Theme check
Is Timestream accessible?
No automated check can say that a theme is accessible. Here is what one found: on October 26, 2026, our check of Timestream 1.0.1 on its WordPress.org preview found 17 accessibility problems in the theme's own parts (its header, menus, footer and layout), 17 of them serious or critical.
We make Fixlight, a free WordPress plugin that fixes some of these problems, so we're not neutral. The measurements below are what our check found; anyone can repeat it with the same method.
What the check found
| Problem | Impact | Times | WCAG | Free Fixlight plugin fixes it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buttons with no text | Critical | 1 | 4.1.2 | Yes |
| Text with too little contrast | Serious | 14 | 1.4.3 | No, needs a person |
| Hidden elements that keyboard users can still reach | Serious | 1 | Best practice | No, needs a person |
| Lists with the wrong kind of items | Serious | 1 | Best practice | No, needs a person |
How we checked: One page, the theme's home page on WordPress.org's preview (wp-themes.com), which shows the same sample posts for every theme. It was loaded in a real browser and checked with axe-core's WCAG 2.2 A and AA rules and its best practices. Problems inside the sample posts are not counted against the theme, except colour problems its styling causes. Automated checks find many problems, but not all of them. Your site, with your own content, settings and plugins, will give different results. Timestream may have changed since October 26, 2026.
How to fix them
- Buttons with no text. Fixlight names common icon buttons automatically. For the rest, add an aria-label that says what the button does.
- Text with too little contrast. Make the text darker or the background lighter until the contrast ratio is at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text). Change it in your theme's colour settings so it applies everywhere.
- Hidden elements that keyboard users can still reach. Something marked aria-hidden contains links or buttons. Remove aria-hidden, or make those items unfocusable.
- Lists with the wrong kind of items. A <ul> or <ol> should contain only <li> items.
What the free Fixlight plugin does here
Of these, the free plugin fixes buttons with no text on its own, in the HTML the site sends, with no widget. The rest (text with too little contrast, hidden elements that keyboard users can still reach, lists with the wrong kind of items) need a change in the theme's settings or code.
About Timestream
- By Automattic, 500+ active installs on WordPress.org (number 186 by installs when we checked).
- Version checked: 1.0.1. Preview: wp-themes.com/timestream/.
- Theme author? If you've fixed these, write to fixlight@fernwaylabs.com and we'll check again.