With the end of the year fast approaching, the WordPress project has not slowed down. Read on to learn more about the latest major release, WordPress 6.1, and the State of the Word 2022 live event, among other exciting news. It’s time to catch up on all things WordPress!

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Say hello to WordPress 6.1 “Misha”

The third and last major release of 2022, WordPress 6.1 “Misha,” shipped on November 1, 2022. Named after jazz pianist Mikhail “Misha” Alperin, this release comes packed with many improvements that refine the site-building experience introduced earlier this year in WordPress 5.9 and 6.0, as well as accessibility and performance upgrades.

WordPress 6.1 is also bundled with a new default block theme, Twenty Twenty-Three (TT3), that features 10 style variations designed by WordPress community members. These intentionally unique designs ensure that you can change the visual details of your site with ease—and within a single theme.

Learn more about what’s in 6.1:

• WordPress 6.1 “Misha” Announcement
• WordPress 6.1 Field Guide

Following WordPress 6.1 “Misha”, a 6.1.1 maintenance release landed on November 15, 2022. This minor release includes about 50 bug fixes.

Download WordPress 6.1.1

State of the Word 2022 is coming on December 15

State of the Word 2022, the annual keynote address delivered by the WordPress project’s co-founder, Matt Mullenweg, will be held on December 15, 2022. The event will take place in person in New York City and live-streamed via various WordPress.org social media platforms.

You can also host or join a State of the Word watch party to enjoy the event with your WordPress friends.

Learn more about State of the Word 2022

What’s new in Gutenberg

Two new versions of Gutenberg have shipped in the last month:

• Gutenberg 14.4 was released on October 26, 2022, with support for a distraction-free mode that allows a more focused writing experience. Other notable highlights include a redesigned pattern inserter, content locking to the Navigation block, and improvements to fluid typography.
• Gutenberg 14.5 sets the groundwork for future releases with code quality improvements and bug fixes. This version introduces a new “Document Overview” panel for easier access to the list view and document information, expands margin and padding support, and improves spacing visualizers. It was released on November 9, 2022.

Explore some of the latest enhancements to the writing experience in this Core Editor Improvement post.

Team updates: Documentation Contributor Day, WordPress.org redesign updates, and more

• After a lively discussion around the site editing terminology, WordPress Executive Director Josepha Haden Chomphosy announced that the term “Site Editor” will be used going forward in reference to the suite of site editing tools.
• Last month, the Docs Team successfully held its first online Contributor Day to collaborate in real-time, help onboard new contributors, and work on backlog tasks.
• Progress and next steps for the WordPress.org website redesign were shared in this post. The following pages that will get a refreshed look and feel soon include Showcase and Documentation (HelpHub).
• The WordPress.org Theme Directory introduced a new feature that allows visitors to preview style variations in block themes.
• Inspired by the Community Team’s efforts to reactivate meetup groups, the Polyglots Team is looking to start a Polyglots outreach project and welcomes help.
• The Training Team shared an overview of some of the new Learn WordPress courses they have been recently working on.
• Openverse’s catalog now includes more than one million audio records!
• The WordPress Photo Directory also reached a significant milestone by surpassing 5,000 photos! Check out this celebratory retrospective from the Photos team.
• Speaking of Openverse and the Photo Directory, don’t miss the latest episode of the WP Briefing podcast—it covers the differences between these two resources, and how they work to further openly-licensed media.
• The latest edition of People of WordPress features Raghavendra Satish Peri.

Enjoy a spooky Halloween Mad Libs story completed by community contributors in Episode 42 of WP Briefing.

Feedback & testing requests

• The Plugin Dependencies feature plugin is available for testing. Provide your feedback by December 1, 2022.
• What does a genuinely sustainable WordPress community look like to you? Share your vision and thoughts in this discussion post.
• The new WordPress developer blog is in public beta and ready for feedback.
• The Core Team requests assistance with testing a new Rollback Feature in WordPress core.
• Version 21.2 of the WordPress mobile app for Android and iOS is available for testing.

Were you involved in WordPress 6.1? Share your thoughts on the release process by December 15, 2022.

