Gridbox 2.19.0. Accessibility First

We know how much you're looking forward to Gridbox 3.0 — we are too! It's a major and ambitious update, so it's taking longer than usual. That’s why we paused development on version 3 and focused on something just as important: accessibility. 

Starting June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) will take effect. That means all websites, online stores, and applications in the EU will be required by law to be accessible for people with disabilities. And we want to make sure you're ready.

Joomla has a system plugin Additional Accessibility Features. It adds tools like font resizing and contrast mode to your website. Some customers thought Joomla website builder Gridbox wasn’t compatible with it. But that’s not really the case.

What was the problem? Accessibility features like font resizing are based on rem units, not pixels. Gridbox, by default, uses pixels. But you’ve always had the opportunity to use rem or any other unit manually. Support for rem and other units in Gridbox has been available for quite some time: Huge Performance Improvements.

The solution? To save you time, we added a magical toggle button: Accessible Design.

This is not just a toggle button, we have gone much further. Instead of just converting font-size and line-height to rem, we realized that wasn’t enough. If the rest of your layout still relies on pixels (container widths, paddings, margins, etc.), you end up with inconsistencies. It’s like fitting a Swiss watch gear into a kitchen timer: technically, it works, but not very well.

Now, just turn on Accessible Design in your Site Settings, and Gridbox will convert all pixel-based values into rem. That’s it. Not just text but containers, spacing, breakpoints, and everything else.

No need to change anything manually. One click and your site becomes accessibility-friendly. Think of it as your very own accessibility fairy godmother — no wand required. This isn’t just compatibility with the Joomla Accessibility Toolbar. It’s a complete structural shift toward scalable, flexible, and truly accessible websites. 

Want to know if your website is truly accessible? Use the WAVE testing tool. It checks for accessibility issues and highlights what needs fixing, especially for screen readers.

We inspected every plugin and every element in Gridbox to make sure screen readers can understand what’s going on. We added aria-label support — a special HTML attribute that helps screen readers describe what a button does or where a link leads.

From now on, every plugin that includes a link option also comes with an Aria Label field. You can describe the action in your own words, for example: “Buy now” or “Learn more about our team”. A small input field, a huge improvement in accessibility!

People should be able to navigate your website without a mouse, and now, they can.

Use the keyboard to move between elements, open dropdowns, close modals, use the cart, and more. Everything works smoothly, just like a well-tuned piano.

This isn’t just an update. It’s a major step toward real, usable accessibility, giving more freedom and confidence to those who rely on keyboards to browse the web.

Spoiler alert: it’s still happening, and we’re making great progress behind the scenes! The entire Gridbox 3.0 interface is now based on rem units. It’s flexible, scalable, and future-proof. It’s not just a trend, it’s how modern, accessible websites are built.

Going forward, every feature in Gridbox 3.0 will be built with accessibility in mind. So you’ll be ready for user expectations, right out of the box.

Gridbox 3.0 isn’t sleeping — it’s evolving. And when it returns, it’ll be stronger and more future-ready than ever.

This update is our step toward a better future, where everyone can comfortably use the web. We believe that accessibility isn’t just about legal compliance. It’s about building a web that’s open, fair, and welcoming for all.

So, update Gridbox and get your websites ready. Of course, some things still need your input, especially Aria Label fields, which you’ll need to define for screen readers to do their job properly. But don’t worry, it’s simple and totally worth it. 

Let’s build websites that are beautiful and accessible — together ❤️

2.19.0 — 14.05.2025

• Accessible Design Option
• Aria Label field for all links
• Ability to navigate the site using a keyboard
• Full compatibility with the default Joomla plugin "Additional Accessibility Features"

• All accessibility errors
• Issues with Joomla Smart Search
• Assigning Gridbox tags to a menu item
• Performance issues with Gridbox categories
• Language titles in the Gridbox plugin "Language Switcher"
• Small bugs and issues

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