Is Your WordPress Website Accessible? Complete WCAG Checklist 2025

WordPress Powers 43% of the Web - But Most Sites Aren't Accessible

WordPress is the world's most popular content management system, powering over 43% of all websites. But here's the problem: most WordPress sites fail basic accessibility requirements.

If your business website runs on WordPress, the EU Accessibility Act (deadline passed in June 2025) means you're now legally required to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards. This applies whether you built your site yourself, hired a developer, or use a page builder like Elementor or Oxygen.

In this comprehensive guide, you'll get a complete WordPress accessibility checklist with step-by-step instructions to audit and fix your site. We'll cover:

Common WordPress accessibility issues

Page builder-specific problems (Elementor, WPBakery, Oxygen, Gutenberg)

Free testing tools

Quick fixes you can implement today

When to call a professional

Bonus: Downloadable 50-point checklist at the end!

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Why WordPress Sites Often Fail Accessibility Tests

WordPress itself is reasonably accessible out-of-the-box. So why do most WordPress sites fail?

The Real Culprits:

1. Page Builders - Elementor, WPBakery, Divi often add inaccessible HTML

2. Themes - Many popular themes ignore accessibility standards

3. Plugins - Sliders, forms, and galleries frequently have issues

4. User-Generated Content - Site owners unknowingly add inaccessible content

5. Lack of Testing - No one checks before launching

The Good News

WordPress accessibility issues are usually fixable. Most problems fall into a few categories that can be systematically addressed.

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The WordPress Accessibility Checklist

Use this checklist to audit your WordPress site. We've organized it by priority.

⭐ Critical Issues (Fix Immediately)

These violations have the highest legal risk and impact the most users:

1. Keyboard Navigation

The Test:

Unplug your mouse

Navigate your entire site using only Tab, Enter, Shift+Tab, and Arrow keys

Can you access every link, button, and form field?

Common WordPress Problems:

Dropdown menus that only work with mouse hover

Modal pop-ups with no keyboard close

Sliders that can't be controlled via keyboard

"Hamburger" mobile menus that trap keyboard focus

How to Fix:

```javascript

// Add keyboard support to dropdown menus

jQuery('.menu-item-has-children > a').on('keydown', function(e) {

if (e.key === 'Enter' || e.key === ' ') {

e.preventDefault();

$(this).siblings('.sub-menu').toggle();

}

});

```

Page Builder Fixes:

Elementor: Enable "Improved Accessibility" in settings

Oxygen: Use built-in menu builder (better keyboard support)

WPBakery: May require custom JavaScript (hardest to fix)

2. Form Field Labels

The Test:

Inspect each form field

Does it have a visible `` element connected with `for` attribute?

Common WordPress Problems:

Contact Form 7 placeholder-only fields

WPForms without proper labels

Gravity Forms using placeholders instead of labels

How to Fix:

```html

Your Email *

```

Plugin-Specific Fixes:

Contact Form 7: Always add label tag, don't rely on placeholder

WPForms: Enable "Label" option for all fields

Gravity Forms: Use "Label Placement: Top" setting

3. Image Alt Text

The Test:

Right-click any image → Inspect

Check for `alt` attribute

Is the alt text descriptive (not just filename)?

Common WordPress Problems:

Images uploaded without alt text

Alt text = filename ("IMG_1234.jpg")

Decorative images with descriptive alt text

How to Fix:

In WordPress Media Library:

1. Click image

2. Fill "Alternative Text" field

3. Be descriptive: "Team meeting in Salzburg office" not "team.jpg"

Decorative Images:

```html

```

Pro Tip: Install "Accessibility Checker" plugin to find images missing alt text.

4. Color Contrast

The Test:

Use [WebAIM Contrast Checker](https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)

Test your text against background colors

Minimum ratio: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text

Common WordPress Problems:

Gray text on white backgrounds (common in themes)

White text on light colored backgrounds

Colored buttons with insufficient contrast

How to Fix:

In WordPress Customizer:

1. Navigate to Colors section

2. Test each color combination

3. Adjust to meet 4.5:1 minimum

CSS Fix:

```css

/* ❌ Poor contrast (2.5:1) */

.text-muted { color: #999999; }

/* ✅ Good contrast (4.6:1) */

.text-muted { color: #767676; }

```

5. Heading Structure

The Test:

View your page source

Check heading order (H1 → H2 → H3, no skipping)

Only one H1 per page

Common WordPress Problems:

Page builders allowing multiple H1s

Skipping from H2 to H4

Headings used for styling (not structure)

How to Fix:
Gutenberg: Use "Heading" block properly, follow hierarchy
Elementor:

Settings → Features → Enable "Improved DOM Output"

Manually set heading levels in each widget

Oxygen: Headings are semantic by default (good!)
Check Your Site:

```javascript

// Run in browser console to see heading structure

document.querySelectorAll('h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6').forEach(h => {

console.log(h.tagName + ': ' + h.textContent);

});

```

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⭐⭐ Important Issues (Fix This Month)

6. Skip Navigation Link

What It Is:

A hidden link that appears when Tab is pressed, allowing keyboard users to skip repetitive navigation.

How to Add in WordPress:

```php

// Add to header.php (before