Event updates & WordCamps

• The WordCamp Asia organizing team is collaborating with WordCamp Central to bring the WordCamp Asia Diversity Scholarship. In addition, the team recently announced the first round of speakers.
• Preparations for WordCamp Europe 2023 are underway.
• Don’t miss these upcoming WordCamps:
  • WordCamp São Paulo, Brazil on November 26, 2022
  • WordCamp Kolkata, West Bengal, India on December 17-18, 2022

Boost your speaking confidence in WordPress events. Register for the How to Own Your Expertise & Start Speaking at WordPress Events online workshop happening December 7, 2022.

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Have a story that we should include in the next issue of The Month in WordPress? Fill out this quick form to let us know.

The following folks contributed to this edition of The Month in WordPress: @rmartinezduque, @webcommsat, @santanainniss, @dansoschin, @eidolonnight.

Hello, WordPress! 

Mark your calendars; it’s almost time for State of the Word 2022!

State of the Word is the annual keynote address delivered by the WordPress project’s co-founder, Matt Mullenweg. Every year, the event shares reflections on the project’s progress and the future of open source. Expect this and more in this year’s edition.

This year’s event will take place in person in New York City and live-streamed via various WordPress.org social media platforms. 

Join Matt as he provides a retrospective of 2022, the latest WordPress releases, Site Editor advancements, and a return to in-person events around the globe, among other topics.

What: State of the Word 2022

When: December 15, 2022, 1–2:30 P.M. EST (18–19:30 UTC)

How: If you’re watching from the comfort of your home or local watch party, the live stream will be embedded in this post and available through the WordPress YouTube channel.

Would you like to join the in-person audience? Request a seat by completing this survey.

Have a question for Matt?

State of the Word will include a Q&A session. If you want to participate, you can either send your question ahead of time to ask-matt@wordcamp.org or ask during the event in the live stream chat on YouTube.

Given the volume of questions that are usually submitted, please note that it may not be possible to answer all of them in the live Q&A. A follow-up post will be published after the State of the Word to answer those not covered at the event.

First time attending State of the Word? Check out previous years’ recordings on WordPress.tv to get a sense of the event.

See you in person or online on December 15!

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Join a State of the Word Watch Party near You

Can’t make it to New York? No problem, organize or join a watch party in your community in person or online. Like last year, the Community team has resources available to help! Check out this handbook page, which includes event templates, information on requesting a Zoom account, and how to get some swag.

Gather together to look back on how WordPress has grown in 2022 and what is ahead for 2023. Stay up-to-date as a group on the latest happenings in the WordPress world and collaborate together on any questions you might have for Matt!

We will be compiling a list of State of the Word watch parties in this post, which will be updated regularly as the event approaches. If you don’t see a watch party in your region listed here in the next few weeks, check this page on Meetup.com to see if your local WordPress group is organizing one.

If you are planning a watch party for State of the Word and have questions, please email support@wordcamp.org. A member of the WordPress community team will assist you in the best way possible.

Have you used Patterns on your site yet? 

These prebuilt, customizable templates combine professionally-designed blocks for specific uses like stylized quotes, contact page layouts, and product listings. But that’s just the beginning. All told, we have more than 275+ Patterns you can insert into your pages and posts at the press of a button.

If you’ve never used Patterns before, they’re like any other site element: Access them by hitting the “+” button at the top left of the page or post you’re working on, then selecting the “Patterns” tab. You can also click on the “Explore” button to bring up our entire library of Patterns, organized by category. 

Think of them as sophisticated slices of web design for your posts and pages. You can drop them in as-is, or customize them to your liking. Even better, we’re adding more all the time.

Here are just a few of the most recent arrivals to the Pattern library.

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Newsletter Subscriptions

WordPress.com has newsletter capabilities built right in. All you need to do is add a Subscribe Block! Readers who enter their email address will get notified when you publish new posts. To make those Subscribe Blocks look a bit jazzier, we’ve added a number of newsletter-focused patterns to our library.

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Link in Bio

We’ve added a handful of visually stunning Patterns for your link-in-bio pages and sites. Pick one, customize as desired, add your links, and you’ve got a brand new way to let your readers know what’s new.

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Wireframes

Wireframe patterns are those that have less of a design element built-in and allow you to start with a blank slate. Your imagination can run wild this collection of patterns. (Remember, though, every pattern is fully customizable.)

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Explore All of Our Patterns!

