Mechanics module WCAG 2.3.3 Level AAA

Reduced Motion Guard

Respects `prefers-reduced-motion` and stops aggressive animations, auto-plays and parallax.

What it does

Function in one sentence — and in three sentences

For people with migraines, vestibular disorders, or ADHD, aggressive web animations are a real problem. Browsers have offered the CSS media query `prefers-reduced-motion: reduce` since 2018 — but only a few themes implement it correctly.

The Reduced Motion Guard kicks in when the visitor's system requests reduced animations — and then freezes CSS transitions, GIFs and video auto-plays.

This is how the plugin implements it.

Technical measures

CSS override: global `animation-duration: 0.01ms` + `transition-duration: 0.01ms` for `prefers-reduced-motion`.
Pause animated GIFs: replaces it with a still image (first frame).
Pause auto-play videos: stops `
Disable parallax scripts: detects popular parallax plugins and disables them.
Frontend panel toggleAdditionally, the visitor can activate the module without changing any system settings.

In the plugin backend

You can find these settings in the module tab.

Strategy: CSS animations only / + GIFs / + Auto-Play / everything including parallax
Frontend panel integration: on/off
Exception selectors (e.g., subtle hover effects should remain)
Parallax plugin detection: explicit whitelist only / auto-detection

Path in Admin: WP-Admin → Accessibility → Modules → Reduced Motion Guard

When do you need the module?

Use case

Recommended for any page with hero animations, sliders, parallax, or GIFs. Mandatory for government and educational websites (BITV 2.0).

Related modules

That fits together thematically.

Visible focus
WCAG 2.4.11
Provides a strong, always visible focus ring on all focusable elements — with AAA contrast.
ARIA Manager
WCAG 4.1.2
Automatically assigns correct ARIA roles, states, and properties to interactive elements.
Video caption notice
WCAG 1.2.2
It recognizes videos without subtitles and displays an editorial note in the backend.

Activate the module for your site?

In the initial 15-minute consultation, we will clarify whether the module is relevant for your theme and content type — and what the setup looks like.

15-minute initial consultation
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