Accessible WordPress Themes: How Accessible Are They Really?

Every day, more than 500 new websites are created using WordPress. The content management system controls 60.8% of the internet publishing market, and 40% of all online websites were built using this tried and tested platform.

Considering as many as 1 in 4 American adults have some form of disability, working towards providing equal access for these individuals is a really simple way to grow your audience. Luckily, some designers and developers are starting to pay more attention to web accessibility, and WordPress theme design is beginning to benefit from this.

It’s important to remember that most WordPress themes are probably not accessible straight out of the box. If you’re using a custom-designed theme or want a theme that’s isn’t listed below, you can still make your website accessible through the use of our WordPress accessibility plug-in.

13 Accessible WordPress Theme Reviews:

We took 13 popular, and ‘accessible’ WordPress themes found online and ran them through our aCe accessibility checker; below, you will find those results and an overview of each.

Theme Name: Angelica
Theme Creator:WebMan Design
Theme Website: themedemos.webmandesign.eu/angelica/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: $80.00

The Angelica theme is a great option for an accessibility-ready design template for customizing online shops. This theme truly shines when put to the categorization test of presenting a pitch-perfect modern bookstore, though we believe this is a great design for many different eCommerce shops. Deliver a responsive and adaptive online shopping experience for all your visitors with this stylish theme available for an $80 license fee.

See the full aCe results for Angelica

Theme Name: Cindy
Theme Creator: WebMan Design
Theme Website: themedemos.webmandesign.eu/cindy/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: $80.00

Cindy was purpose-built to make local government websites that educate and inform while being accessible to all citizens. If you’re looking for a great way to improve your non-governmental organization, non-profit, or government website, consider checking out this great theme available for an $80 license fee. Cindy is a versatile theme that can work well for private individuals, municipal authorities, and any organization looking to present itself professionally and information-rich.

See the full aCe results for Cindy

Check out Cindy to get a great-looking site as soon as you install it, easy to work with a professional site design theme that uses WordPress’ native Gutenberg drag and drop template.

Theme Name: Period
Theme Creator: Compete Themes
Theme Website: period.competethemes.com/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: FREE

This free and responsive theme has earned the coveted “accessibility-ready” tag from WordPress due to its menu, which is fully keyboard accessible, contrast levels for text kept well above the required 4.5:1 ratio. This theme fulfills WCAG 2.0 AA standards out-of-box, and though it’s up to the publisher to ensure that the content they place inside Period continues to be accessible, this theme makes it easy to accomplish that. Period is available as a free download.

See the full aCe results for Period

Check out Period to use a basic but high-contrast accessibility theme that easily makes your blog content look professional.

Theme Name: Polyclinic
Theme Creator: WebMan Design
Theme Website: themedemos.webmandesign.eu/polyclinic/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: $80.00

Are you looking to make a medical service provider website accessibility-ready? Polyclinic is quickly becoming a very popular choice for all the right reasons. Many organizations count on Polyclinic because it provides a great framework for designing a very well-laid out and easy to navigate medical website. This template uses the Beaver builder site design tool to create a very informative destination for your healthcare brand. Polyclinic is available for a $60 license fee.

See the full aCe results for Polyclinic

Check out Polyclinic to bring your medical organization’s website up-to-date with a highly customizable theme that was built with your industry and patients in mind.

Theme Name: Founder
Theme Creator: Compete Themes
Theme Website: founder.competethemes.com
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: FREE

Are you ready to impress your site visitors with a classy and minimalist design template? Founder is a great minimalist theme that’s perfect for any website that features an online portfolio or blog. Founder is very simple and easy to install and operate. Though this theme lacks certain advanced features, it supports many WordPress plug-ins, making it a tool that plays well with the other components of your site. Founder is available for download free of charge.

See the full aCe results for Founder

Check out Founder to invigorate your visitors with a stylish and modern blog theme that’s accessibility-ready and features Google’s multilingual font, Noto Sans, to look stunning in 100’s different languages.

Theme Name: Morning
Theme Creator: Compete Themes
Theme Website: morning.competethemes.com/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: FREE

Morning is an APEX theme that’s known for being highly accessible to users of all ability levels. This theme is a great choice if you combine a stunning combination of pictures and text across your website. Both Morning and APEX are fully accessible themes that make it much easier to comply with ADA/WCAG standards. Use this theme to take your personal or organization’s blog to the next level.

See the full aCe results for Morning

Check out Morning to provide a minimalist learning blog that showcases your original content in an engaging and activating way.