Even if you don’t have a specific need in mind, take a look around the full Patterns library. We have options for featured products, menus, events, coupons, footers, and more.

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Patterns can be an incredibly useful resource for your design toolbox. Customize, experiment, and turn inspiration into eye-catching reality.

If you need help with Patterns, check out our more detailed guide. 

And be sure to let us know in the comments how you’ve used Patterns on your site and any ideas you have for new ones. We’re always working on more — so stay tuned!

WordPress 6.1.1 is now available

This minor release features 29 bug fixes in Core and 21 bug fixes for the block editor. WordPress 6.1.1 is a short-cycle maintenance release. You can review a summary of the key updates in this release by reading the RC1 announcement.

The next major release will be version 6.2 planned for 2023.

If you have sites that support automatic background updates, the update process will begin automatically.

You can download WordPress 6.1.1 from WordPress.org, or visit your WordPress Dashboard, click “Updates”, and then click “Update Now”.

For more information, check out the version 6.1.1 HelpHub documentation page.

Thank you to these WordPress contributors

The WordPress 6.1.1 release was led by @desrosj, @mamaduka, and @jeffpaul.

WordPress 6.1.1 would not have been possible without the contributions of more than 105 people. Their asynchronous coordination to deliver several enhancements and fixes into a stable release is a testament to the power and capability of the WordPress community.

10upsimon, Aaron Jorbin, Aaron Robertshaw, Adam Silverstein, Aki Hamano, alexstine, Andrei Draganescu, Andrew Ozz, Andrew Serong, Andre, Andy Fragen, Ari Stathopoulos, azurseisme, Ben Dwyer, Bernie Reiter, Bethany Chobanian Lang, Birgit Pauli-Haack, bjorn2404, Carlos Bravo, Carolina Nymark, Clayton Collie, codesdnc, Colin Stewart, Daniel Richards, David Baumwald, David Smith, David Vongries, Dilip Bheda, Dion Hulse, Dominik Schilling, Ella, Eugene M, Felix Arntz, fpodhorsky, franzaurus, gamecreature, Gary Pendergast, George Mamadashvili, gisgeo, glendaviesnz, Innovext, ironprogrammer, Isabel Brison, James, Jan Thiel, Javier Carazo, Jb Audras, jchambo, jeffpaul, joelmadigan, Joen A., John Blackbourn, John Watkins, Jonathan Desrosiers, Jonny Harris, jsh4, Juliette Reinders Folmer, K. Adam White, kacper3355, Kai Hao, Konstantin Obenland, konyoldeath, larsmqller, Lena Morita, Leo Milo, lozula, Marco Ciampini, Marin Atanasov, Marius L. J., Matt Keys, Michal Czaplinski, Miguel Axcar, Miguel Fonseca, Mukesh Panchal, mw108, Namith Jawahar, Nick Diego, Nik Tsekouras, Nithin SreeRaj, nuvoPoint, oakesjosh, ockham, Oliver Juhas, Pascal Birchler, Paul Biron, Peter Wilson, petitphp, pkolenbr, pypwalters, ramonopoly, Riad Benguella, rjasdfiii, Robert Anderson, rodricus, Ryan Kienstra, Sarah Norris, Sergey Biryukov, stentibbing, Stephen Bernhardt, Subrata Sarkar, Sybre Waaijer, Timi Wahalahti, Timothy Jacobs, Tonya Mork, Torsten Landsiedel, and vtad.

How to contribute

To get involved in WordPress core development, head over to Trac, pick a ticket, and join the conversation in the #core and #6-1-release-leads channels. Need help? Check out the Core Contributor Handbook.

In the forty-third episode of the WordPress Briefing, Josepha Haden Chomphosy explores two resources for openly licensed media in the WordPress project– Openverse and Photo Directory– and how they differ from one another!

Have a question you’d like answered? You can submit them to wpbriefing@wordpress.org, either written or as a voice recording.

Credits

Editor: Dustin Hartzler
Logo: Javier Arce
Production: Santana Inniss
Song: Fearless First by Kevin MacLeod

References

Photo Directory Make Page
Submit a Photo to the Photo Directory
Openverse Make Page
Openverse Call for Contributions: Block Editor Integration
Download WordPress 6.1
Docs Team Contributor Day Recap Post
Hallway Hangout Block Themes (Video)

Transcript

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:00] 

Hello everyone, and welcome to the WordPress Briefing, the podcast where you can catch quick explanations of the ideas behind the WordPress open source project, some insight into the community that supports it, and get a small list of big things coming up in the next two weeks. 

