BEARS Accessibility

The Block Editor Accessibility Repair System (BEARS) is fully integrated into the WordPress Gutenberg editor and relies on its JavaScript-based architecture.

It runs entirely on the client side within the browser and does not perform any background tasks or server-side processing. Upon activation, the plugin appears in the standard WordPress plugin list in the administration panel, and once enabled, it is automatically loaded in any page or post editor view that uses the block editor.

The core of its functionality is the JavaScript API exposed by WordPress. This interface enables the plugin to access the current content blocks within the editor, track their changes in real time, and perform modifications as needed. While the user creates the content, the plugin operates continuously and detects accessibility issues in real time. The list of detected issues is dynamically updated, ensuring that new errors appear immediately and resolved ones disappear as soon as they are fixed. This ensures that the user always sees the current accessibility status of the page while editing.

This interaction model enables one-click automation while maintaining human control over all modifications. This user-confirmed automation makes BEARS safer and more flexible than fully automated systems that may alter content without understanding the editorial context. The approach ensures that accessibility improvements are introduced efficiently while respecting the creator’s intent.

The operation of the plugin is tightly integrated into the WordPress editorial interface without making any modifications to the database layer or the template code. This architecture ensures that the plugin supports real-time, non-destructive editing, while fully respecting the structure and capabilities of the Gutenberg block model. In this context, non-destructive editing means that all changes occur exclusively within the browser-based editing environment, and the content stored in the database is updated only when the user explicitly chooses to save the modifications.

After downloading and activating the plugin, go to any blog post or page, and the universal-access-alt (accessibility) icon will appear on the SideBar panel on the top right corner. By clicking it, the plugin automatically starts scanning the content for accessibility issues.