Accessibility guides for online stores
Plain-English guides to accessibility laws and fixes for small Shopify and WooCommerce stores. General information, not legal advice.
Laws and requirements
What the EAA, ADA and AODA mean for small online stores.
European Accessibility Act (EAA) for online stores: what small shops need to know
Does the European Accessibility Act apply to your online store? Who is covered, the microenterprise exemption, what "accessible" means in practice, and a practical checklist.
ADA website accessibility for online stores: a plain-English guide for small sellers
How the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to e-commerce websites, what the lawsuit data shows, which standard to aim for, and practical first steps for Shopify and WooCommerce stores.
AODA website requirements for Ontario online stores (WCAG 2.0 AA)
Who must make their website accessible under Ontario's AODA, the 50-employee and 20-employee thresholds, the WCAG 2.0 AA requirement, the December 31, 2026 compliance report, and a practical checklist.
EAA requirements for Shopify stores: what applies to you and what to do
What the European Accessibility Act means for Shopify merchants: who is exempt, what Shopify covers and what you control, which standard to aim for, the accessibility information you need to publish, and a Shopify-specific checklist.
How to write an accessibility statement for your online store (with template)
What an accessibility statement is, why online stores publish one (including the EAA's information requirement), what to include, an honest template you can adapt, and where to add it in Shopify and WooCommerce.
Test your store
How to check a store for accessibility issues, with free tools and checklists.
Shopify accessibility checker: how to test your store for free (and what scanners miss)
How to check a Shopify store for accessibility problems with free tools (ClearAisle free check, WAVE, Lighthouse, axe, Accessibility Insights), which pages to test, a 10-minute manual check, and how to read the results.
WCAG 2.2 AA checklist for online stores: page by page
A practical WCAG 2.2 Level AA checklist for e-commerce, organised by page type: header and navigation, home, collection, product, cart, forms, pop-ups and the new WCAG 2.2 criteria. With success criterion numbers.
Fix common issues
Step-by-step fixes for Shopify and WooCommerce.
Shopify accessibility fixes: the 10 most common issues and how to fix them
Step-by-step fixes for the accessibility problems we see most on Shopify stores: alt text, contrast, icon buttons, form labels, headings, sliders and apps. Where to click in the Shopify admin.
WooCommerce accessibility fixes: a practical checklist for WordPress stores
How to fix the most common accessibility issues on WooCommerce stores: alt text in the Media Library, theme colours, icon links, form plugins, page builders and checkout.
How to add alt text in Shopify: products, banners, collections and bulk CSV
Step-by-step: add or edit alt text on Shopify product images, theme banners and files, use the media editor's suggested alt text safely, update alt text in bulk with a product CSV, and write alt text that helps shoppers.
Colour contrast in Shopify themes: how to find and fix low-contrast text
The contrast ratios your Shopify store needs (4.5:1 and 3:1), where low contrast usually hides (sale badges, compare-at prices, buttons, text on banners), how to measure it, and how to fix it in Theme settings > Colors.
WooCommerce accessibility plugins vs an audit: what each one actually does
Toolbar widgets, fixer plugins, checker plugins and audits compared for WooCommerce stores: what each does, what it can't do, and a sensible low-cost setup for a small WordPress shop.
Shopify “ADA compliance” apps: what accessibility widgets do and don't do
What accessibility overlay widgets on the Shopify App Store actually do, what the FTC and lawsuit data say about them, how they differ from scanner apps, and what to do instead to make your store accessible.