On Monday, Nov. 19, WordPress, an open-source content management system, is scheduled to deploy an automatic update that includes significant changes to its website editing system. Users will receive this update if their sites have automatic updates enabled for the core WordPress platform.
WordPress users on campus should be aware that this update may not be compatible with older themes and plug-ins. It is recommended that campus web professionals who manage WordPress sites check with their theme or plug-in sources to ensure that their installed components are compatible with the new Gutenberg editor.
Industry professionals have raised concerns about the new update’s impact on website accessibility. As a public institution, The University of Alabama must comply with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 AA accessibility standards.
The UA Web Communications team recommends that University sites currently operating on a WordPress framework disable core automatic updates until area web teams have verified the current theme’s compatibility with WordPress 5.0 and Gutenberg.
For information on how to disable automatic updates, contact Kyle Fondren, director of UA web strategy, at kyle.fondren@ua.edu.