An accessibility audit for every release
This page is for designers who maintain a theme. Accessibility regresses quietly: a new color, a new icon link without a name. A short audit per release catches it. How to design accessibly is explained in Accessibility basics for themes and Checklist: accessibility.
The routine
- Automated check with axe (browser extension or a headless run) on every page of your page list, at 1440 px, 960 px at 200% zoom, and 375 px, in light and dark mode. Target: no serious or critical issues.
- Keyboard walk: tab through the front page, an article and a form. Focus is always visible; nothing traps it.
- Zoom: at 200% the content reflows without horizontal scrolling (Testing at zoom levels).
- Contrast of new colors: text at least 4.5:1 (Color contrast).
- Names: every link and button has an accessible name, every image a suitable alt text.
Record and fix
| Record | Example |
|---|---|
| Date, theme version, tool and version | 2026-10-17, 0.1.5, axe |
| Pages and widths checked | 12 pages, 3 widths, light and dark |
| Findings by severity | 0 serious, 2 moderate |
| What was fixed | The footer links are 24 px high |
The cjw_themes_jumper 0.1.5 changelog is an example of reporting the result: it names the checks passed (contrast,
target size and link names, axe, WCAG 2.2 AA) and what was changed to pass them.
Related pages
- Visual regression checks
- Accessibility, security and compliance checklists
- Free documentation: this page is free to copy, translate and improve under the GNU FDL 1.3.
Become an Exponential Partner
Partners share their information, provide funding, contribute back and develop the products with us, and that is how Exponential grows. A partner website and dashboard are planned for mid-2027: please become a partner today to speed up our growth rate and land new features faster.