Catching Accessibility Issues While You Edit: Editoria11y

We've spent the past two weeks discussing accessibility standards - what they mean, why they matter, and how to implement them. But there's a gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it consistently. Content editors add images without alt text. Headings get used for styling instead of structure. Links say "click here" instead of describing their destination.

These aren't malicious oversights - they're just easy to miss when you're focused on creating content. What if you had a friendly assistant that caught these issues right as you were working, before they ever went live?

That's exactly what Editoria11y does.

What Is Editoria11y?

Editoria11y (short for "editorial accessibility ally") is an accessibility checker designed specifically for content editors, not developers. It automatically scans your pages as you view them, highlighting issues that content editors can actually fix - missing alt text, broken heading hierarchies, vague link text, and more.

Think of it like spellcheck for accessibility. Just as spellcheck catches typos in real-time, Editoria11y catches accessibility problems right where they occur, with clear explanations and suggestions for how to fix them.

How It Works

When you're logged into your site as an editor, Editoria11y displays a small toggle button in the bottom corner of every page. The button's appearance tells you the status:

Blue with a checkmark - No issues found
Yellow with a number - Manual checks needed (things that require human review)
Red with a number - Definite issues found that need fixing

Click the toggle, and Editoria11y shows alerts directly on the elements with problems. Tooltips explain what's wrong and how to fix it in plain language - no accessibility expertise required.

What Editoria11y Checks For

Editoria11y focuses exclusively on content issues that editors can fix:

Images

Missing alt text
Alt text that's just the filename
Suspiciously long alt text (over 250 characters)
Images in links where the alt text describes the image instead of the link destination

Headings

Broken heading hierarchy (skipping from H2 to H4)
Empty headings
Multiple H1 elements on a page
Very long headings that might be better as regular text

Links

Links with only generic text like "click here" or "learn more"
Links that open in new windows without indication
Empty links with no text
Links to PDFs and documents (reminder to make them accessible too)

Tables

Tables without header rows
Tables using document headings instead of proper table headers

What Editoria11y Doesn't Check

This is important: Editoria11y intentionally doesn't flag things that content editors can't fix:

Color contrast issues (a theme/design problem)
Invalid ARIA markup (a development problem)
Keyboard navigation issues (a code problem)
Form field associations (handled by the CMS)

This focused approach prevents "alert fatigue" - editors see only issues they can actually address, making the tool much more useful and less overwhelming.

Editoria11y in Drupal

Editoria11y is included in Drupal CMS's Accessibility Tools recipe, which means it's available right from installation on new Drupal CMS sites. For existing Drupal sites, you can install the Editoria11y module.

Key Drupal Features

Works everywhere - Checks content in the WYSIWYG editor, on rendered pages, and even in Layout Builder
Site-wide dashboard - View all accessibility issues across your entire site at Reports > Content Accessibility
Role-based permissions - Control who can see the checker and who can dismiss alerts
Dismissal governance - Track who dismissed which alerts and why, with the ability to reset dismissals
CSV exports - Download reports for tracking and training purposes
Integration with editing workflow - The checker appears both on published pages and in preview mode while editing

Anonymous visitors never see Editoria11y - it only appears for logged-in users with appropriate permissions. This means it won't affect your site's performance or confuse visitors.

Editoria11y in WordPress

Editoria11y is also available as a WordPress plugin, bringing the same functionality to WordPress sites. The WordPress version includes:

Instant feedback - Works in both the Block Editor (Gutenberg) and Classic Editor
Context checking - Scans fully rendered pages, not just editor content, so it catches issues in widgets and theme features
Site-wide reporting dashboard - Similar to the Drupal version
Synchronized dismissals - When someone marks an issue as "OK," it's dismissed for all users
Configurable settings - Choose theme colors, adjust which content areas to scan, and control user permissions

The WordPress plugin is maintained by Princeton University's Web Development Services team, the same team behind the Drupal module.

Why Inline Checking Matters

The key insight behind Editoria11y is that automatic, in-context checking catches more problems than periodic audits.

Think about it: if editors have to remember to click a button or visit a dashboard to check their work, many won't. But if issues appear automatically right where the problem exists, with clear guidance on how to fix it, editors can address problems immediately - before the content goes live.

This is why Editoria11y shows alerts both:

While editing - So editors can fix issues before publishing
On published pages - So issues that slipped through can be caught and fixed later

Training and Learning

One of Editoria11y's often-overlooked benefits is its educational value. Every tooltip includes:

What the issue is
Why it matters for accessibility
How to fix it

Over time, editors learn accessibility best practices through regular exposure to these explanations. They start writing better alt text naturally. They understand why "click here" is problematic. They see how heading hierarchy works.

This ongoing education is far more effective than a one-time training session.

It's Not a Replacement for Everything

Editoria11y is one tool in a comprehensive accessibility strategy. It catches content issues that editors can fix, but it doesn't replace:

Manual testing - with actual screen readers and keyboard navigation
User testing - with people who have disabilities
Code-level audits - for theme and development issues
Professional accessibility audits - for comprehensive WCAG compliance

What Editoria11y does is help you maintain accessible content day-to-day, preventing the accumulation of small issues that become big problems.

Getting Started

If you're using Drupal CMS, Editoria11y is already available in the Accessibility Tools recipe. For existing Drupal sites, install the module and configure permissions.

For WordPress, install the plugin from the WordPress plugin directory and adjust settings to match your theme.

Once installed:

Browse your site - Look at a variety of pages to see what issues exist
Train your editors - Show them the toggle button and explain how to use the tooltips
Start fixing issues - Prioritize the most serious problems first
Monitor the dashboard - Check the reports periodically to see patterns and identify training needs
Make it routine - Encourage editors to check for alerts before publishing

The Bottom Line

Accessibility isn't just about following standards or avoiding lawsuits - it's about making sure everyone can access your content. But knowing the standards and actually implementing them consistently are two different things.

Editoria11y bridges that gap by giving content editors real-time feedback right where they're working. It catches issues before they go live, educates editors over time, and makes accessibility feel less like a checklist and more like a natural part of creating good content.

If you're managing a Drupal or WordPress site with multiple content editors, Editoria11y is one of the most practical accessibility improvements you can make. It won't solve every problem, but it will prevent a lot of common issues from ever reaching your visitors.

And that's exactly what an "editorial accessibility ally" should do.