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WordPress Accessibility: How to Make Your Site ADA Compliant in 2026

WordPress powers 43% of all websites — over 800 million sites. Yet the vast majority aren't accessible to people with disabilities. Whether you're running a business site, a blog, a WooCommerce store, or a membership portal, this guide covers everything you need to make your WordPress site WCAG compliant and lawsuit-proof.

Updated February 2026•15 min read

The State of WordPress Accessibility

WordPress has a complicated relationship with accessibility. On one hand, WordPress.org has a dedicated Make WordPress Accessible team that's been working on core accessibility since 2011. The project has formal accessibility coding standards, an "accessibility-ready" tag for themes, and regular accessibility audits of new features.

On the other hand, the vast WordPress ecosystem — 60,000+ plugins and 12,000+ themes — has no accessibility enforcement. The "accessibility-ready" tag is opt-in, the review process is limited, and most theme and plugin developers don't test with screen readers or keyboard navigation.

The result? WordPress can produce highly accessible websites — the core platform has good fundamentals. But most WordPress sites in the wild are not accessible because of:

  • • Theme choice: Premium themes from ThemeForest and similar marketplaces rarely test for accessibility
  • • Plugin bloat: Each plugin adds code that may break accessibility — sliders, popups, form builders, page builders
  • • Content creation: Authors skip alt text, use headings for styling, embed inaccessible media
  • • Page builders: Elementor, Divi, and WPBakery can produce inaccessible markup depending on how they're used

📊 WordPress Accessibility by the Numbers

  • • 96.3% of WordPress homepages had detectable WCAG failures (WebAIM Million 2024)
  • • Average WordPress site: 51 accessibility errors per page
  • • Most common: low contrast text (83%), missing alt text (55%), empty links (49%)
  • • Only ~200 themes carry the "accessibility-ready" tag (out of 12,000+)

The good news: WordPress gives you more control over your HTML output than most platforms. With the right theme, careful plugin choices, and accessible content practices, you can achieve strong WCAG 2.1 AA compliance.

Best Accessible WordPress Themes

Your theme is the single biggest factor in your site's accessibility. WordPress.org's "accessibility-ready" tag means a theme has passed a basic accessibility review — it's the minimum baseline, not a guarantee of full compliance.

🏆 Top Pick: Twenty Twenty-Five (Free)

WordPress's default theme for 2025/2026, built by the core team with accessibility as a primary goal:

  • • Full Site Editing (FSE) support with accessible block patterns
  • • Semantic HTML5 with proper landmarks and heading hierarchy
  • • Skip-to-content link and keyboard-navigable menus
  • • High-contrast color palette (6:1+ ratio for body text)
  • • ARIA labels on all interactive elements
  • • Responsive design maintaining accessibility on all screen sizes
  • • Passes the WordPress accessibility-ready review

Other Accessibility-Ready Themes

Flavor

Purpose-built for accessibility by accessibility advocates. Includes proper semantic markup, ARIA support, and accessible navigation patterns. Free and premium versions available.

Flavorzero / Starter Themes

Blank starter themes for developers building accessible sites from scratch. Clean, semantic markup with zero styling assumptions — ideal for agencies with WCAG requirements.

Underscores (_s)

Automattic's starter theme. Minimal, clean HTML structure that makes it easy to build accessible custom themes. Used by professional WordPress developers.

Theme flavors: flavorzero Starter

Blank canvas for accessible site development. Ideal for agencies and developers who build custom WordPress sites with accessibility requirements.

How to Find Accessibility-Ready Themes

  1. Go to WordPress.org/themes
  2. Click Feature Filter
  3. Under "Features," check "Accessibility Ready"
  4. Apply filters — you'll see ~200 vetted themes

Themes to Approach With Caution

  • • Avada, Divi, and multi-purpose themes — Extremely popular but known for accessibility issues. Heavy reliance on page builders that generate complex, nested markup.
  • • ThemeForest themes — Envato's marketplace doesn't require accessibility testing. Most ThemeForest themes fail basic WCAG checks.
  • • Any theme relying heavily on JavaScript for layout — Content rendered with JS can be invisible to screen readers if not implemented correctly.

Before committing to a theme, scan its demo site with RatedWithAI to see its accessibility score. Also test the demo with keyboard navigation — if you can't tab through the menu and links, the theme has fundamental issues.

