Wix Accessibility – How to Make Your Website Accessible

Over 8 million live websites currently use Wix, making it one of the most popular website builders alongside platforms like WordPress and Squarespace.

As more businesses rely on Wix to build their online presence, ensuring these websites are accessible to everyone becomes increasingly important.

In this guide, we cover how accessible Wix is, the tools it provides to help you build an accessible site, and the steps you can take to make your Wix website accessible.

How Accessible Is a Wix Website Out of the Box?

The accessibility of your Wix website depends largely on the template you choose, the apps you install, and how you structure your content.

Wix claims that the platform’s underlying code is designed to be as accessible as possible. And it includes several built-in features intended to improve usability for people with disabilities. A list of these features is available on the Wix accessibility page.

To name a few:

Full keyboard functionality to allow users to navigate the website without a mouse. Automatic DOM order to ensure screen readers read content in a logical sequence. A “Skip to Main Content” link that lets users jump directly to the main content without navigating through menus.

These built-in features help support accessibility at the platform level. However, the overall accessibility of a website still depends on how you design the site, structure the content, and implement accessibility best practices throughout the website.

What Are the Best Accessible Wix Templates?

The template you choose plays a major role in the accessibility of your Wix website.

Because templates control key parts of a website, such as layout, navigation, color contrast, and interactive elements. If these elements are not designed with accessibility in mind, they can create barriers for people with disabilities.

Wix provides a collection of templates designed with accessibility-friendly design patterns. These templates are meant to help create websites that are easier to navigate for people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, or other assistive technologies.

Some examples of accessibility-friendly Wix templates include:

• Karate School (Focused)
• Bakery (Eclectic)
• Restoration Fund (Empower)
• Roofing Company (Bold)
• Online Aromatherapy Supply Store (Soft)
• Audit Accountant (Graphic)

These templates use clear layouts, readable typography, and structured sections that can make navigation easier for users of assistive technologies. You can explore more accessible templates on the Wix accessible templates page.

While these templates provide a solid accessibility foundation, the final accessibility of your website still depends on how the content and design are implemented.

Can Wix Accessibility Apps Make Your Website Accessible?

The Wix App Market includes several third-party apps that claim to improve accessibility and make your website compliant with WCAG, ADA, EAA, and other accessibility laws.

Most of these tools work as overlays that sit on top of the website interface. They modify how the page looks or behaves for users, such as adjusting colors, text size, or contrast. However, they do not fix accessibility issues in the underlying code and structure of the website.

In short, Wix accessibility apps cannot make a website truly accessible.

This is reinforced by the fact that many websites using overlays still face accessibility lawsuits. Reports show that around 30% of accessibility lawsuits in 2023 involved websites that already had overlays installed, indicating these tools do not protect you from legal action.

Wix Accessibility Wizard Helps

One of Wix’s most useful accessibility tools is the Accessibility Wizard, which helps site owners identify and fix common accessibility issues directly from the editor. You can access it in the Wix Editor by going to Settings → Accessibility Wizard.

This makes it easier for site owners to understand where accessibility problems might exist and take action. The tool also guides users through fixes and improvements, helping them make their website more usable for people who rely on assistive technologies.

However, the tool has its limitations.

Like all automated accessibility testing tools, the Accessibility Wizard cannot detect every accessibility issue. Some problems still require manual testing and review to ensure the website is fully accessible and compliant with accessibility standards.

How to Make Your Wix Website Accessible

To make your Wix website accessible, start with an accessibility-friendly template. Run the Accessibility Wizard and fix all flagged issues. Perform a manual audit, follow accessibility best practices when adding content, and monitor your site regularly.

Here are the key steps to make a Wix website accessible:

1. Start with an accessibility-friendly template.
2. Add accessible content.
3. Run the Wix Accessibility Wizard.
4. Set the language of your website.
5. Run the Wix Accessibility Wizard.
6. Check the DOM order of page elements.
7. Perform manual accessibility testing.
8. Publish an accessibility statement.
9. Monitor accessibility over time.

Let’s go over each of these steps in detail.

Step 1: Start with an accessibility-friendly template

The first step is to choose a template designed with accessibility-friendly design patterns.

Wix offers a collection of accessible templates that include clearer layouts, readable typography, and structured page sections.

To find them:

1. Go to Wix Templates.
2. Navigate to the Accessible Templates category.
3. Select a template that fits your website’s needs.

If you already have a Wix website, review your current template to ensure it supports accessible layouts and navigation. In many cases, accessibility issues can be improved by adjusting the site’s structure, design, and content. If the template itself creates major accessibility barriers, you may consider switching to an accessibility-friendly template.

Step 2: Add accessible content

When creating content for your Wix website, follow accessibility best practices so people using assistive technologies can understand and navigate your pages easily.

