WordPress themes and accessibility

TODO: This content should be reviewed and restructured.

Creating a theme that supports accessibility is mostly about setting healthy defaults. This includes:

  • ensuring the menus are accessible from the keyboard,
  • checking that default color contrast meets standards,
  • that the HTML structure uses semantically correct code.

The standards for the WordPress theme directory’s accessibility-ready program are available in the Theme Review handbook, including testing instructions, so you can check your own theme.

Note: accessibility-ready does not mean a theme meets WCAG guidelines at level AA. It means that the theme reaches the minimum standards that the theme review team has set.

WordPress.org Theme Directory

In the Themes Directory on WordPress.org, select the ‘Accessibility Ready’ option in the Feature Filter to browse themes tested against the “Accessibility Ready” guidelines.

WordPress.org themes directory filter with Accessibility Ready tag checked

Note: Want to get your theme listed as “Accessibility Ready” on the Themes Repo? See the themes review handbook for more information.

View this page on GitHub