Essential WordPress Accessibility Plugins

The right plugins can dramatically improve your WordPress site's accessibility. The wrong ones (overlays) can make it worse. Here are the plugins worth installing:

✅

WP Accessibility (Free)

By Joe Dolson — the most respected WordPress accessibility plugin developer. Adds:

  • • Skip-to-content link (if your theme doesn't have one)
  • • Fixes common accessibility issues in WordPress core
  • • Removes title attributes from images and links
  • • Adds language attributes, long description support
  • • Color contrast testing in the admin
  • • Lightweight — doesn't add bloat or overlays
✅

Editoria11y (Free)

Real-time accessibility checker for content editors. Shows warnings directly in the editor when you:

  • • Skip heading levels (h2 → h4)
  • • Forget alt text on images
  • • Use vague link text ("click here", "read more")
  • • Create content with potential accessibility issues
  • • Great for training content teams on accessible writing
✅

Sa11y (Free)

Content quality assurance tool that checks pages for accessibility issues on the front-end:

  • • Highlights issues with visual annotations on your pages
  • • Checks heading structure, link text, image alt text
  • • Identifies color contrast problems
  • • Useful for non-technical content editors to self-check their work
✅

Flavor (Premium)

Comprehensive accessibility scanning and remediation plugin:

  • • Automated site-wide scanning against WCAG 2.1
  • • Identifies issues and provides fix guidance in the admin
  • • Dashboard for tracking compliance progress
  • • Integrates with the editor for real-time checking

❌ Plugins to Avoid (Overlay Widgets)

These WordPress plugins add overlay widgets that don't provide real compliance:

  • • accessiBe WordPress plugin — FTC fined $1 million for deceptive claims
  • • UserWay Accessibility Widget — Overlay that doesn't fix source code
  • • AudioEye WordPress plugin — Overlay-based approach with limited real fixes
  • • Any plugin that promises "one-click ADA compliance" or adds a toolbar icon

Read our accessiBe alternatives guide for why overlays fail and what to use instead.

Accessibility in the Gutenberg Block Editor

WordPress's Gutenberg block editor (now the default since WordPress 5.0) has significantly improved for both creating accessible content and being accessible to content editors with disabilities.

What Gutenberg Gets Right

  • • Heading level prompts: The Heading block shows the level (H2, H3, etc.) and warns if you skip levels
  • • Alt text prompts: The Image block includes a dedicated alt text field in the block settings
  • • Semantic HTML output: Most blocks generate clean, semantic markup
  • • Keyboard navigation: The editor itself is navigable with keyboard (use Tab, arrow keys, and slash commands)
  • • ARIA support: Block output includes appropriate ARIA attributes
  • • Document outline: The Document Overview panel shows heading hierarchy visually

Gutenberg Accessibility Pitfalls

  • • Gallery block: Doesn't prompt for alt text on each image — you must add it manually via the block settings or media library
  • • Columns block: Complex column layouts can create confusing reading order for screen readers. Keep layouts simple.
  • • Cover block: Text overlaid on images may fail contrast requirements. Always check contrast when using text over images.
  • • Table block: Doesn't add <th> headers by default — you need to enable the "Header section" toggle
  • • Reusable blocks: Changes to heading levels in reusable blocks may break hierarchy on pages where they're inserted
  • • Custom HTML block: No accessibility checking — whatever you paste goes straight to the page

💡 Gutenberg Accessibility Best Practices

  • 1. Always check Document Overview (three-line icon in top toolbar) to verify heading hierarchy
  • 2. Add alt text immediately when inserting images — don't plan to "come back to it"
  • 3. Use the List block for lists instead of manually typing bullets in a Paragraph block
  • 4. Enable table headers in every Table block (toggle in block settings)
  • 5. Test the front-end — Gutenberg's editor view doesn't always match what users see
  • 6. Install Editoria11y for real-time accessibility feedback while writing

Step-by-Step: Making Your WordPress Site Accessible

Follow this prioritized remediation plan. Start with the foundation (theme) and work through content and functionality.

1

Run a Baseline Accessibility Scan

Before making changes, understand your starting point. Scan your site to get a prioritized list of WCAG violations.

Scan your WordPress site free with RatedWithAI → — get a compliance score, violation count by severity, and specific fix guidance.

2

Switch to an Accessibility-Ready Theme

If your current theme has fundamental accessibility issues (no skip link, broken keyboard nav, no ARIA labels), switching themes is often faster than fixing.