Theme Name: Björk
Theme Creator: WebMan Design
Theme Website: themedemos.webmandesign.eu/bjork/
aCe Compliance Result: Compliant
Theme Cost: $80.00

Searching for a premium business portfolio theme that will allow your brand or company to reach new heights? Björk is a great accessibility-ready theme that’s available for an $80 license fee. This modern layout template is great for a professional site and will also stun as a WooCommerce empowered online shop.

See the full aCe results for Björk

Check out Björk to unleash a powerful and highly customizable WP accessibility theme that presents your products and services in a beautifully appealing way.

Theme Name: Icelander
Theme Creator: WebMan Design
Theme Website: themedemos.webmandesign.eu/icelander/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: $60.00

Icelander is a business-focused premium WordPress theme that makes it much easier for your company to roll out accessible services across your site. This theme is also integrated with WooCommerce if you would like to have an online store built into your site. We love that this theme includes a wealth of useful documentation and help tools that make it easy to deploy this great-looking design framework. This theme is available for a $60 license fee.

See the full aCe results for Icelander

Check out Icelander if you’re looking for a premium business portfolio layout that will highlight your professional abilities in a visually appealing way.

Theme Name: Muse
Theme Creator: FORQY
Theme Website: demo.forqy.website/?theme=muse
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: $59.00

Are you searching for a high-quality design template that was designed for creative professionals? Muse was originally designed for musicians but could easily be customized to serve as a digital calling card for a wide variety of creative-leaning personal sites and company pages. This theme is available for a $59 license fee.

See the full aCe results for Muse

Check out Muse to offer your fans an accessibility-friendly site for your creative project or organization.

Theme Name: Eimear
Theme Creator: WebMan Design
Theme Website: themedemos.webmandesign.eu/eimear/
aCe Compliance Result: Compliant
Theme Cost: $60.00

The Eimear theme was designed specifically for eCommerce sites looking to be more accessible for their customers. This theme incorporates thumbnail sizing and numerous product layout options to help you showcase your content in style. All of these elements and layouts are fully accessible following the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines. This theme is a great option for providing a minimalist style theme that showcases your products and services stylishly. Eimear is available for a $60 license fee.

See the full aCe results for Eimear

Check out Eimear to set up a visually appealing online shop or portfolio for your growing online organization.

Theme Name: Salmon
Theme Creator: FORQY
Theme Website: salmon.forqy.website/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: $59.00

Are you looking for a premium accessibility theme for restaurants, cafes, bars, and other food and beverage businesses? Salmon is available for a $59 license fee and has quickly become one of the best options for food and drink companies. Salmon is ready to use right after downloading and does not require special coding or design skills.

See the full aCe results for Salmon

Check out Salmon to upgrade your food or drink company website to have a very responsive and highly customizable accessibility-friendly layout.

Theme Name: TownPress
Theme Creator: LVSR Themes
Theme Website: preview.lsvr.sk/townpress/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi-compliant
Theme Cost: $80.00

Nonprofit organizations, educational websites, and governmental sites look stunning when designed using the TownPress theme. This plug-in is a great choice if you have a lot of information to share with your customers and you want to present it in the most accessible way possible. This snazzy professional theme for organizations can be purchased for an $80 license fee.

See the full aCe results for TownPress

Check out TownPress for a detailed and professional small government or non-profit organization website.

Theme Name: Monument Valley
Theme Creator: WebMan Design
Theme Website: webmandesign.eu/portfolio/monument-valley-wordpress-theme/
aCe Compliance Result: Semi compliant
Theme Cost: $60.00

Monument Valley is an extremely popular accessible WordPress theme that was designed for business portfolio sites. This theme also provides full integration with WooComerce making it a great choice for online shops. Take your business to the next level with this amazing WordPress accessibility-ready theme. This theme is available for a one-time license fee of $60.

See the full aCe results for Monument Valley

Check out Monument Valley to launch an eye-catching business portfolio or WooCommerce online shop.

It’s time to make the web and your WordPress site accessible

The business case for improving web accessibility on WordPress is very easy to understand. Every day, potential customers find their way to your website, and when they’re successfully qualified, they complete purchases.

However, when individuals access your site but cannot complete their purchases due to accessibility issues, your website leaves points on the board and fails to capture as many sales as possible. It should also be noted that many of the above themes are for blogs or personal sites. For professional business sites or eCommerce websites, a solution like accessiBe might be your best option.

Make this your most successful year yet by ensuring that all your customers have equal access to your website. Start a free trial today and take advantage of the world’s leading A.I.-powered automated suite for web accessibility.

*Disclaimer: This article is purely for educational purposes only and has no partnerships or affiliate relationships with any of the themes or creators mentioned.