WordPress Accessibility Guidelines (2023)

How to make your WordPress Website Accessible and ADA Compliant

Achieving digital accessibility compliance standards has never been easier. Thanks to innovative, automated solutions on the market today, you don’t need to use precious business resources toward building a new website, coding, etc.

Making your WordPress or WooCommerce website ADA-compliant doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, you may not even need to touch the code of your site at all. 

Along with using a WordPress accessibility plugin, there are other third-party solutions available that can simplify the process, too.

WordPress & WooCommerce Website Accessibility Tool Comparison

Our Expert Recommendation: Best Accessibility Tools for WordPress & WooCommerce Compliance

Enhance the functionality and inclusiveness of your WordPress website with the help of these leading accessibility companies. 

How you can improve accessibility on your WP website

Ensure Your Content is Easy to Read

Even without disabilities, managing tiny font sizes and eye-straining color schemes feels slightly abusive. Those with visual impairments can’t read your content at all—you may as well hang a sign, “We don’t serve the blind.”

Here’s what you can do to fix this:

First, adjust the column widths so there are roughly 7-10 words on each line. This ensures that your font size won’t set off flags. Next, adjust the color scheme of your website so that the text stands out from the background and complies with WCAG color contrast requirements as stated in SC 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) and SC 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast. You can use the WP Accessibility Plugin or other similar tools to test the contrast of the text against the background.

Use ALT Text on All Your Images

If you’re concerned about SEO best practices, you should already use ALT text on all your images. Regarding accessibility, ALT text allows higher comprehension for those using screen readers. Use the “alt” attribute to provide a descriptive and accurate alt text for the images.

Refine Navigational Buttons and Links

Whether designing a table of contents, linking to a product page, or making a CTA button, it’s important to use specific and clear directions. For example, a CTA button that says “Read More” is pretty vague. A thoughtful alternative like “Read More About Web Accessibility” informs the screen reader user where the link will take them.

If your website contains ambiguous links, it prevents those using screen readers from accessing the rest of your site.

Scan Your Site With AccessibilityChecker

The free web accessibility scanner we keep presenting lets you know where your website stands. In moments, it lays out a complete and up-to-date evaluation of your website in a tidy report. It instantly recommends at least one solution to fix each compliance issue—showing you precisely what you need to do next.

Automate Web Accessibility Compliance

Compliance is an investment in the longevity of your business and your relationship with your customers. Investing a reasonable and affordable sum in an automated solution is worth it. As a result, you will get a fully compliant website, security against lawsuits, the ability to reach a new audience base, and perhaps most importantly, peace of mind. After AccessibilityChecker scans your website, it recommends the most suitable accessibility software solution based on your local laws.

What is ADA Compliance?

According to Title 3 of the ADA, businesses must make modifications to accommodate people with disabilities. Even though websites weren’t originally named in the ADA, recently, courts have ruled that they should be included.

If you use WordPress, your website also needs to conform to ADA and WCAG guidelines.

Read our definitive guide on ADA compliance to find out more, including step-by-step instructions on how to make your website fully accessible and ADA compliant.

Importance of Accessibility for your WordPress Site

Improved Market Reach

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 1 in 4 U.S. adults live with a disability. By making your website accessible with a few simple modifications, you’re opening your business up to many new customers. Businesses continue to lose sales due to inaccessibility – don’t let your business be one of them.

Improved SEO

Providing the best possible user experience is what SEO is all about, which is why web accessibility and SEO go hand-in-hand. For example, having a cleaner interface and smooth navigation decreases your bounce rate (Great for SEO). Once you start looking at SEO and web accessibility best practices, you can see why they’re so closely related. Non-compliance with accessibility regulations is far more costly and damaging than actually taking the time to make your website accessible.

What Could Happen if Your Website is Not Accessible / ADA Compliant?

ADA Lawsuits

Law firms are keeping a close eye on WordPress websites because they know that non-compliance with ADA laws and regulations can make them a lot of money. Should you receive a website accessibility demand letter, you can expect to pay a settlement cost of at least $5,000. However, should the matter go to court, settlement costs can extend into tens of thousands of dollars.

One single lawsuit against your company for not meeting digital accessibility standards can quickly add up to $10,000 and upwards.

Court fees, lawyer fees, settlement costs, and more can quickly drain your business of essential resources.

Furthermore, your business risks alienating entire user populations from your products or services. If every 1 in 5 people navigates the internet with some disability or limitation, you could miss out on an entire population of potential customers and clients.

Damaged Reputation

What does it say about a business when it’s in trouble with the law? Most of the time—it’s not a positive headline. Even though there may be no intention to discriminate against people with disabilities, a run-in with an ADA lawsuit paints the picture of a business that doesn’t care for its customer’s or employees’ needs. Failing to facilitate a better user experience and more inclusive environment–that results in higher traffic–also says a lot to investors and partners about the staying power and stability of your business.

Fumbled Leadership 

It’s pretty simple. Many people with disabilities are left out and forgotten. Some speak up for themselves, but many remain silent, missing out on connection and productivity while they wait for change. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to lead the way to a more inclusive online world.

Frequently Asked Questions