22 Most Effective WordPress Accessibility Plug-Ins

WordPress — it’s one of the most powerful website platforms in the world. What you might not know about the popular platform is that, by default, it’s not automatically accessible. Out of the box, many themes and plugins fall short of meeting established accessibility standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which create barriers for users with disabilities.

If you’re looking to enhance the accessibility of your WordPress site, here’s the good news: You don’t have to start from scratch.

In this guide, we’ll cover the most effective WordPress accessibility plugins available — tools that can help you identify issues, enhance usability, and align your site with accessibility best practices. Whether you’re managing your own site or working on behalf of clients, these plugins are a solid foundation for making accessibility easier and bringing your site closer to compliance. 

What Does an Accessible WordPress Website Look Like?

Put simply, an accessible WordPress website works for everyone — including individuals who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, keyboard navigation, or voice commands to browse the web. It means your content can be understood, navigated, and interacted with, regardless of a person’s abilities.

The challenge is that many popular WordPress themes, even premium ones, aren’t fully accessible out of the box. These might include low-contrast color schemes, missing heading structures, or interactive elements that can’t be used without a mouse. These gaps can create serious usability issues — and they’re more common than most business owners realize. 

To understand what accessibility really involves, it’s helpful to start with a few core concepts:

Four Principles of Accessible Design

WCAG accessibility standards are built on four key principles. According to WCAG, content should be:

• Perceivable: Users must be able to perceive the information being presented. This includes providing text alternatives (or alt text) for non-text content and ensuring content can be presented in different ways (like with assistive tech).

• Operable: All website elements must be usable via different input methods. This means navigation should be keyboard-accessible and content shouldn’t have time limits or triggers that disorient users. 

• Understandable: Content and interface behavior should be predictable and easy to follow. Labels should be clear, forms should include instructions, and the layout should be consistent.

• Robust: The site should work across a wide range of devices and assistive technologies, ensuring future compatibility as tools evolve.

WCAG and Conformance

WCAG guidelines (more specifically, WCAG 2.1) are the international standard for digital accessibility. They’re organized into three conformance levels:

• Level A: The minimum level of accessibility (basic requirements).

• Level AA: The recommended level for most websites and the most commonly required in legal contexts.

• Level AAA: The highest standard, typically reserved for specific use cases where maximum accessibility is needed.

Level AA conformance is the best target for most WordPress sites to meet accessibility expectations and compliance requirements. Implementing Level AAA criteria, though not required, is encouraged where possible to further accessibility for users. 

ADA Compliance

A final part of understanding WordPress accessibility is knowing how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) fits into WCAG guidelines.

In the U.S., the ADA has been interpreted to apply to digital spaces. While the law doesn’t specifically reference WCAG, courts and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have consistently pointed to WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the standard for ADA compliance.

Bottom line: if you’re working on a WordPress site and want to reduce your exposure to lawsuits and meet ADA requirements for WordPress sites — or simply to create a better user experience — meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA is a solid benchmark to follow.

Bulleted list with the pros and cons of WordPress plugins.

WordPress Plugins: Pros and Cons

Once you understand what accessibility requires, it’s natural to look for efficient ways to close the gap — and for many WordPress site owners, plugins are the first place to start. There’s a wide range of accessibility-focused software and tools available that can help address common issues, streamline improvements, and support WCAG conformance.

That said, it’s important to understand what some WordPress plugins can and can’t do. They’re a helpful part of the solution — but they’re not a substitute for a fully accessible design and development approach. 

With that in mind, let’s look at the pros and cons of WordPress accessibility plugins:

Pros

• Cost-efficient: Many accessibility plugins have a free version or low-cost option, especially compared to custom development work or full accessibility audits.

• Easy to install: Most plugins can be added in just a few clicks from the WordPress Plugin Directory or via a third-party provider, with minimal setup required. 

• Reliable for common issues: The best plugins address known problems like missing alt attributes, a lack of skip links, or inaccessible forms, making them a smart option for quick wins.

• A good starting point: For site owners who are early in their accessibility journey, WordPress plugins offer a manageable entry point to begin improving usability and addressing basic WCAG criteria. 

