Accessibility faq

Why is accessibility important?

To be mindful of the needs and abilities of others

When building themes with accessibility in mind, think about the needs of others and how to make the customer's experience as enjoyable as possible. We suggest watching at least one of Molly Burkes YouTube videos to see how accessibility can affect people.

To ensure that the greatest number of customers can shop

While building a store on Shopify, a lot of effort is placed on building a great store, optimizing it for SEO, and marketing it to reach as many people as possible. If you don’t build with accessibility as a consideration, you exclude a portion of the buyer population. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 15% of people worldwide live with a form of disability.

To avoid legal action

Historically, one of the most potent levers of change in the fight for web accessibility has been litigation. Though there are no web accessibility ‘police officers’ scouring the web for non-compliance, customers may decide to consider legal action if they feel that they're not receiving the same service as others. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide guidelines on accessible web content requirements. 

Note: For the purposes of this document, we will only be covering themes. However, there are other considerations to make when reviewing your online accessibility including emails, general web content, marketing campaigns, and other customer-facing content.

 

Accessibility on Shopify 

When you customize your theme, it’s a good idea to make design and content choices that help keep your online store accessible. An accessible website is designed so that it can be used by everyone, including people with disabilities. Accessibility for your online store is essential to providing an inclusive experience for your customers.

Shopify doesn't offer ADA/WCAG compliance on a platform level, as accessibility compliance comes down to each specific theme and its configurations. While we do build our themes with accessibility in mind, we cannot guarantee the compliance of themes. 

Accessibility apps

There are many apps on the Shopify App Store that you can use to add accessibility functionalities to your site. 

We also suggest using one of the WAVE Accessibility Browser Plugins to evaluate your site for potential problems and warnings.

Please note that these apps do not guarantee compliance. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of you as a merchant to ensure your shop complies with the applicable laws and regulations in your jurisdiction and the jurisdiction of your customers.

 

Get help with accessibility

Shopify Plus has put together some insightful blog content and help documents to guide you on getting your site accessibility compliant. You can find more information in the following pages:

• Accessibility for Themes - Help Document
• Developing Shopify Themes with Accessibility in Mind
• Various Blog Posts Covering Accessibility - Shopify Partners

While these resources provide some great recommendations, some of the specific actions you can take may require you to be familiar with Accessibility testing, HTML/CSS, and Shopify theme code (Liquid). 

If your team doesn’t have a background in accessibility, or you’d prefer to hire professional help in this area, Shopify Plus has multiple Partners who specialize in accessibility compliance. These Partners have the expertise to help you design and build accessible themes and provide accessibility audits to ensure that your site is compliant with the latest standards. Even for well-practiced developers who are comfortable with accessibility requirements, ensuring you have a certificate of compliance from a third-party can help protect against legal action.