This includes:

• Use a logical heading structure: Organize headings in order of importance. Use H1 for the main page title, followed by H2 for major sections, and H3 for subsections. Avoid skipping levels (for example, going from H1 directly to H4).
• Write descriptive link text: Avoid vague links like “click here” or “read more.” Instead, describe the destination clearly, such as “Download the accessibility checklist.”
• Add alt text to images: Alt text provides a short description of an image so people who cannot see it can understand the information or purpose it conveys.
• Provide captions or transcripts for media: Add captions for videos and transcripts for audio so users with hearing impairments can access the content.

Step 3: Run the Wix Accessibility Wizard

Use the Wix Accessibility Wizard to scan your website and identify common accessibility issues.

To run it:

1. Open your site in the Wix Editor.
2. Click Settings.
3. Select Accessibility Wizard.
4. Click Scan My Site.

The wizard checks your site for problems such as missing alt text, incorrect heading structure, color contrast issues, and missing language settings.

After reviewing and fixing the detected issues, go through the Manual Tasks section as well. These tasks provide guidance for accessibility improvements that automated tools cannot detect, such as reviewing link clarity, navigation usability, and overall page structure.

You should run the Accessibility Wizard before publishing new pages and after making major updates to your site to catch new accessibility issues early.

Step 4: Set the language of your website (via wizard)

Screen readers rely on the language setting of a website to correctly pronounce text and interpret the content. If no language is defined, they may use the wrong pronunciation rules, making the content harder to understand.

To set the language in Wix:

1. Open the Accessibility Wizard.
2. Select Set Site Language.
3. Choose the correct language for your website.

If parts of your page contain text in a different language, mark that section using the HTML lang attribute so that assistive technologies can switch pronunciation correctly.

Step 5: Check the DOM order of page elements (via wizard)

The DOM order determines how screen readers read the content on a page and how users navigate elements using the keyboard. If it does not match the visual layout, the reading and navigation order can become confusing.

To check the DOM order in Wix:

1. Open the Accessibility Wizard.
2. Select Organize DOM Order.
3. Review the element order on the page.
4. Adjust the order if needed.

This helps maintain a logical reading sequence.

Step 6: Perform manual accessibility testing

Automated tools cannot detect every accessibility issue. Even after addressing the Detected Issues and reviewing the Manual Tasks in the Accessibility Wizard, there may still be accessibility barriers that require human review.

For example, proper manual testing is needed to identify issues such as whether dynamic content updates are properly announced to screen readers or whether forms provide clear instructions, error messages, and feedback that users can easily understand and correct.

Manual accessibility testing helps identify issues related to usability, content clarity, and real user interaction. You can perform this testing yourself or hire an accessibility professional to conduct a more thorough evaluation of your website.

If you plan to do it yourself, refer to our guide on how to perform manual accessibility testing.

Step 7: Publish an accessibility statement

An accessibility statement explains your website’s commitment to accessibility and provides users with a way to report accessibility issues.

It typically includes:

• The accessibility standards your website aims to follow.
• Known accessibility limitations.
• Steps you are taking to improve accessibility.
• Contact method for reporting accessibility problems.

Writing an accessibility statement manually can take time, especially if you are unsure what to include. Tools like the WebYes Accessibility Statement Generator can help you create a clear and compliant accessibility statement in minutes.

Once you have created an accessibility statement, you can publish it by:

1. Creating a new page on your website
2. Adding your accessibility statement content
3. Linking the page from the website footer

After publishing it, make sure the accessibility statement is kept up to date. As you fix issues, add new features, or find new accessibility limitations, update the statement so it reflects the current accessibility status of your website.

Step 8: Monitor accessibility over time

Accessibility is not a one-time task. As your website evolves and new content is added, accessibility issues can appear.

To maintain accessibility, you should regularly:

• Run the Wix Accessibility Wizard.
• Review new content before publishing.
• Test the site with keyboard navigation.
• Check pages with screen readers.

You can also use accessibility monitoring tools to scan your website at a set frequency and detect issues automatically. For example, WebYes Accessibility scans your site at your chosen interval and alerts you when new accessibility issues appear.

This helps ensure your website stays accessible and compliant as it grows.

Wrapping Up

Wix provides several built-in tools that can help improve website accessibility, including accessibility-friendly templates, the Accessibility Wizard, and structured editing features. These tools can make it easier to identify and fix common accessibility issues.

However, accessibility is not something that can be achieved with a single tool or one-time fix. It requires thoughtful design, accessible code and content, and ongoing monitoring to ensure the website remains usable for everyone.

By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can significantly improve the accessibility of your Wix website and create a better experience for users of all abilities.