While website platforms like Shopify provide options to improve the accessibility of your website, using this platform does not mean your Shopify website is automatically ADA compliant or fully accessible. A website is as unique as a fingerprint. Even though multiple sites may use the same Shopify template at their foundation, their content will be entirely different. For this reason, it’s imperative you ensure that your specific images have proper alternative text, your brand color contrast meets WCAG standards, your specific content heading structure is properly established, and more. And the reality is, most platforms are simply not designed to enable you to avoid every accessibility error or to access their template code to make modifications. This is why adding the AudioEye technology to your Shopify website will do substantially more to ensure its accessibility, without having to access the source code, protecting you and providing a certification of your ADA/WCAG compliance.

There are a multitude of online resources that enable you to quickly evaluate the level of compliance when it comes to your Shopify website accessibility.  Accessibilitytest.org is a site we created that aggregates your 0-100 accessibility “score” from not only AudioEye’s comprehensive testing tool, but also Wave, axe and HTML_CodeSniffer. By simply entering your URL, you’ll be given an accessibility score for each of the tools. It’s important to note that with the dynamic nature of website content, you’ll likely never have, or sustain, a 100-percent accessible site. However, even one error may pose a barrier for an individual with a disability, so it’s important to know what those errors are and where they exist.

You can also use built-in features like VoiceOver on your Mac or iPhone. VoiceOver is similar to a screen reader assistive technology. If you enable the feature and listen to the way in which your website is “read” to you, it will quickly indicate whether you have accessibility errors.  

The beauty of AudioEye is that our next-generation hybrid approach leverages the best of AI and machine learning with certified human expertise to quickly resolve errors, certifying your Shopify website accessibility from day one of installation.

When it comes to your Shopify website accessibility, the rule of law can be confusing. While there are legal mandates that most certainly require website accessibility for certain entities, government organizations for example, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) does not specifically mention website accessibility for private industries. This omission has taken the battle to U.S. Federal Courts. By the thousands, plaintiffs have sued businesses for inaccessible online content, and overwhelmingly, Courts are ruling in favor of accessibility (this trend is particularly prominent within the retail/e-commerce industry). Essentially, Courts are interpreting that the ADA’s commitment to end disability discrimination absolutely applies to websites. Risk of non-compliance may cost a company tens of thousands of dollars in legal battles, not to mention consume a great deal of time and costly overhead.

An ADA compliant Shopify website not only significantly reduces your risk of a potentially costly and time-consuming legal battle, it unlocks your digital content for the one billion consumers worldwide who are living with a disability. What do we mean by “unlocks your content?” Think about someone who is blind and reliant upon on a screen reader assistive technology to communicate your web content to them. If, for example, your headings aren’t structured in a way that enables the screen reader to “read” them the information in the correct order, the content makes no logical sense. They’re essentially locked out of navigating the content, leading them to bounce to your competitor. Forms are another example: if your online payment model isn’t accessible, that same consumer who is blind won’t be able to easily provide their contact and payment information in your form fields. This means they can’t shop—and pay for—your products or services.

And the potential loss in revenue is staggering. It is estimated that individuals with disabilities, and their friends and family, represent upwards of eight trillion dollars in expendable income. Further, consumers of all abilities are drawn to brands that are more inclusive, and demonstrating a commitment to an equitable online experience more positively positions your brand to the general consumer base.

With AudioEye, website accessibility and ADA compliance on your Shopify website are as easy as one, two, three. One: create an AudioEye account and pick your plan. Two: install onto your Shopify website the snippet of code we provide (we give you step-by-step instructions). And three: our technology immediately begins finding and fixing the most common WCAG errors (read more about How It Works). You’re certified from day one of installation, and, with an accessible experience, you’ve broadened your consumer base to millions more customers. Every plan starts with a free trial. Get started today.