Accessibility

Note: This page is where we publish our practices and internal policies for compliance reviews and for administrators of sites we host.

For users creating sites and content, please refer to our Complete Guide to WordPress Accessibility..

WordPress is among the most accessible web authoring tools available, and our services build on this to help ensure both the back-end authoring and front-end content are usable and accessible to all.

CampusPress Accessibility Statement

Overview

CampusPress is a managed WordPress hosting provider. We support accessibility in the parts of WordPress and related code that we develop or maintain. We do not control WordPress core or any third-party plugins or themes, and we do not present WordPress itself as a CampusPress product.

For custom themes or plugins we author, we design them to support Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA requirements so site owners can build accessible websites. We help institutions operate accessible WordPress environments by maintaining the accessibility of our components, promoting best practices, and offering guidance in areas outside our direct control.

As a hosting provider rather than the developer of the WordPress CMS, overall accessibility depends on several factors, including third-party code and user-generated content. CampusPress does not review, validate, or remediate content created or uploaded by site owners, editors, faculty, students, or end users.

Our role is to provide an accessible technical foundation, and we incorporate accessibility considerations into our internal development and review practices for the components we maintain. Your institution remains responsible for the accessibility of site content, user-generated content, and any third-party code you choose to use.

Commitment to Accessibility

For any custom themes, plugins, or platform components authored by CampusPress, we focus on implementing accessibility features and patterns that support WCAG 2.2 Level AA so site owners can create accessible websites.

Accessibility is an ongoing process. We work to improve the accessibility of our services and support clients in meeting their accessibility goals.

Measures To Support Accessibility

CampusPress takes the following measures to ensure accessibility of our WordPress hosting and services within the areas we directly control:

  • We include accessibility throughout our internal development policies. All new or updated CampusPress-authored plugins or themes are expected to include accessibility features and patterns that help users to create websites in accordance with accessibility best practices, including WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
  • When evaluating third-party plugins, themes, support services or other tools for possible inclusion on our platform, accessibility is one of the factors considered. We avoid adding plugins, themes or tools that have significant accessibility shortcomings.
  • We provide internal accessibility training to our design, development, and support teams.
  • We use both manual and automated testing tools when evaluating the accessibility of components we maintain.
  • For the backend interfaces of our custom themes and plugins, CampusPress aims to provide an accessible experience for administrators and content creators by following WCAG 2.2 AA for those components.

For the avoidance of doubt, these measures apply to components that CampusPress maintains or provides; they do not apply to third-party or user-generated elements of a site.

Conformance Status

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) defines three levels of conformance: A, AA, and AAA.

CampusPress-authored code is developed with WCAG 2.2 Level AA requirements in mind, and we review these components regularly as part of our accessibility process. These components provide an accessible foundation, although full conformance depends on configuration and content choices made by site owners.

Our overall hosting environment is partially conformant because:

  • WordPress core
  • third-party plugins
  • third-party themes
  • and user-generated content

are not controlled or maintained by CampusPress, and therefore cannot be guaranteed to meet WCAG 2.2 AA.

Some limitations primarily affect the WordPress administrative interface, which is built and maintained by WordPress core developers.

Scope & Limitations

CampusPress’s accessibility responsibility covers:

  • CampusPress-authored themes
  • CampusPress-authored plugins
  • CampusPress-authored platform components

CampusPress’s responsibility does not cover:

  • WordPress core
  • Third-party plugins
  • Third-party themes
  • User-generated content (posts, media, embeds, documents, etc.)
  • Custom code created by clients or external developers

We will assist with guidance or custom development options when issues fall outside our direct control, but we cannot commit to remediation timelines for upstream or third-party code.

Themes & Accessibility

CampusPress provides a curated set of Accessibility Ready themes. These themes have passed the accessibility checks defined by the WordPress Theme Review Team.

However, a theme or plugin alone cannot guarantee WCAG conformance.

As WordPress itself states:

“Themes labeled as accessibility-ready have met the required guidelines listed here, and should not be construed to meet any level of formal accessibility requirements. Those levels are measurements of content accessibility, and cannot be applied to a theme.”

Full accessibility depends on:

  • content authored by users
  • the plugins active on the site
  • customizations performed
  • media uploaded
  • site configuration choices

We recommend using accessibility-ready themes as a baseline, not a complete solution.

User-Generated Content

CampusPress does not control the content published by site owners, editors, or contributors.

Examples include:

  • Headings
  • Images and alternative text
  • Tables
  • Links
  • Color choices
  • PDF and document uploads
  • Video captions
  • Custom HTML blocks or embeds

Site owners and editors are responsible for ensuring that their content meets accessibility requirements. We provide training resources and guidance to support best practices.

Reporting Accessibility Issues

If you experience accessibility issues on a CampusPress-hosted site — whether on a public page, a CampusPress-authored theme or plugin, or an administrative view — please contact us:

  • Email: contact@campuspress.com
  • Phone: 1-(855)-293-6318
  • Postal address: 120 19th St N, Ste 201, PMB 88100, Birmingham, Alabama 35203-3219, USA

We aim to respond within 24 hours.

Technical Specifications

Our services rely on the following technologies, which must be supported by your browser or assistive technology:

  • HTML
  • WAI-ARIA
  • CSS
  • JavaScript

Known Limitations

Despite our efforts, some accessibility limitations may occur due to:

  • WordPress core behavior we do not control
  • Third-party plugin or theme code
  • User-generated content
  • Customizations made by clients
  • Legacy code or features not originally designed with accessibility in mind

If a third-party plugin or theme does not meet your accessibility requirements, you retain full administrative control to disable it. We can help evaluate alternatives that better align with your needs.

Assessment Approach

CampusPress assesses accessibility using:

  • Self-evaluation of CampusPress-authored code
  • External evaluation by institutional accessibility teams (primarily universities and schools)

Accessibility Compliance Report

We provide an Accessibility Compliance Report (ACR), based on VPAT 2.5 INT, for CampusPress-authored themes, plugins, and components we maintain. This document is available on request.

WordPress Accessibility

The WordPress Accessibility Team leads ongoing efforts to improve accessibility in WordPress core. Their work benefits all WordPress sites, including those hosted by CampusPress.

You can learn more at: https://make.wordpress.org/accessibility/handbook

Additional WordPress resources include:

Services and Support

CampusPress can assist with accessibility issues in:

  • CampusPress-authored themes
  • CampusPress-authored plugins
  • Custom development work undertaken by CampusPress

For third-party code, we provide guidance, recommendations, and options for remediation through custom development if required.

CampusPress also offers paid online training to help teams improve their understanding of accessibility best practices, create accessible content, and make effective use of the accessibility features available within WordPress and CampusPress networks.

Resources

Guides and Documentation

Evaluation Tools

Training and Professional Development