How to Make Your WordPress Website Accessible

Learning how to make a website ADA-compliant within WordPress goes beyond installing plugins or applying quick fixes. True accessibility requires intentional choices at every stage of building and maintaining your site.

When you prioritize accessibility, you not only reduce legal risks but also create a smoother, more inclusive experience for every visitor, including people with disabilities.

Why Accessibility Matters for WordPress Websites

Website accessibility is a set of measures that allows everyone to use a website effectively, especially people with disabilities. WordPress, which is the flagship content management system of the world, is the technology that runs over 43% of all websites.

Therefore, it is also one of the main platforms that people with disabilities prefer to visit online. Making a site on WordPress accessible is, in essence, giving this group an equal and smooth browsing experience to all..

This starts with following the widely accepted laws and regulations, particularly the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Understanding ADA and WCAG Requirements

The number of lawsuits related to digital accessibility is increasing, and a lot of companies are getting into legal trouble due to their inability to comply with even the most basic standards.

What ADA Compliance Means for Websites

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted in 1990, protects the rights of individuals with disabilities by prohibiting discrimination.

Under Title III, digital platforms are considered public accommodations. This implies that your WordPress site should be designed to be accessible so that the users in question can access the necessary information, goods, and services.

Even though Title III does not provide technical specifications, digital access is considered mandatory by US courts that adopt the WCAG as the benchmark.

Neglecting WordPress ADA compliance can result in lawsuits, heavy penalties, and damage to the business reputation.

WCAG Guidelines for WordPress Site Owners

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, are the main standards regarding web accessibility. They include precise and quantifiable criteria that need to be fulfilled by one’s WordPress site.

Following the standards guarantees that the website is in accordance with the WordPress ADA accessibility requirements and greatly reduces the risk of legal problems.

WCAG WordPress compliance has been categorized into three levels:

• Level A: The bare minimum, which encompasses the most important accessibility features that allow basic access.
• Level AA: It is a good mix of accessibility and technical feasibility, as well as the most widely accepted standard for legal compliance.
• Level AAA: It consists of the highest number of accessibility features, but it is not often required for every website.

Start With an Accessibility Audit

Conducting both automated and manual tests gives the opportunity to identify problems on your site that may not be immediately noticeable but can significantly impact certain users.

Why an Audit Is Your First Step

Issues like poor color contrast in digital accessibility, missing alt text for images, unlabeled hyperlinks, and website structural problems are mostly highlighted in automated tests.

Still, spending time on manual testing is equally important. The whole point of WordPress ADA compliance is based on real human experiences. Use a screen reader to navigate your site and pay attention to the web content accessibility. It should make sense when read aloud by the screen reader.

Core Steps to Make Your WordPress Website ADA Compliant

As you apply the practices listed here, you will understand how to make a website ADA-compliant and elevate your WordPress site’s usability, giving every visitor a more inclusive and seamless experience.

Choose an Accessibility-Ready WordPress Theme

The WordPress Theme Directory can be searched for themes that are “accessibility-ready”. Using these themes does not necessarily make a site completely WCAG-compliant, but it is a good starting point.

Above all, your site will have the basic accessibility features by default: high color contrast, a well-structured heading hierarchy, and built-in compatibility with assistive technologies.

Use Accessible Colors and Proper Contrast

Confirm that the text on your WordPress site is easily recognizable against the background. If the contrast ratio is 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for text larger than 18pt, then the WCAG considers the text suitable for reading by most people with visual impairments.

Add Proper Headings and Page Structure

Keep your headings in a logical order to support strong WP accessibility. Start with the primary <h1> that sets the title for the page, then let each subsequent level taper down to <h6> as the topics become more specific. Screen readers trace these tiers much like a chapter outline.

Also, lean on semantic tags <nav> for navigation and <footer> for the closing section—to make your structure more transparent.

Make All Images Accessible

Every image needs a clear, purposeful alternative text, especially when it delivers real information, such as an infographic or a product shot for anyone reading the page.

Avoid cramming in keywords. Explain what there is in simple, everyday language. Additionally, if an image serves only as decoration, leave its alt field blank with alt=”” for clarity.

Improve Keyboard Navigation

To maintain WordPress ADA accessibility, check if users can navigate your site using Tab, Enter, and Arrow keys. Ensure all links, buttons accessibility, forms, and menus are accessible. If they are not, adjust the focus state or replace the component. Also, pay special attention to sliders, dropdowns, and modals, as they often create accessibility challenges.

Fix Forms and Interactive Elements

Assign each form field, such as “Name” or “Email,” with a prominent and noticeable label. Have errors displayed right beside the field and describe them in a way that is simple for users to correct quickly. It is less frustrating and faster for them to complete the form, which can ultimately lead to improved conversions.

For dynamic elements, make sure the focus indicator moves directly to the pop-up, carousels pause when you interact with them, and the content remains stable without unexpected shifts.

Ensure Accessible Media and Videos

It is necessary to add captions to every video on your WordPress site and keep them in sync with the content to ensure video accessibility.

You can provide a transcript that captures the entire video in text. Include the spoken words along with descriptions of any important sounds or movements so that all users can follow the content smoothly.

How to Maintain Website Accessibility Long-Term

Even with an accessibility-ready theme, reliable plugins, and carefully crafted content, updates or site changes can still introduce unexpected accessibility issues. This is why compliance with WordPress ADA accessibility standards should be an ongoing effort.

Ongoing Testing and Monitoring

Test your WordPress site for ADA accessibility at least once a month or every three months. Verify that images have alt tags and ensure the content is displayed correctly across different browsers and internet speeds.

Training Your Team

Invest in various digital resources, online seminars, and accessibility training sessions that target WCAG WordPress accessibility.

Equip your team of content creators and developers with the necessary knowledge to support and maintain accessibility standards across their workflows consistently.

Avoid Automated Overlays

Accessibility overlays and plugins are automated tools designed to change or add particular features to websites to make them more usable for people with disabilities. However, they might generate very general or even incorrect alt texts for pictures, or fail to mark buttons and forms properly. Overall, overlays do more harm than good.

Conclusion

A WordPress site that is truly accessible welcomes every visitor. Following ADA and WCAG standards helps you build trust, improve usability, and lower legal risk. Make it a habit to test, monitor, and update your site according to the best WP accessibility practices.