anyone can interact with your content, you get a bigger audience reach.
• Bigger audience reach: Since anyone can engage with your site, you can get a bigger audience for the same content.
• Trustness: Investing some effort into accessibility gives your brand positive recognition. You want anyone to be able to interact with your content, and when you do, your trust increases.

2) For search engines

• SEO benefits: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) makes your content rank. However, the content ranks mainly according to the search engine’s algorithm. And algorithms aren’t particularly human-like (though they try to be). Therefore, we must make our content easy to understand for robots. Doing accessibility work increases the chance of the robots understanding your content.
• Better understanding of your website: When you make your website accessible, screen readers and search engines understand your content better. We don’t want anyone to guess what our fantastic website is about, so we show them by using best practices for accessibility.

Check out our list of over 50 Elementor website examples you can get inspiration from.

Introducing Ally: an Elementor accessibility plugin

For those using WordPress, some good news has come from the Elementor team.

A new accessible plugin for Elementor called Ally has been launched.

Elementor Ally is a free web accessibility plugin developed by Elementor for WordPress websites. It introduces a widget that enables visitors to customize their browsing experience to suit their individual needs better.

Some features include text resizing, contrast adjustments, and other tools to enhance on-site usability for individuals with disabilities.

Curious to what Hello Elementor theme can look like? Check out our list of awesome Hello Elementor website examples here.

How do you install Ally on your Elementor website?

To get started with Ally, you need:

• A WordPress website: version 6.3 or greater is required.
• WordPress plugin Ally.

Step-by-step instructions on how to install Ally:

1. Log in to your WordPress admin panel.
2. Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3. In the search bar, type “Ally – Web Accessibility & Usability”.
4. Locate the plugin developed by Elementor and click Install Now.​
5. After installation, click Activate.

Congratulations! You have now installed Ally on your WordPress website, and you can start making it more accessible.

Looking for free themes that are compatible with Elementor? Take a look at our list of the best free Elementor themes.

What accessibility features does Ally have?

• Bigger text: Visitors can activate “Bigger text” to increase text size on your website.
• Increase line height: When a visitor activates “Increase line height”, the text line height increases.
• Text align: Visitors can choose the text alignment on your website.
• Readable font: Changes the font of your website to a more readable font.
• Greyscale: Turns the website into black and white.
• Contrast: Visitors can adjust the website’s contrast by choosing between negative, high, light, or dark.
• Page structure: Display a list of the headers and links in a structured list.
• Sitemap: Enhances site structure visibility.
• Reading mask: Makes the cursor bigger or turns it into a reading guide.
• Hide images: Hides all the images to reduce distractions.
• Pause animations: Prevents animations from running.
• Outline focus: Enhanced focus outline for visual clarity.
• Highlight links: Underlines all links on a page.

On the paid plan, you also get:

• Screen reader: Lets visitors have the content read for them.
• Logo toggle: Remove the Elementor logo from the accessibility menu.

Frequently asked questions about accessibility for web owners

What is WCAG?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are a set of internationally recognized standards developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure that web content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.

Today, WCAG 2.2 is the latest version.

What is ADA?

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark U.S. civil rights law enacted in 1990 that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in various aspects of public life.

Its primary goal is to ensure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else.

What is AODA?

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was enacted in 2005 by the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, Canada.

Its primary goal is to develop, implement, and enforce accessibility standards to achieve a fully accessible Ontario by 2025.

What is EAA?

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is a directive enacted by the European Union in April 2019.

It aims to enhance the accessibility of products and services for individuals with disabilities and the elderly across EU member states.