ACHI
SYSTEMS
Font Size & Contrast Controls – User‑adjustable display settings have become essential tools for inclusive digital experiences, especially on websites and web applications. These plugins expose simple UI toggles that let users increase or decrease text size, invert or switch to high‑contrast color schemes, and sometimes even pause animations or simplify layouts. For readers with low vision, dyslexia, or temporary situational impairments (glare, small screens, fatigue), such controls dramatically improve readability and reduce cognitive load without forcing a one‑size‑fits‑all design. Thoughtfully implemented, they also help sites meet accessibility standards such as WCAG and strengthen SEO and user engagement by keeping visitors on page longer.
Below is a compact table listing ten widely used and recommended font‑size and contrast control tools, followed by a short write‑up for each, with the plugin name as a numbered subheading and linked to its download source.
Key font‑size & contrast control plugins
1. Ally – Web Accessibility & Usability – WordPress plugin
Ally (formerly One Click Accessibility) provides a floating widget that lets visitors resize text, switch to high‑contrast or dark modes, hide images, and control animations. It is designed for WordPress creators who want an out‑of‑the‑box accessibility toolbar rather than hand‑coding custom controls, and it also includes an accessibility assistant that scans pages and suggests fixes.
2. Text Size Adjust – WordPress plugin
Text Size Adjust focuses purely on global text resizing, offering seven predefined sizes (XXS to XXL) configurable separately for desktop and mobile breakpoints. The plugin integrates directly into the WordPress block editor and theme settings so visitors see a consistent text‑size toggle across the site without heavy JavaScript.
3. Accessibility Widget – One Click Accessibility (WordPress)
This widget adds a toolbar that exposes several accessibility options, including font‑size adjustment and contrast toggles, alongside screen‑reader‑friendly navigation aids. It is often recommended for small‑to‑medium WordPress sites that want to quickly add compliance‑adjacent controls without complex theming changes.
4. WP ADA Compliance Check Basic (WordPress)
WP ADA Compliance Check Basic is primarily a scanner that flags accessibility issues, including problematic contrast and text structures. While it does not itself provide user‑adjustable font or contrast sliders, it steers developers toward implementing or choosing plugins that add those controls, making it a useful companion for sites building their own font‑size tools.
5. Accessibility Button for jQuery (font size & contrast)
This jQuery plugin generates “accessibility buttons” that let users increment or decrement font size and toggle page contrast with a single click. It is ideal for non‑WordPress sites or custom‑coded applications where a lightweight, dependency‑minimal solution is preferred over a full‑featured widget.
6. Accessibility Widget – AllAccessible (general web)
AllAccessible’s widget is a JavaScript‑based tray that can be added to any site to expose font‑size and contrast controls. It is designed to help developers follow WCAG‑aligned best practices for implementing accessible font‑size tools, including clear labels, keyboard navigation, and persistent user preferences.
7. WP Typography (WordPress)
WP Typography focuses on typographic refinement, adding granular font‑size and style settings for themes and blocks. While it is not a visitor‑facing “font‑size slider” per se, it gives developers the building blocks to create consistent, accessible typography that pairs well with user‑adjustable controls from other plugins.
8. Advanced Editor Tools (WordPress)
Advanced Editor Tools extends the classic WordPress editor with richer typography controls, including more font‑size options and style variants. Designers can use it to define scalable styles that later integrate smoothly with end‑user‑facing font‑resizing plugins, ensuring that changes look coherent regardless of the selected size.
9. Text Contrast Checker (APCA WCAG 3) – Figma plugin
In the design phase, the Text Contrast Checker plugin evaluates text‑to‑background contrast using the newer APCA model and shows how different font sizes and weights affect readability. Designers can then adjust colors and type scales so that the final implementation of font‑size and contrast controls on the live site actually improves accessibility rather than just shifting poor contrast.
10. Accessibility prototypes from Figma Community (color‑contrast tools)
The Figma Community hosts a wide range of accessibility plugins that validate color contrast, simulate color‑vision deficiencies, and generate accessible color palettes. Together with typography tools, these help UX teams prototype interfaces where font‑size and contrast controls are already baked into the underlying design system, ensuring that user‑adjustable settings are meaningful and effective.