I’m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy. Here we go!

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:00:00] 

About 18 months ago, the Openverse project became part of the WordPress open source project, and at roughly the same time, we also welcomed the Photo Directory.

Since that time, we’ve seen growth in teams supporting both of these initiatives. But if you’re not involved in the day-to-day, it can be hard to know how those two things fit together or if they fit together at all.

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:01:00] 

Today, let’s take a brief tour of those two projects and why they came to be. 

In my timeline, work on the Photo Directory started before the work on Openverse, so that’s where we’ll start.

For as long as I can remember, the WordPress community has raised the need for WordPress-first ways to have and host GPL-compatible photos for use in themes, site builds, and marketing efforts as a whole. As recently as 2016, that was still coming up as a question at various flagship events and among the career photographers that contribute their time to WordPress.

So in 2017 and 2018, as attention started to turn toward rebuilding the CMS using blocks, it dropped down the list of priority items. But it never really went away as a thing that people were hoping we could do for the project as a whole. So in 2019, it was becoming clear that having open source-first tools of all varieties for people whose businesses were built on our software would help broaden the availability of the open source freedoms we believe in.

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:02:00] 

This began the work on the Photo Directory with the intention of providing a GPL-friendly, community-driven repository of images. It has since launched, and we have photos in it now. We have a whole team around it. It’s wonderful. But that is how that all kind of came to be. 

Openverse, on the other hand, was launched as CC Search in 2019 with the laudable mandate to increase the discoverability and accessibility of open access media.

Late in 2020, while work on the Photo Directory was underway, Matt shared with me that the team was looking for a new project home. When I first met with them, they shared an overview of the product, which they shorthanded as an open source search engine that searches openly licensed images. We were working on a repo of openly licensed images, so clearly, this was all written in the stars. And so you might be asking yourself at this point, great, how does it work together?

I think for most of us, the timeline there kind of covers the question of what is the difference between these two things. 

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:03:00] 

But because I never know which of you will want to strike up a conversation about open source on an elevator, I’ve also got the elevator pitch version. 

Openverse is an open source search engine that searches, indexes, and aggregates copy left media from across the web using sources such as WordPress’s Photo Directory, Flickr’s CC Tagged Media, and Wikimedia, to name just a few. 

Another key difference between the Photo Directory and Openverse is that in order to contribute to the Photo Directory, now that it’s all built, that’s mostly done by submitting photos or reviewing photos. So you don’t really need to be a developer to join in. 

Openverse is not only a developer-centric contribution opportunity, but it also uses a different tech stack than WordPress as a whole. So it’s a good place for folks to go if they’re looking to broaden their horizons.

So that’s your elevator pitch of what Openverse is and how it uses the Photo Directory. 

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:04:00] 

You have a couple of ways that you can get involved with these two projects. For the Photo Directory, as I mentioned at the start, you can always contribute photos, and they could always use more photo contributions.

I’ll include a link to the submission guidelines in the show notes below, and as I mentioned, it is a no-code way to give back to the WordPress project. So no code, development environments, and testing skills are required. The Photo Directory team also could always use more contributors to help with the moderating of photo submissions.

And so I’ll link to their making WordPress page in the show notes as well so that you can get started there. 

And as I mentioned before, Openverse is an aggregator, so it doesn’t host any media itself, but it is always accepting suggestions for new GPL-compatible media providers. I’ll link the area where you can leave suggestions in the show notes as well.

And if you are more code inclined, there’s an open issue for adding Openverse browsing to the block editor right now.  

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:00] 

So I’ll link that issue in the show notes in case you thought to yourself, gosh, that sounds like my most favorite thing to do. That is where you can go. 

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:05:12]

This leads us now to our small list of big things.

In case you missed it, WordPress 6.1 is now available. It launched on November 1st. Late, late, late in the day, and so it was easy to miss if you’re used to seeing it at a particular time. We were about six hours later than usual. But if you go to wordpress.org/download, you can get your own copy there.

The second thing on our small list of big things is that the Docs team had a contributor day. It was excellent. There’s a recap post up. I will include that in the show notes. 

