Accessibility Checklist for WordPress Websites

Why Accessibility Matters on WordPress Websites

A WordPress website can look polished and work perfectly for one visitor while creating barriers for another. Someone may browse with a keyboard instead of a mouse, enlarge text to read more comfortably, use a screen reader, or need captions to understand video content. Accessibility is about making the site usable for people who interact with it in different ways.

For WordPress website owners, accessibility is not controlled by one setting. Your theme plays a role, but so do your colours, fonts, images, forms, plugins, menus, page builder, and content. The steps below offer a practical starting point for finding common accessibility issues. They are not a guarantee of legal compliance, since requirements can vary by organization and jurisdiction.

1. Start With Your WordPress Theme

Your WordPress theme affects much of the structure that visitors interact with, including menus, headings, links, focus states, forms, and responsive behaviour.

WordPress offers an “accessibility-ready” tag for themes that meet its theme review requirements. In May 2026, WordPress updated those requirements to more closely reflect WCAG expectations and added areas such as reflow, resizing, text spacing, hover and focus content, accessibility statements, and plugin recommendations.

That tag does not mean the finished site automatically meets accessibility standards. Once you add page-builder layouts, plugins, images, forms, colours, and custom content, new problems can appear. Think of an accessible theme as a better starting point, not a finished result.

2. Review Colour Contrast

Text needs enough contrast from its background to remain readable. Light grey text on white, pale button text, and copy placed over detailed photos are common problems.

For WCAG 2.2 Level AA, normal text generally needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. The W3C Quick Reference also covers text resizing, keyboard access, labels, headings, media, and other accessibility criteria.

Colour choices also affect how a business feels and how easily visitors understand a page. We have previously looked at how website colours affect user emotions, but accessibility adds another consideration: the combinations still need to be readable.

Test body copy, headings, buttons, form fields, links, menu items, hover states, and text placed over images.

3. Give Images Appropriate Alt Text

Alternative text gives an image a text equivalent when someone cannot see it. WordPress lets you add alt text through the Media Library or while inserting an image into a page or post.

If an image communicates useful information, the alt text should describe its purpose in the context of the page. Decorative images that add no useful information should generally be set up so assistive technology can ignore them.

Avoid treating alt text as another place to force SEO terms. Its first job is to communicate information a visitor would otherwise miss.

4. Use a Logical Heading Structure

Headings organize a page for people who scan visually and for people who use assistive technology to move through content. A clear structure usually starts with the page’s H1, followed by H2 headings for main sections and H3 headings for smaller subsections.

A common WordPress mistake is choosing a heading tag because of its default font size. For example, someone may use an H4 because it looks right even though the content structure calls for an H2.

Choose the correct heading level first, then control its appearance through your website styling. The visual size of a heading and its place in the page structure are separate decisions.

5. Make Links and Buttons Clear

Visitors should understand what a link or button will do. Repeated links labelled “click here” or “learn more” can become confusing when someone moves through a page by links rather than reading every surrounding sentence.

Descriptive wording such as “View Therapy Services,” “Read Our Pricing Guide,” or “Book a Consultation” gives clearer context. Clear wording also matters when creating calls to action on your website, since visitors should understand exactly what will happen when they click. Buttons should also behave like buttons.

Also review links that open a new tab or window unexpectedly. Visitors should not be left wondering why their browsing context changed.

6. Test Your Website Without a Mouse

One of the simplest accessibility tests does not require any software. Put your mouse aside and try to use the website with your keyboard.

Use Tab to move forward through interactive elements, Shift + Tab to move backward, and Enter or the appropriate control to activate links and buttons. You should be able to reach the main navigation, dropdown menus, forms, pop-ups, accordions, and other interactive features.

As you move through the page, look for a visible focus indicator showing which element is selected. Watch for places where the focus disappears or where you can enter an interactive feature but cannot get back out using the keyboard.

7. Review Forms and Error Messages

Contact and booking forms are often one of the most valuable parts of a service-business website, so accessibility problems here can stop someone from getting in touch.

Each field should have a clear label rather than relying only on placeholder text. Required information should be communicated clearly, and errors should explain what needs to be corrected.

A red outline around a required field may not be enough on its own. A message such as “Please enter your email address” gives the visitor clearer direction. If your forms come from a WordPress plugin, test the finished form rather than assuming the plugin has addressed every accessibility issue.

8. Make Text Easy to Read and Resize

Very small text, tight line spacing, thin fonts, long paragraphs, and weak contrast can all make reading harder. Visitors should also be able to enlarge text without losing content or breaking the layout.

Test pages at increased zoom levels and watch for overlapping text, cut-off buttons, missing content, or layouts that become difficult to use.

We often talk about readability when choosing the right font for a therapy practice website, and the same principle applies more broadly. A font may fit a brand visually while still becoming difficult to read at smaller sizes or lighter weights. Typeface choice, size, spacing, weight, and contrast all work together.

9. Provide Alternatives for Video and Audio

If your WordPress website includes videos, podcasts, recorded webinars, or other media, consider how someone can access the information if they cannot hear or see part of it.

Prerecorded video with spoken information may need captions, while audio-only content may benefit from a transcript. Media controls matter too. Visitors should be able to pause, stop, and control content where appropriate, without struggling to find or use the controls.

10. Review Menus and Interactive Features

Accessibility problems are often found outside the main page copy. WordPress themes, Gutenberg blocks, Elementor widgets, and plugins can add interactive features that need their own review.

Pay attention to mobile menus, dropdowns, accordions, tabs, sliders, pop-ups, cookie notices, search tools, and booking features. Check whether each element has a clear purpose, whether it works by keyboard, and whether changes on screen make sense when interacting with it.

This is also why adding a new feature can affect a site that previously tested well.

11. Be Careful With WordPress Plugins

Plugins can add forms, sliders, pop-ups, tables, calendars, menus, and other interfaces. They can also introduce accessibility problems even when the underlying theme has been built with accessibility in mind.

Before choosing a plugin, look for accessibility documentation and test the front-end result. Popularity does not automatically mean the plugin will work well for every visitor.

The same caution applies to accessibility overlay tools that promise an automatic solution. They may affect certain parts of a site, but they should not replace accessible design, development, content, and testing.

12. Test Accessibility in More Than One Way

Automated accessibility scanners are useful for finding certain issues, but they cannot tell you everything about how a person experiences a website. Some problems require someone to interact with the page or use assistive technology.

MDN Web Docs recommends combining automated testing with manual checks and assistive technology. A practical WordPress review can include an automated scan, keyboard testing, contrast testing, text resizing, mobile testing, and screen-reader testing where possible.

Accessibility can also fit naturally into a broader process for conducting a website audit. When reviewing performance, mobile behaviour, content, SEO, and usability, accessibility is another part of how well the website works for its visitors.

Accessibility Should Be Part of WordPress Website Maintenance

Accessibility is not a setting you turn on once and forget. New pages, images, plugins, videos, forms, and design changes can create new issues.

Using a WordPress accessibility checklist from time to time can help you spot common barriers and build better habits when adding content or website features. The goal is simple: more people should be able to read your content, understand your services, use your website, and contact you without unnecessary difficulty.

If you need help improving the accessibility of your WordPress website, Mendel Sites is a WordPress web design agency that can review your site and help make it easier for more people to use. Reach out today to set up a free discovery call!

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