Getting Started

After installing the Accessibility Toolbox plugin, the system will initialize in a default state with no active rules. This is intentional – you are expected to review and configure the rules based on your needs.

To activate the auditing functionality:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility Toolbox in the OctoberCMS backend.
2. Review the available rules grouped by accessibility principles (labels, structure, ARIA, contrast, etc.).
3. Enable the rules you want to apply during audits.

Recommended setup: We strongly suggest enabling all rules to align with W3C WCAG guidelines, especially for projects targeting EU accessibility compliance.

Rule Engine

The plugin uses a modular rule system where each rule checks for a specific accessibility requirement. Rules are executed when:

• You run a manual scan of a given URL.
• The middleware processes the response output (see below).

Each violation is stored and visualized in the audit interface, grouped by rule, and accompanied by a selector and recommended fix.

Middleware

This plugin ships with an optional middleware that can be enabled to automatically fix or normalize page output before it reaches the user.

The middleware performs the following actions:

• Ensures that each page contains only one <h1> element.
• Adjusts heading levels (<h2>, <h3>, etc.) to maintain proper hierarchical structure.
• Can be extended to apply additional structural or semantic corrections.

To enable the middleware, register it manually in your config/middleware.php or via plugin settings (if supported by your setup).

Best Practices

• Always run audits after major content or layout changes.
• Review grouped violations to understand root causes.
• Use the visual highlighting to locate and fix issues efficiently.
• Combine manual testing with automated audits for best coverage.

Media Metadata & Image Fallbacks (SNiPI.MEMetadata plugin)

This plugin includes an advanced image metadata injector middleware, which attempts to enrich <img> elements with missing alt and title attributes using two sources:

1. Uploaded files (System\Models\File) – matched by disk_name via uploads or resources/resize.
2. Media library (MEMetadata plugin) – matched by exact filepath stored in media_library_item_metadata.

Using resized images

If your CMS renders media via Twig filter like {{ 'media/slider/image.jpg'|resize(...) }}, the resulting src will point to a temporary or hashed location (e.g. /storage/temp/...), making it impossible to match with the original metadata.

To preserve metadata matching, include a data-src attribute with the original media path:

<img src="/storage/temp/public/hash.jpg"
     data-src="/storage/app/media/slider/image.jpg">

Notes

• The plugin does not modify page content unless the middleware is enabled.
• Rule configuration is stored persistently and can be exported via standard OctoberCMS tools.

Upgrade Guide

Compatibility

This plugin is actively maintained and follows the OctoberCMS v3+ and v4 compatibility guidelines. We aim to avoid breaking changes between minor versions.

If any future release introduces changes to rule structure, audit output, or middleware behavior, it will be clearly noted in the changelog.

Feature Requests & Support

We welcome feature requests, suggestions, and feedback from the community. If there's an accessibility rule you'd like to see implemented or a use case we haven't covered yet – feel free to reach out.

For larger changes, accessibility audits, or consultancy, please get in touch directly.

Planned Features

Here is a preview of planned additions:

• Custom rule builder (define your own HTML checks)
• Audit scheduling via cron
• Exportable reports (PDF, JSON, CSV)
• Multilingual audit summaries
• More ARIA & semantic structure rules

Supporting the Plugin

This tool was built with the goal of improving accessibility across websites and applications – especially for teams with limited resources.

If you find this plugin useful, consider:

• Leaving a positive rating on the October marketplace
• Supporting further development through a donation or sponsorship
• Spreading the word and sharing the plugin with others

Your support directly fuels new features and long-term maintenance.