How to fix aria allowed role on WordPress.org

Steps for WordPress.org

1. Go to Appearance → Theme File Editor, or edit via FTP/SFTP using a child theme.
2. Search all PHP and HTML template files for the disallowed `role` attribute string.
3. Edit the offending file: remove the invalid role from interactive elements, or correct it on non-interactive ones.
4. If the markup is generated by a block (Gutenberg) or plugin shortcode, check the block's HTML settings in the Block Editor sidebar or the plugin's output template.
5. Save changes and confirm the fix with a browser accessibility audit.

<!-- WRONG: role="presentation" strips button semantics, making it inaccessible -->
<button role="presentation">Add to Cart</button>

<!-- CORRECT: Remove the invalid role — the button keeps its native semantics -->
<button>Add to Cart</button>

<!-- WRONG: role="presentation" on an anchor removes link semantics -->
<a href="/products/shirt" role="presentation">View Shirt</a>

<!-- CORRECT: Remove the role; or if truly decorative, use a <span> instead -->
<a href="/products/shirt">View Shirt</a>

<!-- ACCEPTABLE: role="presentation" on a layout <table> (non-data table) -->
<table role="presentation">...</table>

What is aria allowed role?

Every HTML element has a built-in meaning (its "semantics") — a button is a button, a heading is a heading, a link is a link. ARIA roles let developers override or supplement that meaning for screen readers. However, not every role can be applied to every element: the ARIA specification defines which roles are allowed on which elements. When you add a role that is forbidden for a given element — for example, placing `role="presentation"` on a `<button>` or `<a>` tag — you create a conflict that confuses assistive technologies. The `aria-allowed-role` rule flags exactly these mismatches.

Screen readers used by blind and low-vision shoppers rely on ARIA roles to announce what each element is and how to interact with it. An invalid role can cause a button to be announced as something meaningless, make a link unfocusable, or cause interactive controls to disappear entirely from the accessibility tree — effectively making parts of your store unusable for those customers. Beyond losing sales, inaccessible stores face growing legal risk under the ADA (US), AODA (Canada), EAA (EU), and similar laws — accessibility lawsuits against ecommerce sites have surged. Fixing ARIA role mismatches is also a signal of overall technical quality that modern crawlers and ranking algorithms increasingly reward.

See the complete Aria allowed role guide for every platform and the full background.