And then the final thing is that there was a recent hallway hangout that talked about the site editor and block themes.

[Josepha Haden Chomphosy 00:06:00] 

The video for that is also published. I will also share that in our show notes.

And that, my friends, is your small list of big things. Thank you for tuning in today for the WordPress Briefing. I’m your host, Josepha Haden Chomphosy, and I’ll see you again in a couple of weeks.

This post was written in collaboration with Lauren Stein (@laurlittle) and Anne McCarthy @annezazu).

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Twenty Twenty-Three is here, alongside WordPress 6.1! The new default theme offers a clean, blank canvas bundled with a collection of style variations.

Style variations are predefined design options that give you the opportunity to alter the appearance of your site without having to change your theme. This means that you can keep your template structure but change the visual details of your site with ease.

For a truly diverse collection, Twenty Twenty-Three’s featured style variations were submitted by members of the WordPress community, resulting in 38 submissions from 19 people in 8 different countries. From those submissions, a curated collection of ten was chosen and bundled with the new theme.

This approach to style variations ushers in the next generation of block themes, able to harness the potential of the platform’s latest design capabilities and tools directly in the Site Editor. Since style variations don’t require any code experience, you’re encouraged to tweak and/or create your own.

Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Useful links:
Download Twenty Twenty-Three
Twenty Twenty-Three Documentation
Twenty Twenty-Three Project Kick Off
Twenty Twenty-Three Selected Style Variations

The library of blocks in the WordPress editor is always growing, providing websites with fresh and intriguing features on a regular basis. Our most recent update will appeal to podcasters, bloggers and Pocket Casts fans alike and we are thrilled to share it with you today.

Spread the word about your favorite podcasts and episodes with the Pocket Casts block

Are you a podcaster? Add the Pocket Casts block to any post or page on your website to let people know about your passion project and to embed the most recent episodes of your podcast. If you’re an avid listener but haven’t started your own podcast (yet, at least), you can now embed episodes and shows by other people within your own writing so that readers may listen to them without ever leaving your website.

You won’t need any special codes or embed URLs once you select the Pocket Casts block from the editor’s list of possible blocks. You will simply need to provide the episode’s or podcast’s URL.

Here’s what the Pocket Casts player will look like on your site — the example below features the latest episode on the Distributed podcast, hosted by Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg:

We truly hope you give the Pocket Casts block (and app) a try. Please comment below if you have any questions or would like to provide a link to a post where you’ve already used it.

In September, our team celebrated 200 WordPress.com websites built with Out in Tech, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating career and networking opportunities for LGBTQ+ folks in the tech industry. Since 2017, Automattic and WordPress.com have been proud partners of Out in Tech. Through our partnership, we work together with volunteers to build essential websites for LGBTQ+ organization across the globe.

In this video, you’ll hear from volunteers, Out in Tech organizers, and WordPress.com employees about the impact that these websites have within the larger LGBTQ+ communities that benefit from them. To learn more about the Digital Corps Hackathons or to get involved with Out in Tech, head to www.outintech.com.

Welcome to “Misha”

Say hello to WordPress 6.1, “Misha,” inspired by the life and work of Soviet-Norwegian jazz pianist Mikhail “Misha” Alperin. Misha introduced the work of jazz ensembles in the USSR and globally. He is also celebrated as a founding member of the Moscow Art Trio.

“Misha” further refines the site-building experience. Inside WordPress 6.1 you’ll interact with enhancements that continue to make site creation more intuitive while pushing your creative boundaries further than ever. Don’t forget to enjoy some of Misha’s jazz piano as you take in all WordPress 6.1 has to offer.

The third major release of 2022 is here. Download it now! As of the time of this release, WordPress powers 43% of websites worldwide.

Site owners and administrators should upgrade today to take full advantage of the many stability, performance, and usability enhancements. Furthermore, WordPress content creators will enjoy a suite of new features geared toward improving the writing and designing experiences.

This release includes features that many in the WordPress Community have been most excited about since the start of this project. Additional enhancements and improvements to the editor give site owners more control and easier customization while offering a more cohesive experience to users. A lot of writing-focused improvements are included in the release, because if you’re giving voices to the voiceless you’ve got to focus on folks writing the copy.

