How to Add WordPress Widgets in Accessibility Mode

Do you find it hard to use the drag-and-drop interface when adding WordPress widgets?

You may not be aware that WordPress has an accessibility mode for adding widgets. This lets you add widgets to your sidebar by clicking links instead.

In this article, we will show you how to easily enable accessibility mode and add WordPress widgets without having to use drag and drop.

Why Enable Widget Accessibility Mode in WordPress?

A drag-and-drop interface is used to add widgets in both the block-based widgets editor introduced in WordPress 5.8 and the classic widget editor that was offered in earlier versions of WordPress.

However, some users find it difficult to add different widgets to their WordPress website using drag and drop.

The classic widget editor offered an accessibility mode that allowed you to add widgets simply by clicking links, with no need for drag and drop. You can still enable that same mode by using a plugin if you are using WordPress 5.8 or later.

That being said, let’s see how to easily enable widget accessibility mode on your WordPress site, step by step.

How to Enable Widget Accessibility Mode in WordPress

First, you need to install and activate the Classic Widgets plugin. For more details, see our beginners’ guide on how to restore classic widgets in WordPress.

Upon activation, you need to head over to the Appearance » Widgets screen in your WordPress admin area. Here, you’ll notice that you now have the classic widgets interface.

Now, simply click the ‘Enable accessibility mode’ link at the top right corner of the screen.

Activating the accessibility mode will reload the Widgets screen with a new interface. This new interface will now allow you to add all the available widgets using the ‘Add’ link next to the widget title.

When you do that, it will open the widget on a single page where you can configure widget settings. You can start by giving the widget a title and then choose any other options you wish to enable.

In the bottom half of the page, you can choose the sidebar or widget area where you want to add your new widget.

Next to it, you will also see a position dropdown, which allows you to choose the position of this widget in your selected sidebar.

For example, to place the widget at the top of the sidebar, you will need to select ‘Sidebar’ from the list on the left and then choose ‘Position 1’ from the drop-down menu on the right.

Once you are satisfied with the widget settings, press the ‘Save Widget’ button to be redirected back to the widget screen.

Accessibility mode will also enable ‘Edit’ buttons next to active widgets, like this:

Clicking on the ‘Edit’ button will take you to the same screen as when you added a widget.

Here, you can edit your widget settings and even delete the widget by selecting the ‘Inactive Widgets’ option at the bottom of the page.

Once you’ve done that, don’t forget to click the ‘Save Widget’ button to deactivate the widget.

We hope this tutorial helped you learn how to add WordPress widgets in accessibility mode. You may also want to learn how to get a free email domain or check out our expert picks for the best WordPress themes to make your site aesthetically pleasing.

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