• Ongoing updates and support: Reputable plugins are maintained regularly to reflect new standards and browser compatibility, which helps keep your site aligned with evolving accessibility practices. 

• Extend site functionality: Some plugins add useful features — like screen reader enhancements or visible focus indicators — that might not be present in your WordPress theme or builder tools.

Cons

• Not comprehensive: Plugins can’t fix everything. Many accessibility issues — like poorly structured HTML, incorrect heading levels, or confusing navigation — require hands-on testing. 

• No guarantee of compliance: Even with plugins installed, your site might still fall short of meeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA or ADA requirements. Plugins can support compliance, but they don’t guarantee it. 

• Plug-in conflicts and compatibility issues: Because accessibility plugins rely on your theme and other plugins being properly coded, if they aren’t accessible or up to date, functionality may break, cause conflicts, or make your site less accessible.

• Can create a false sense of security: Some site owners assume that installing a plug-in means their site is “taken care of.” In reality, accessibility is ongoing and involves design decisions, content strategy, and regular accessibility testing.

• Performance impact: Like all plugins, accessibility tools can increase your site’s load time if not optimized properly, especially if you’re running multiple accessibility or UI enhancement plugins.

The bottom line: Accessibility plugins can enhance your WordPress site, but they work best as part of a broader accessibility strategy. Think of them as tools that support your efforts, not replace them.

Stylized web browser with a single puzzle piece with the accessibility symbol on it; the WordPress logo is in the top right-hand corner and a gear shift with the accessibility symbol is in the bottom left-hand corner.

22 Top WordPress Accessibility Plugins

With dozens of WordPress accessibility plugins available, knowing which one is a good starting point for enhancing accessibility can feel overwhelming. Below, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most effective options — ranging from free tools that handle quick fixes to more robust solutions designed for enterprise-level accessibility support. 

1.AudioEye

AudioEye’s Web Accessibility plugin for WordPress enables you to easily create accessible WordPress sites. We do so by taking a three-pronged approach to accessibility, combining automation, human-assisted AI technology, and testing during the development process to help you detect and fix accessibility issues. AudioEye’s platform can automatically detect 32 WCAG criteria — more than any other tool on the market — making it easy to meet WCAG conformance standards. Plus, with Automated Fixes, common accessibility issues are fixed automatically, streamlining your path to a more accessible, compliant WordPress site.

Best for: Organizations looking for an affordable, scalable solution that combines automated and expert testing to achieve industry-leading compliance with accessibility standards.

2. WP ADA Compliance Check Basic

This plugin scans your WordPress content for accessibility issues, such as missing image alt text, improper heading structures, and empty links. WP ADA Compliance Check Basic provides a detailed report of problems, helping site owners identify and address common WCAG and Section 508 issues.

Best for: Site managers who want a simple way to audit pages for accessibility gaps during content creation.

3. WP Accessibility

WP Accessibility adds a set of front-end accessibility fixes for common theme-based issues — like enabling skip links, adding language and text direction attributes, allowing resizing, and more. It doesn’t require code changes, making it useful for non-developers working with less accessible WordPress themes.

Best for: Teams that publish regularly and want built-in tools to help maintain accessible content workflows.

4. Max Access WordPress Plugin

This plugin adds a customizable toolbar to the front end of your website, offering features like font resizing, high-contrast mode, and grayscale filters. Max Access helps users with visual impairments adjust the site to meet their needs, providing them with a personalized browsing experience.

Best for: Improving the user experience by offering flexible display and accessibility options for visitors with low vision or cognitive disabilities.

5. Accessibility Checker

Accessibility Checker integrates directly into the WordPress block and classic editors to run automated accessibility scans in real time. It highlights potential issues in posts and pages as you write, with explanations and guidance tailored for content creators and editors. The plugin also features 10 automated fixes to resolve common accessibility issues. 

Best for: Teams that publish regularly and want built-in tools to help maintain accessible content workflows.

6. ADA Tray

This plugin places an accessibility icon on your site that opens a menu of usability tools, such as screen reader support, text spacing, and dyslexia-friendly fonts. ADA Tray® helps your WordPress website comply with accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.1, the ADA, and Section 508 without recoding. Automatic updates also help keep your website content compliant.

