Royal Access – Accessibility Toolbar & WCAG Tools
Royal Access is a free WordPress accessibility plugin with a frontend toolbar, automatic WCAG code fixes, a contrast checker, and an accessibility statement generator — no account required, no external dependencies, no SaaS subscription.
Built for WCAG 2.2, ADA, Section 508, and European Accessibility Act (EAA) awareness. Includes a bundled dyslexia-friendly font (OpenDyslexic) that most accessibility plugins don’t offer.
Not an overlay. Royal Access does NOT reparse the DOM, does NOT interfere with screen readers, and does NOT inject AI-generated ARIA. It simply provides user controls that work WITH assistive technology.
Compatible With Any WordPress Setup
Royal Access works with any standards-compliant WordPress site — no integration or per-theme configuration required:
- Themes — Works with any block or classic theme.
- Page builders — Works with any page builder that outputs standard HTML.
- eCommerce and memberships — The toolbar appears on every public-facing page, including shop, cart, checkout, and member-restricted pages.
- Caching plugins — Compatible with any caching plugin. User preferences are stored client-side in localStorage so cached pages render correctly for every visitor.
- Compliance awareness — Built with WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 (Level A and AA), ADA, Section 508, the European Accessibility Act (EAA), AODA (Ontario), and the UK Equality Act 2010 in mind.
Frontend Accessibility Toolbar
A small floating button that opens a panel with 14 accessibility controls:
- Font Size — Scale text up or down (5 levels)
- High Contrast — Black background with white/yellow text
- Dark Mode — Dark background with light text
- Dyslexia Font — OpenDyslexic font for easier reading
- Line Height — Increase line spacing for readability
- Letter Spacing — Increase letter spacing
- Word Spacing — Increase word spacing
- Highlight Links — Underline and outline all links
- Big Cursor — Larger mouse cursor
- Stop Animations — Disable all animations and transitions
- Hide Images — Dim images for distraction-free reading
- Monochrome — Convert page to greyscale
- Reading Guide — Horizontal highlight bar follows mouse
- Highlight Focus — Extra-visible focus indicators
- Reset All — Return to defaults
All user preferences are saved in the browser (localStorage) and persist across page loads — no cookies, no server calls, fully GDPR-friendly.
Automatic Code-Level Fixes
Applied server-side via WordPress hooks — no user action needed:
- Skip-to-Content Link — Keyboard-accessible link to skip navigation
- Focus Indicators — Consistent :focus-visible outlines on all elements
- Viewport Zoom Fix — Removes user-scalable=no so users can pinch-to-zoom
- Read More Context — Adds post title to «Read more» links for screen readers
Admin Tools
- Accessibility Checklist — 8-item checklist showing which accessibility features are active
- Contrast Checker — Verify your colors meet WCAG AA/AAA standards
- Statement Generator — Generate a starting-point accessibility statement template (WCAG 2.1, 2.2, or EAA) — must be reviewed and customized before publishing
- Per-Feature Controls — Enable/disable any toolbar feature individually
Why Royal Access?
- 100% free — Every feature, no upsells, no locked Pro tier
- No account required — Install and activate, that’s it
- No external dependencies — All assets are local, no CDN calls
- Lightweight — Under 60KB total frontend assets
- Privacy-first — No cookies, no tracking, localStorage only
- WCAG-aware — Built with WCAG 2.2 guidelines in mind (does not guarantee compliance)
- EAA-aware — Helps address some European Accessibility Act requirements
- Not an overlay — Works WITH screen readers, not against them
- Keyboard navigable — The toolbar itself is fully keyboard-accessible
- Translation-ready — All strings are internationalized
Who Is This For?
- Small business owners who need basic accessibility improvements without hiring a consultant
- Freelancers and agencies building client sites that need an accessibility toolbar out of the box
- Non-profits and government sites working toward Section 508 or ADA requirements
- WooCommerce store owners wanting to make their shop more inclusive
- Bloggers and publishers who want readers to adjust font size, contrast, and spacing
- Anyone avoiding overlays — if you’ve read the Overlay Fact Sheet and want a tool that works WITH assistive technology instead of against it
