Why Accessibility Matters for Your Shopify Store

Accessibility is a crucial aspect of e-commerce, ensuring that all users—including those with disabilities—can navigate, understand, and purchase from your store. With over 1 billion people worldwide living with a disability, neglecting accessibility means missing out on a significant customer base.

Beyond inclusivity, web accessibility is also a legal requirement in many regions (e.g., ADA in the US, EAA in the EU, WCAG guidelines globally).

How Accessible is Shopify Out of the Box?

Shopify provides a good foundation for accessibility, but full compliance with WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) requires additional tweaks. Here’s what Shopify does well and where improvements are needed:

✅ Shopify’s Strengths:

• Many Shopify themes are designed with accessibility in mind.
• Automatic alt text support for product images.
• Shopify’s checkout process is mostly accessible out of the box.
• Apps available for extra accessibility enhancements.

❌ Challenges:

• Some Shopify themes have low contrast ratios, making text hard to read.
• Keyboard navigation isn’t always seamless.
• Forms and buttons may lack ARIA labels, making them difficult for screen readers.

5 Steps to Improve Shopify Accessibility

1. Choose an Accessible Theme
Opt for a Shopify theme with accessibility in mind. Test themes for keyboard navigation, colour contrast, and screen reader compatibility before installing.

2. Improve Contrast and Font Readability
Use a contrast checker (like WebAIM) to ensure text is readable against the background. Also, use legible font sizes (16px or larger).

3. Use Descriptive Alt Text for Images
Shopify allows you to add alt text for all product images. This helps visually impaired users understand what’s being displayed.

4. Enable Keyboard Navigation
Ensure your store can be fully navigated without a mouse. Test your store by using the “Tab” key to move through buttons, forms, and menus.

5. Use an Accessibility App
Shopify’s App Store includes tools like:

• Accessibility Enabler – Adds WCAG-compliant features.
• Accessibly – Provides an accessibility widget.

Final Thoughts

Making your Shopify store accessible isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating a better shopping experience for everyone. By optimising accessibility, you increase conversions, improve SEO, and expand your customer reach.

Want to check if your Shopify store is accessible? Use a free accessibility audit tool like WAVE or Silktide to get started!