Some of my favorite enhancements are the refined ability to select partial paragraphs in a block; settings to keep list view open by default; and the keyboard shortcut to add internal links expanded to all blocks.

Josepha Haden Chomphosy, Executive Director

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What’s Inside

Twenty Twenty-Three:
A fresh default theme with 10 distinct style variations

After introducing foundational elements for block themes and style variations in releases 5.9 and 6.0, WordPress site builders welcome a new default theme, Twenty Twenty-Three, that is powered by 10 different styles and tagged as  “Accessibility Ready.” These intentionally unique styles ensure users can apply a different look and feel to their site with a single click—all within a single theme.

New templates for an improved creator experience

New and more refined templates now give site builders more control over the creation of their sites. In this suite of new templates, find a custom template for posts & pages in the Site Editor. Create and edit template parts like headers and footers more quickly with a new search-and-replace tool and easily view your new site.

Design tools for more consistency and control

Thoughtful upgrades to the controls for design elements and blocks make laying out and building your new site a more consistent, complete, and intuitive experience.

Manage menus with ease

New fallback options in the navigation block mean you can edit the menu that’s open; no searching needed. Plus, the controls for choosing and working on menus have their own place in the block settings. The mobile menu system also gets an upgrade with new features, including different icon options, to make the menu yours.

Cleaner layouts and document settings visualization

View and manage post and page settings with a better-organized display improving the use of features like template picker and scheduler.

One-click lock setting for all inner blocks

When locking blocks, a new toggle lets you apply your lock settings to all the blocks in a containing block like the group, cover, and column blocks.

Improved block placeholders

Various blocks have improved placeholders that reflect customization options to help you design your site and its content. For example, the Image block placeholder displays custom borders and duotone filters even before selecting an image.

Compose richer lists and quotes with inner blocks

The List and Quote blocks now support inner blocks, allowing for more flexible and rich compositions like adding headings inside your Quote blocks.

More responsive text with fluid typography

Fluid typography lets you define font sizes that adapt for easy reading in any screen size.

Add starter patterns to any post type

In WordPress 6.0, when you created a new page, you would see suggested patterns so you did not have to start with a blank page. In 6.1, you will also see the starter patterns modal when you create a new instance of any post type.

Find block themes faster

The Themes Directory has a filter for block themes, and a pattern preview gives a better sense of what the theme might look like while exploring different themes and patterns.

Keep your Site Editor settings for later

Site Editor settings are now persistent for each user. This means your settings will now be consistent across browsers and devices.

A streamlined style system

The CSS rules for margin, padding, typography, colors, and borders within the styles engine are now all in one place, reducing time spent on layout-specific tasks and helps to generate semantic class names.

Updated interface options and features

Updates include styling elements like buttons, citations, and links globally; controlling hover, active, and focus states for links using theme.json (not available to control in the interface yet); and customizing outline support for blocks and elements, among other features.

Continued evolution of layout options

The default content dimensions provided by themes can now be overridden in the Styles Sidebar, giving site builders better control over full-width content. Developers have fine-grained control over these controls.

Block Template parts in classic themes

Block template parts can now be defined in classic themes by adding the appropriate HTML files `parts` directory at the root of the theme.

Expanded support for Query Loop blocks

New filters let Query Block variations support custom queries for more powerful variations and advanced hierarchical post types filtering options.

Filters for all your styles

Leverage filters in the Styles sidebar to control settings at all four levels of your site—core, theme, user, or block, from less to more specific.

Spacing presets for faster, consistent design

Save time and avoid hard-coding values into a theme with preset margin and padding values for multiple blocks.

Content-only editing support for container blocks

Thanks to content-only editing settings, layouts can be locked within container blocks. In a content-only block, its children are invisible to the List View and entirely uneditable. So you control the layout while your writers can focus on the content. Combine it with block-locking options for even more advanced control over your blocks.

Other notes of interest

• 6.1 includes a new time-to-read feature showing content authors the approximate time-to-read values for pages, posts, and custom post types.
• The site tagline is empty by default in new sites but can be modified in General Settings.
• A new modal design offers a background blur effect, making it easier to focus on the task at hand.

