Accessibility Challenges for Blind Users Authoring in Content Management Systems: An Empirical Study

Abstract

While accessibility research often emphasizes the experiences of blind users as consumers of online content, far less attention has been given to their role as content authors in Content Management Systems (CMS). For blind users, the accessibility of CMS platforms is fundamental to ensure efficient navigation, content creation, and overall usability. This study investigates the accessibility challenges faced by blind authors when working with WordPress as a representative CMS, identifies barriers related to navigation and content management, and offers insights to improve inclusive design. A mixed evaluation strategy was employed, combining automated testing tools with a manual assessment based on the barrier walkthrough method. Three blind participants and one sighted participant completed representative CMS tasks—such as navigation, content editing, and menu creation—using NVDA and JAWS screen readers. In addition, an expert evaluation analyzed the severity of the identified barriers. Findings indicate that block-based and drag-and-drop interfaces remain highly inaccessible for screen reader technologies, while AI-powered image descriptions help reduce dependence on sighted assistance. Results also highlight a clear mismatch between pages considered accessible by automated tools and the barriers observed in manual testing, underscoring the limitations of automated evaluations. Overall, the study stresses the need for CMS platforms to improve navigation consistency, reduce dependence on dropdown submenus, and integrate AI support to better address the needs of blind authors.