Originally published at A11yFix.
If you run a WordPress site, there's a good chance it has accessibility problems. I've audited hundreds of WordPress sites over the past few years, and the same issues come up again and again. The good news? Most of them don't require a developer to fix. You can handle them yourself, right now, from the WordPress admin panel.
This isn't about making your site "perfectly accessible" in one afternoon. It's about fixing the most common wordpress accessibility problems that affect real people trying to use your site with screen readers, keyboards, or other assistive technology.
Why WordPress Accessibility Matters Now
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) takes effect in June 2025, and it applies to any business selling digital services to EU customers. WCAG 2.1 AA is the benchmark. If your WordPress site isn't accessible, you could face legal consequences. But beyond compliance, accessible WordPress sites just work better for everyone -- they're faster, more usable, and rank better in search.
Here are 10 issues I see constantly, and how to fix each one.
1. Missing Alt Text on Images
Every image needs descriptive alt text. Go to Media > Library, switch to list view, and work through your images. For each one, write a brief description of what the image shows. If it's purely decorative, enter an empty alt attribute (most themes handle this if you leave the field blank). This is the single most impactful fix for wordpress wcag compliance.
2. Poor Color Contrast
Your text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background (3:1 for large text). Go to Appearance > Customize and check your color settings. Use the free WebAIM Contrast Checker to test your combinations. Swap out any light grays on white backgrounds. This is a surprisingly common problem even in popular themes.
3. Missing Page Titles
Every page needs a unique, descriptive title tag. Install Yoast SEO or Rank Math (both free) if you haven't already, then go through each page and set a meaningful SEO title. Screen reader users rely on page titles to understand where they are.
4. Heading Hierarchy Issues
Your headings should follow a logical order: H1, then H2, then H3. Don't skip from H1 to H4 because you like the font size. Edit each page in the block editor and fix the heading levels. There should be exactly one H1 per page (usually the page title). Use the "Document Outline" feature in the block editor's toolbar to check your structure.
5. Links That Say "Click Here" or "Read More"
Screen reader users often navigate by links. A list of "click here" links tells them nothing. Edit your content and make link text descriptive. Instead of "click here to download our guide," write "download our accessibility guide." This takes time but makes a real difference.
6. Missing Form Labels
If you use Contact Form 7, Gravity Forms, or WPForms, check that every input field has a visible label. Go to your form builder and verify each field has a label (not just placeholder text). Placeholders disappear when you start typing, which causes problems for people with cognitive disabilities.
7. Auto-Playing Media
If any page has video or audio that plays automatically, stop it. Go to the page editor, find the media block, and disable autoplay. Auto-playing media is disorienting for screen reader users and violates WCAG 2.1 success criterion 1.4.2.
8. Missing Language Attribute
Your site needs the correct language set in the HTML. Go to Settings > General and make sure "Site Language" is set correctly. WordPress handles the lang attribute automatically based on this setting, but I've seen sites where it's set to the wrong language or left as default.
9. Inaccessible Theme
This is the biggest one. Some WordPress themes are fundamentally inaccessible. Go to Appearance > Themes and check if your theme has the "Accessibility Ready" tag. If not, consider switching. The WordPress theme directory lets you filter by "Accessibility Ready" -- these themes have passed a basic accessibility review. Twenty Twenty-Four and Twenty Twenty-Five are solid accessible defaults.
10. Missing Skip Navigation Link
Users who navigate by keyboard need a "skip to content" link to bypass the navigation menu on every page. Most "Accessibility Ready" themes include this. If yours doesn't, install the WP Accessibility plugin by Joe Dolson. It adds skip navigation links and fixes several other common issues without any code changes.
What Comes Next
After fixing these 10 issues, run a quick automated scan with axe DevTools or WAVE (both free browser extensions) to catch anything else. Automated tools catch about 30-40% of accessibility issues. For the rest, you'll need manual testing -- but these 10 fixes will get you past the most common problems that affect accessible wordpress sites.
The key is to start. Don't wait until your site is "ready" for an audit. Fix what you can today, and improve incrementally.
If you're working on accessibility compliance, I put together a free 10-point EAA quick-check: Get the free checklist
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