Enhancing WordPress 6.1 Accessibility

Accessibility is an integral part of the WordPress mission of fostering an inclusive community and supporting users of all types around the world. With this in mind, WordPress 6.1 includes nearly 60 updates specifically focused on enhancing the accessibility of the platform. Read these updates to learn more about the continual initiatives aimed at improving accessibility.

Improved Performance in WordPress 6.1

WordPress 6.1 resolves more than 25 tickets dedicated to enhancing performance with improvements for every type of site. A full breakdown can be found in the Performance Field Guide.

Learn More About WordPress 6.1

See WordPress 6.1 in action! Watch a brief overview video highlighting some of the major features debuting in WordPress 6.1.

Explore learn.wordpress.org for brief how-to videos and lots more on new features in WordPress. Or join a live interactive online workshop on a specific WordPress topic.

Developers can explore the WordPress 6.1 Field Guide, complete with detailed developer notes to help you build with and extend WordPress. Read the WordPress 6.1 Release Notes for more information on the included enhancements and issues fixed, installation information, developer notes and resources, release contributors, and the list of file changes in this release.

The WordPress 6.1 Release Squad

The group listed below tirelessly supported the release, from conception to ship date, and beyond:

Release Lead: Matt Mullenweg 
Release Coordinators: Héctor Prieto and Jonathan Desrosiers 
Core Tech Co-Leads: Mike Schroder, David Baumwald, and Jeff Paul
Editor Tech Co-Leads: Michal Czaplinski, Bernie Reiter, and Carlos Bravo
Core Triage Co-Leads: JB Audras and Ahmed Chaion
Editor Triage Co-Leads: Nick Diego and Anne McCarthy
Documentation Co-Leads: Birgit Pauli-Haack, Milana Cap, and Femy Praseeth
Marketing & Communications Co-Leads: Jonathan Pantani and Dan Soschin
Test Lead: Brian Alexander
Design Lead: Rich Tabor
Default Theme Co-Leads: Beatriz Fialho & Sarah Norris

Thank you to all the contributors who dedicated time and energy to bring the best WordPress experience to everyone.

Josepha Haden Chomphosy

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WordPress 6.1 would not have been possible without the contributions of more than 800 people in over 60 countries. Their asynchronous coordination to deliver hundreds of enhancements and fixes into a stable release is a testament to the power and capability of the WordPress community.

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Haiku Fun for 6.1

Another release,
Mark it down as completed.
Breathe, relax, and cheers!

This month, as WordPress Accessibility Day approaches, we feature Raghavendra Satish Peri, a blogger turned digital entrepreneur based in India, specializing in web accessibility and digital marketing.

The People of WordPress series shares inspiring stories of how people’s lives can change for the better through WordPress and its global network of contributors.

Expressing myself through WordPress

Raghavendra Satish Peri says WordPress is more than a way to succeed online. It’s a community that has always answered his questions and helped him learn, and has enabled his voice to be heard across the world.

These are motivating benefits for Raghavendra, who has a vision impairment that introduces challenges to many of the things he wants to do. The WordPress community has helped him make some of his dreams come true. After chatting with others at WordPress events, about his wish to go trekking and running, he found he was later contacted by people in the community went with him to do just that.

He also found WordPress events a way to raise the importance of accessibility issues, share tips, and connect local communities so they can collaborate on items both within and outside WordPress.

Life growing up with an enabling family

A key asset for Raghavendra has been the support of his family as he coped with his progressive blindness. His sister took charge of teaching him important social and life skills, so he could navigate his country’s rigorous education system.

Those were the early days of technology everywhere, and nobody much was thinking about using it in education and day-to-day life.

When Raghavendra got his first computer, in 2004, it was a revelation. His sister taught him to use the internet efficiently, and he taught himself a few basics of programming. Soon he was spending 10 to 12 hours a day exploring the online world and learning about the web.

Discovering WordPress and blogging

In 2006, he learned basic web design and began to sell website templates. His growing interest in search engines and content led him to WordPress. As the years progressed, his eyesight deteriorated. He had to relearn his skills and acquire new ones to compensate. When he could no longer see the computer screen, he learnt to use screen readers. 

At that point there was a gap: he had the same business skills, but he couldn’t apply them as effectively until he got comfortable with using screen readers. 

To help achieve that, Raghavendra moved to Bengalaru, where he got a full education in screen-reader technology and took a job as a consultant in digital accessibility.

