WordPress is introducing an Accessibility Lab plugin, modeled on the existing Performance Lab and AI plugins, meant to bundle Core-bound accessibility experiments and community-built practical tools in one place. Modules fall into two buckets: Core experiments (features too architecturally risky to land directly in Core, like alt text searchability) and practical tools (community-built utilities, such as Troy Chaplin's Block Accessibility Checks plugin for real-time WCAG validation, and a new heading-order validation module). It explicitly is not meant to replace fixing accessibility bugs directly in Core, and simple bugs like missing ARIA attributes should still be patched in Core or Gutenberg. The post also notes that WordPress 7.1 changed the Media Library to default to infinite scroll, with an opt-out in user profiles, and invites testers, GitHub issues, and PRs to help shape the plugin.
Table of contents
Why a canonical pluginWhat is the Accessibility Lab pluginWhat it’s notWho develops itWhat’s included in this first prototypeIdeas for what’s nextHow you can helpQuestions this post answers
What does WordPress 7.1 change about the media library's scroll behavior?
As of WordPress 7.1, the media library defaults to infinite scroll instead of paginated loading, with an opt-out available in user profile settings. An active Core discussion (PR #12795 and Trac #65775) is exploring the right long-term UI for surfacing this choice, and the Accessibility Lab plugin adds extra view controls like item density and file name display. Track WordPress media library changes like this one as they land by following updates on daily.dev.
What is the WordPress Accessibility Lab plugin and how does it differ from fixing bugs directly in Core?
The Accessibility Lab plugin is a new WordPress plugin bundling two types of modules: Core experiments (architecturally risky features needing real-world testing before Core can adopt them) and practical tools (community-built utilities shared for general use). It is explicitly not a substitute for fixing accessibility issues in Core; straightforward bugs like missing ARIA attributes should still be patched directly in Core or Gutenberg. Developers deciding where to contribute accessibility fixes can follow WordPress plugin ecosystem news on daily.dev.
What does the Block Accessibility Checks plugin by Troy Chaplin do?
Block Accessibility Checks provides real-time, three-tier WCAG validation for WordPress blocks, meta fields, and document structure, using a hook system that also lets blocks from other plugins get checked. It has been folded into the WordPress Accessibility Lab plugin so both institutional accessibility offices and hobbyist bloggers can rely on the same validation tool, though it is not currently slated for inclusion in Core. Evaluating accessibility tooling for WordPress blocks is easier when you follow ecosystem updates on daily.dev.