  • • Use the WordPress.org theme directory with the "Accessibility Ready" filter
  • • Twenty Twenty-Five is the safest default choice
  • • If you use a page builder (Elementor, Divi), test its output carefully
  • • For custom themes, follow the WordPress accessibility coding standards
3

Install WP Accessibility Plugin

Install and configure Joe Dolson's WP Accessibility plugin. It addresses common WordPress-specific accessibility gaps:

  • • Adds a skip-to-content link if your theme lacks one
  • • Removes tabindex attributes that break natural tab order
  • • Forces focus outlines for keyboard navigation
  • • Adds language attributes to your HTML
  • • Provides a color contrast tester in the admin panel
4

Fix All Image Alt Text

Go through your Media Library and add descriptive alt text to every image. In WordPress:

  • • Media → Library → Click each image → Fill in "Alternative Text"
  • • Be descriptive: "Team of developers collaborating at a whiteboard" not "team.jpg"
  • • Decorative images should have empty alt text (alt=""), not missing alt text
  • • Use our AI alt text generator to create descriptions efficiently
  • • For existing content, search for images without alt text using the query: SELECT * FROM wp_postmeta WHERE meta_key='_wp_attachment_image_alt' AND meta_value=''
5

Fix Color Contrast Throughout Your Site

Check and fix color contrast using the contrast checker. Common WordPress contrast failures:

  • • Meta text (dates, categories, author names) — often light gray
  • • Placeholder text in forms and search
  • • Text over hero images or Cover blocks
  • • In the Customizer: Adjust primary colors, text colors, link colors
  • • Minimum: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text (WCAG AA)
6

Fix Forms (Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, WPForms)

Forms are one of the most common accessibility failures on WordPress sites:

  • • Contact Form 7: Add explicit <label> tags wrapping each input. The plugin supports this natively.
  • • Gravity Forms: Has good accessibility settings — enable "accessibility enhanced markup" in form settings
  • • WPForms: Generates labels by default but check that placeholders aren't replacing visible labels
  • • Error messages must be associated with the field that has the error
  • • Required fields must be programmatically indicated (not just red asterisks)
7

Fix Heading Hierarchy and Content Structure

Review every page and post for proper heading structure:

  • • One H1 per page (usually the post/page title — most themes handle this)
  • • Use H2 for major sections, H3 for subsections — don't skip levels
  • • Never use headings just for visual styling (bold large text ≠ heading)
  • • Install Editoria11y to catch heading errors while editing
  • • Use Document Overview in Gutenberg to visualize your heading tree
8

Audit and Clean Up Plugins

Each plugin can introduce accessibility barriers. Review your plugin list:

  • • Slider plugins (Revolution Slider, MetaSlider) — Auto-advancing sliders are a WCAG violation. Remove or add pause controls.
  • • Popup plugins (OptinMonster, Popup Maker) — Must have keyboard-accessible close buttons and proper focus management
  • • Social sharing plugins — Check for icon-only buttons without accessible names
  • • Chat widgets — Test with keyboard for focus trap issues
  • • Run a scan before and after disabling plugins to identify which ones cause violations

WooCommerce Accessibility

If you're running WooCommerce, you face the same risks as any e-commerce site — and e-commerce is the #1 ADA lawsuit target. WooCommerce has made accessibility improvements, but significant gaps remain.

WooCommerce Accessibility Strengths

  • • Product pages include proper heading structure when using default templates
  • • Add-to-cart buttons have accessible names
  • • The cart page includes a proper data table for cart contents
  • • Checkout form labels are generally present

WooCommerce Accessibility Gaps

  • • Product image galleries: Lightbox/zoom features often lack keyboard support
  • • Variable products: Dropdown selectors may not announce selected options to screen readers
  • • Ajax add-to-cart: Cart count updates aren't announced (needs ARIA live region)
  • • Product filtering/sorting: Sidebar filters may not be keyboard accessible
  • • Review system: Star ratings lack text alternatives
  • • Payment gateways: Third-party payment forms (Stripe, PayPal) have their own accessibility issues

For a comprehensive guide to making your WooCommerce store accessible, see our e-commerce accessibility guide. The same principles that apply to Shopify stores apply here — test the complete purchase flow with keyboard and screen reader.

How to Test Your WordPress Site for Accessibility

Testing WordPress sites follows the same automated + manual approach as any website, with some WordPress-specific considerations.