He recalls learning from that time that, in his words: “Some things are important, but one needs to let them go so that more important things can take the new space.”

During his stay in Bengaluru, he stumbled on the idea of blogging and audiobooks. On his 23rd birthday, he had two firsts: registering a domain and publishing a blog post. At first he wrote about things happening in his daily life, which initially got low responses. But when he started attending blogging and tech meetups, he received encouragement from fellow bloggers who complimented him on his writing style.

Using WordPress to publish his story, Raghavendra found a love for writing and this made him want to learn and understand WordPress much better.

“Writing freed my mind and soul from the pain and sorrow; it takes a person into a Zen state where one can understand their soul once they see their own thoughts on paper.”

Raghavendra Satish Peri

There were still some ongoing challenges arising from his difficulties with seeing. For example, Raghavendra found coding was made more complicated. But he took it slowly, and he improved steadily. 

He started as many WordPressers do, installing themes and plugins, and making minor changes to the code. Ultimately, he moved all of his sites to WordPress, and as he learned more about WordPress, he could help his friends and family more with their projects.

After just a few years, Raghavendra had the skills and the confidence to build just about anything in WordPress, progressing from simple to complex websites.

Today Raghavendra is a successful entrepreneur. He sees his life as full of promise. WordPress still helps him grow every day, professionally and personally.

“There is always hope for tomorrow! Do not look for the light at the end of the tunnel, embrace the darkness, listen to the quietness, and feel the airflow. You will know that light is ahead even before you see it.” 

Raghavendra Satish Peri

Contribute to accessibility and WordPress

Another thing Raghavendra has in common with many WordPressers is his enthusiasm and involvement in the community. As he has learnt more about the software, he felt he needed to be involved with improving accessibility too. He started to help organize local meetups and conferences and encourages others to give time and skills to contribute too. 

He follows software development closely, especially where WordPress meets accessibility.

In 2020, on learning about a global WordPress Accessibility event, he applied and became a speaker. His topic was Gutenberg Accessibility, A Screen Reader User’s Perspective. His interest continued as a result of this event, and he wanted to be part of growing its audience and impact, initially through joining its dedicated channel on Slack. Eventually, he joined the organizing team for future events.

Helping run WordPress events brought together all of Raghavendra’s existing skills. It taught him a lot about what it takes to make an event truly inclusive, from captions and sign language to media players and more. 

As his involvement has grown, Raghavendra has found it has become easier to source and use resources that make events and presentations more accessible. But knows there’s always more that can be learnt in this area, and encourages others to use understanding from events like the Accessibility Days in their conferences.

Join the global WordPress Accessibility Day 2022 online on November 2-3, 2022. It’s free to register!

Sharing learning on accessibility can be a motivator

In 2021, Raghavendra underwent his most challenging event to date, when he had a kidney transplant. To motivate himself, he started a website that focuses on accessibility and inclusive design. This prompted him to start an accessibility community to help fill the gaps in accessibility knowledge. Today, it is one of India’s largest online accessibility communities, educating developers and designers and training people with disabilities to build a career in accessibility testing.

Raghavendra is also a keen user of the WordPress Gutenberg editor and builds all his websites using it. Though content creation and editing can still pose him difficulties, he finds the front end of the Gutenberg blocks very accessible. He believes in participating in the software to make it a better experience for all.

“I decided to live my life to the fullest and make my mark on the world. This thought keeps me motivated.”

Raghavendra Satish Peri

After a successful transplant, he lives a disciplined life with a few restrictions. He continues to enjoy working in-depth in disability, accessibility, and inclusion spaces. Rajhavendra hopes others will join with him and the thousands of other people who collaborate to make a difference.

Share the stories

Help share these stories of open source contributors and continue to grow the community. Meet more WordPressers in the People of WordPress series.

Thank you to Raghavendra Satish Peri (@tarkham) for sharing his experiences for this latest edition.

Contributors

Thanks to Meher Bala (@meher), Abha Thakor (@webcommsat) and Surendra Thakor (@sthakor) for interviews and writing this feature, to Mary Baum (@marybaum), Chloe Bringmann (@cbringmann), and Larissa Murillo (@lmurillom) for reviews.

The People of WordPress series thanks Josepha Haden (@chanthaboune) and Topher DeRosia (@topher1kenobe) for their support.