Best for: Offering on-page customization options for users, especially when paired with other accessibility efforts on the back end.

7. XCompliant

A plugin focused on automating accessibility across WordPress sites, XCompliant uses AI to provide an accessible browsing experience for users, increasing compliance with WCAG, EAA, ADA, and Section 508. Some features include an AI-powered screen reader and keyboard adjustments, customizable UI and design, and ongoing accessibility monitoring.

Best for: Organizations looking for a lightweight way to introduce accessibility features without complex setup.

8. AllAccessible

AllAccessible provides an overlay menu with a wide range of tools for users — such as contrast toggles, text size controls, and keyboard navigation aids — while also integrating some scanning functionality. The paid version of AllAccessible includes additional features for users to customize their browsing experience and bring their content closer to compliance with WCAG, Section 508, and the ADA.

Best for: Teams looking for a fast-deploying, front-end experience layer to support usability for users with various disabilities. 

9. EqualWeb

EqualWeb is an AI-powered solution and online remediation widget to help improve WordPress accessibility. It includes options like text resizing, keyboard navigation, and screen reader enhancements to provide users with a personalized browsing experience. The plugin also features real-time accessibility monitoring for ADA compliance and WCAG 2.1 conformance.

Best for: Site owners looking for a fast, user-friendly way to offer front-end accessibility tools without deep code changes.

10. EquallyAI

EquallyAI’s plugin scans your site for accessibility gaps and provides a suite of AI-driven tools to help close them. It focuses on automation and compliance tracking, with a dashboard that highlights issues based on WCAG standards as well as accessibility laws like the ADA, EAA, and Section 508. 

Best for: Businesses looking for real-time accessibility insights and automation to support ongoing improvement.

11. WP Accessibility Helper (WAH)

This plugin provides a rich set of front-end accessibility tools, like contrast toggles, font resizing, and content highlighting. WAH also addresses backend issues such as missing alt attributes, font size, poor color contrast, and improper heading structures.

Best for: Organizations that want both user-facing tools and basic backend fixes without switching themes. 

12. All in One Accessibility

All in One Accessibility is an AI-based tool that helps enhances your site’s accessibility and usability. The plugin includes more than 70 features to give users a customizable experience, including content and color adjustments, orientation changes, skip links, and more. This helps bring your content closer to WCAG, ADA, Section 508, the EAA, and more compliance.

Best for: Teams wanting a single plugin that offers usability enhancements and technical improvements.

13. Accessibility Enabler

This plugin enhances site usability with a user-facing toolbar that allows visitors to customize their browsing experience. Accessibility Enabler includes more than 30 accessibility tools that users can apply to any page to make consuming and navigating digital content easy. 

Best for: Sites looking to empower visitors with a range of visual and navigational aids.

14. Accessibly

Accessibly is a WordPress plugin that enhances accessibility for all users. The plugin is designed with ADA and WCAG standards in mind and includes features such as text modification, customizable spacing and cursor size, and color contrast adjustments. This enables users to personalize their experience based on their specific needs. It’s easy to install and provides lightweight improvements to the user experience with minimal setup.

Best for: Small businesses or simple blogs seeking to add accessibility controls without extensive configuration. 

15. Fix Alt Text

This plugin automatically scans your media library and helps you find images missing alternative text (or alt text). It can even require users to insert alt text as images are used throughout your site, ensuring every image includes alt text. Fix Alt Text then suggests or inserts alt text to improve screen reader support and SEO. Additional features include inline editing, toggle features, find keyword usage, and issue detection.

Best for: Content-heavy websites that need help staying on top of alt text across hundreds of images. 

16. ImageComply

ImageComply specializes in image accessibility. It checks for missing or inadequate alt text (similar to Fix Alt Text) and flags decorative images that need proper markup. Some versions offer automated tagging with AI support, saving time and resources. 

Best for: Visual-first sites that rely heavily on imagery and want stronger alignment with WCAG image requirements.

