It may come as a shock, but the number of Americans with disabilities is skyrocketing. Each month, 14 million people receive a disability check from the government. That’s a staggering number.
You’ll often see that retailers—(hello, Walmart and Amazon!)—prioritize the needs of consumers with disabilities. Their physical stores are designed with wide entrances, curb ramps, and large-print signage that make shopping easier for everyone.
While retail businesses are improving accessibility in their stores, e-commerce businesses are still falling short.
For those living with disabilities, websites that aren’t accessible make it challenging for them to access information and shop for products or services. That is why improving web accessibility is no longer optional for e-commerce businesses; it’s a must.
Here, we’ll share a few tips that will help you improve the web accessibility of your e-commerce business.
Website accessibility wasn’t a big deal for businesses a few years ago. But, on April 24, 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) released the final rule for website accessibility.
The new DOJ rule targets state and local governments under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But its implications ripple into the private sector, including online retailers.
Here’s why: accessibility lawsuits are on the rise. Businesses without accessible websites risk facing legal challenges under ADA Title III, which applies to public accommodations, including e-commerce.
Thousands of website accessibility lawsuits are filed every year. The year 2022 was a record-setting year, as 3,255 suits were filed. That was a 12% increase from 2021. The number of filings dropped by 14% to 2,794 in 2023—still, it was significant.
It’s not just about compliance, however. A growing number of people are living with disabilities. An estimated 61 million adults are living with a disability in the U.S.
A focus on website accessibility will open the door to a massive market segment for you, which will boost sales and customer loyalty.
Here are some practical, beginner-friendly tips to make your site accessible to everyone:
Colors that lack sufficient contrast can be difficult to discern for some users. Not just those with disabilities, but many people without one also struggle to read with low-contrast color pairings.
The fix is simple: choose colors that stand out from each other. A dark navy font on a white or light gray background? Perfect. Bright yellow text on a white background? Not so much.
A contrast-checking tool can be handy. The College of Health and Human Sciences advises using it to check color combinations for suitable contrast levels.
Don’t forget the links. Underline them or make them bold in addition to changing the color. This way, people who are colorblind won’t miss them.
One of the four principles of accessibility is operable.
What this means is that the interface must not require any interaction your visitors can’t perform, explains the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
Your menu must be easy to find and navigate. Good navigation, Hocoos explains, can help visitors find the desired information on your website more efficiently.
Use clear labels on your website. Instead of something vague like ‘Explore,’ go for ‘Shop’ or ‘Contact Us.’ People should know exactly where a link will take them.
Equally important is consistency. If the cart button is on the top-right corner of your homepage, it should stay there everywhere else.
Your menus should be keyboard-friendly. Multi-level or dropdown menus should work seamlessly with a Tab key. That way, users who rely on keyboards or assistive devices can easily move through your site.
If your website’s navigation needs a major overhaul, don’t stress yourself out by doing it manually.
Relaunch your website with an AI-powered website builder instead. These tools can generate accessible layouts, so your navigation will be intuitive and user-friendly.
Many AI-powered builders incorporate accessibility best practices by default, saving you from guesswork. They can generate keyboard-friendly menus, maintain consistent design elements, and optimize your site structure to meet accessibility standards.
What’s more? Your site will be ready in as few as five minutes. So, you will not only save your precious time, but also make sure your site is more inclusive and compliant with WCAG guidelines.
Alternative text, or alt-text, is a brief description of graphics and images.
Why does it matter? For someone using a screen reader, the alt text is what tells them what the image is about. Without it, they would be left guessing. And in e-commerce, that could mean missing out on details about your products.
As a bonus, it is beneficial for SEO. Alt-text helps search engines understand the content of an image, so they can index it correctly and potentially rank your website higher in image search results.
Digital Accessibility Services by Harvard University advises keeping text short—about one to two sentences. It further advises not to describe every little detail. Just sticking to the key elements of the images would be enough. Refrain from saying ‘picture of’ or ‘image of;’ do say if it’s an illustration, logo, or cartoon.
There you have it—three tips that will help you make your e-commerce site more accessible. Not only will you be doing the right thing ethically, but you’ll also tap into a broader audience and create a better shopping experience for everyone. Isn’t that a win-win?