Automated Testing

  • • RatedWithAI — Enter your WordPress site URL for a WCAG compliance score with prioritized violations and fix instructions
  • • axe DevTools — Free Chrome extension for page-by-page analysis
  • • WAVE — Visual overlay of issues directly on your page
  • • Sa11y (WordPress plugin) — Front-end checking integrated into your WordPress admin bar

📋 Pages to Test on Your WordPress Site

  • • Homepage
  • • A blog post (with images, headings, embedded media)
  • • Contact page (with forms)
  • • About/services pages
  • • Search results page
  • • 404 error page
  • • If WooCommerce: product page, cart, and checkout
  • • Any page with custom templates, page builder layouts, or heavy plugin content
  • • Logged-in areas (member portals, course content, dashboards)

Manual Testing

Keyboard Navigation

Navigate your entire site with keyboard only. Specific WordPress things to check:

  • • Can you skip the navigation with a skip-to-content link?
  • • Do dropdown menus open/close with keyboard (Enter, Escape, arrow keys)?
  • • Can you navigate widget areas in the sidebar and footer?
  • • Is the search accessible? Can you open, type, and submit with keyboard?
  • • Do any plugins create focus traps (popups, modals, chat widgets)?
  • • If WooCommerce: complete the full purchase flow keyboard-only

Screen Reader Testing

  • • Mac: VoiceOver (Cmd+F5)
  • • Windows: NVDA (free) or JAWS
  • • Navigate by headings (H key in NVDA) — does the heading structure make sense?
  • • Navigate by landmarks (D key) — are main, nav, footer regions properly marked?
  • • Check that images announce their alt text
  • • Verify forms announce field labels and error messages

WordPress-Specific Checks

  • • Theme Customizer: After changing colors in Appearance → Customize, re-check contrast
  • • Widget areas: Sidebar and footer widgets often have missing heading levels or empty links
  • • Comment forms: Check that comment fields have labels (not just placeholders)
  • • Archive pages: Category, tag, and date archives may have different layouts — test them
  • • Use the color contrast checker on key text/background combinations

For a complete testing methodology, see our accessibility testing guide.

Scan Your WordPress Site Free

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is WordPress accessible out of the box?

Partially. WordPress core has an active accessibility team and provides accessibility-ready themes. However, your site's accessibility depends on your theme, plugins, and content. The default Twenty Twenty-Five theme is accessibility-ready, but most third-party themes are not. WordPress.org has an "accessibility-ready" tag for vetted themes.

What is the best accessible WordPress theme?

The default Twenty Twenty-Five theme is the safest choice — it's free, maintained by WordPress core, and passes the accessibility-ready review. Other good options include Flavor (purpose-built for accessibility) and any theme carrying the "accessibility-ready" tag on WordPress.org (~200 themes available).

Does the Gutenberg editor create accessible content?

Gutenberg has improved significantly for accessibility. It supports heading hierarchy warnings, alt text prompts, and semantic HTML output. However, Gallery blocks, Cover blocks (text over images), and complex column layouts can introduce issues. Always verify the front-end output and install Editoria11y for real-time checking.

What WordPress plugins help with accessibility?

WP Accessibility (free, by Joe Dolson) is essential — it fixes common WordPress-specific issues. Editoria11y and Sa11y provide real-time content checking. For scanning, use RatedWithAI externally. Avoid overlay plugins (accessiBe, UserWay, AudioEye) — they don't provide real compliance and can make sites worse.

Can I get sued for an inaccessible WordPress site?

Yes. ADA lawsuits apply regardless of your platform. WordPress sites for businesses, e-commerce (WooCommerce), healthcare, education, and government all face legal risk. Courts reference WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and settlements range from $10,000 to $75,000 plus remediation costs. California and New York are the highest-risk states.

How do I test my WordPress site for accessibility?

Combine automated scanning (RatedWithAI, axe DevTools, WAVE) with manual testing. Navigate your site keyboard-only, test with a screen reader (VoiceOver or NVDA), and check color contrast. For WordPress specifically, also test widget areas, comment forms, archive pages, and any logged-in user areas.

Related Resources

Color Contrast Checker

Test your WordPress theme colors against WCAG AA and AAA contrast ratios.

Alt Text Generator

Generate WCAG-compliant alt text for your images with AI.

ADA Compliance Checklist

Complete checklist to ensure your website meets ADA requirements in 2026.

E-commerce Accessibility Guide

Essential for WooCommerce stores — ADA compliance for online selling.

accessiBe Alternatives

Why overlay widgets fail and what to use instead for real accessibility.

Shopify ADA Compliance

Similar guide for Shopify store owners facing the same accessibility challenges.