17. Contact Form 7

While not explicitly built for accessibility, Contact Form 7 is often favored for its clean, semantic HTML. With proper configuration, it supports accessible form labeling, keyboard navigation, and ARIA attributes. 

Best for: Developers looking for a flexible, accessible form plugin with broad theme compatibility.

18. Ally

Ally is a WordPress accessibility plugin that enhances usability and brings web content into alignment with WCAG guidelines. The plugin features custom accessibility controls and provides an auto-generated Accessibility Statement, helping website owners make their WordPress content more accessible. Some of its top features include color selection, icon customization, skip links, and accessibility statement generation. 

Best for: Site owners seeking a straightforward, user-focused accessibility solution that integrates seamlessly with WordPress.

19. WP Dark Mode

Though not strictly an accessibility plugin, WP Dark Mode helps reduce eye strain by automatically enabling a dark color scheme based on user preferences or device settings. This darker setting can be beneficial for users with low vision or cognitive disabilities as it can improve readability for these users. 

Best for: Sites catering to users with visual sensitivity or those who prefer dark mode for readability.

20. Better ARIA Label Support

This plugin improves accessibility by auto-generating ARIA labels for common WordPress elements like menus, widgets, and buttons (which are part of WCAG guidelines). Better ARIA Label Support ensures screen readers provide better context and navigation cues, improving the experience of assistive technology users.

Best for: Developers seeking to improve assistive tech compatibility without manually adding ARIA roles site-wide.

21. Zeno Font Resizer

Zeno Font Resizer adds a simple font resizing widget to your site, allowing users to adjust text size dynamically without zooming the entire page. The plugin uses JavaScript and jQuery to set the font size, which saves settings in a cookie, so users see the same font size when they revisit your site. Resizing text without losing functionality helps website owners fulfill WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.4: Resize Text, which requires text to be resized to 200% without losing functionality. 

Best for: Content-focused sites that want to offer user-controlled readability without altering design.

22. Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker

Equalize Digital Accessibility Checker helps you find and fix accessibility problems as you’re creating content without leaving WordPress. The plugin scans your posts and pages every time you save or publish and shows errors and warnings directly, so you can fix issues in real time. It also features automated checks against WCAG and highlights violations and automated fixes for those issues. The plugin includes helpful documentation for every issue, giving you a better understanding of what the violation is and how to fix it.

Best for: Teams that want a ‘prevention-first’ approach to accessibility during content creation.

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Don’t Stop at Plugins — Accessibility Requires a Bigger Strategy

One important thing to call out: WordPress accessibility plugins aren’t useless. They can go a long way in helping you get started. They’re quick to install, easy to manage, and can help address some of the more visible accessibility issues — like poor color contrast, missing alt text, and poor keyboard navigation. But relying on them as a standalone solution to meeting accessibility requirements can give a false sense of compliance.

The truth is: Most plugins offer surface-level fixes. They may visually cover up issues or help users navigate around problems, but they don’t address the underlying code or design decisions that are at the heart of digital accessibility. In many cases, plugins can leave core accessibility issues untouched — and that puts your organization at risk of legal action and significantly impacts the user experience. 

Build Accessibility into Your WordPress Site with AudioEye

Here’s the bottom line: WordPress plugins aren’t useless. They can play a valuable role in your creating an accessible website — so long as they’re part of a broader, more intentional accessibility strategy. The most reliable, sustainable way to ensure your WordPress website is truly inclusive is to build accessibility into your foundation from the start. That means designing and developing with accessibility in mind from the start — not just adding it in after the fact.

At AudioEye, we provide all the tools and guidance needed to create a truly accessible WordPress site — far beyond what a single plugin can offer. With our three-pronged approach to accessibility that combines automation, human-assisted AI technology, and testing during the development process, AudioEye helps you detect and fix accessibility issues at scale. This results in industry-leading compliance with accessibility standards in half the time and at half the cost. Plus, with AudioEye Assurance, you’ll enjoy a level of legal protection up to 400% more effective than consulting or automation-only approaches. 

Ready to get started? Scan your WordPress site with our free Website Accessibility Checker to see how accessible your existing site is.

Want to see how AudioEye works? Schedule a demo and see how you can build a WordPress experience that works for everyone.