E-Commerce Accessibility: How to Optimize Online Stores for All Users

E-commerce brands invest heavily in product photography, SEO, and digital advertising, but too often customers abandon their carts before completing a purchase. One often-overlooked factor? Accessibility barriers.

According to PayPal, accessibility directly impacts conversion rates and customer satisfaction. If shoppers encounter forms that don’t work with assistive technology or page layouts that confuse keyboard users, they’re far more likely to abandon their carts. These aren’t edge cases — they’re friction points that affect millions of potential buyers.

Let’s explore practical, high-impact strategies to optimize your online store and help you improve the customer experience, reach untapped markets, and build stronger customer relationships.

Why E-Commerce Accessibility Matters More Than Ever

According to the World Health Organization (2023), over 1.3 billion people globally live with some form of disability. That’s a massive market segment that many online retailers unintentionally exclude. And this isn’t a niche audience — some research suggests that people with disabilities shop online more than twice as often as people who don’t, driven by the convenience and independence of digital access.

Collectively, this group controls an estimated $13 trillion in annual disposable income, according to the Return on Disability Group — representing both a moral imperative and a major business opportunity for e-commerce brands.

But beyond the business opportunity, accessibility is also a growing legal imperative. In the United States, the U.S. Department of Justice reaffirmed in 2022 that websites are considered places of public accommodation under the ADA.

While Title III applies to private businesses, Title II of the ADA extends accessibility requirements to state and local government agencies, which increasingly interact with the public through digital services and platforms. This is crucial for e-commerce companies supporting public contracts, education platforms, healthcare, and more.

In the European Union, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) is reshaping how businesses approach digital accessibility. After June 28, 2025, any business selling digital products, services, or content in the EU — including e-commerce platforms, mobile apps, ticketing systems, and e-books — will be required to comply.

This means retailers serving the EU market must ensure their websites, checkout processes, and customer support channels meet accessibility standards.

Failing to provide accessible experiences risks lawsuits, brand damage, and lost market share. Conversely, accessible design enhances SEO, improves mobile usability, and fosters loyal customer relationships.

Best Practices to Create an Accessible Online Store

Building an accessible online store starts with more than just meeting technical standards. You must design an intuitive, welcoming environment for every shopper. Here’s how to create a digital shopping experience that works for everyone, drives repeat visits, and supports sustainable growth.

Build Intuitive Navigation That Supports Every Shopper

The structure of your site directly affects whether users can navigate it confidently — or abandon it in confusion. For shoppers using screen readers or keyboard navigation, clarity is essential.

To support accessible navigation:

• Use semantic HTML and clear, descriptive headings to define page structure and aid screen reader interpretation.
• Design a logical page hierarchy that reflects how users think, not how your CMS organizes content.
• Label search bars clearly and ensure they’re always accessible across device types.
• Include skip links (“Skip to main content”) and breadcrumb trails to give users faster orientation and control.

A well-structured site improves usability for everyone, boosts SEO performance, and dramatically reduces the time it takes for users to find what they need — an essential driver of conversions.

Make Every Interaction Keyboard-Friendly and Assistive Tech-Compatible

Discoverability is just the first step. Users must also be able to interact with your site smoothly, especially without a mouse. Many users with disabilities navigate using keyboards or assistive technologies (AT) like screen readers. If key elements aren’t operable this way, the entire shopping experience breaks down.

To create accessible interactions:

• Ensure all interactive components — like dropdown menus, product sliders, and modals — can be fully navigated using only a keyboard. Use tab, shift+tab, enter, and esc to verify logical flow.
• Test your site with screen readers such as JAWS. Listen for clarity, focus order, and hidden barriers.
• Eliminate keyboard traps, where users can enter a modal or form field but cannot exit or continue navigation.

“It’s especially critical on e-commerce sites to let assistive technology users select product options like size and color,” says Ricky Onsman, Principal Technical Writer at TPGi. “Also ensure that product filters — like brand or price range — are fully keyboard accessible. These filters are often tucked into sidebars that can be hard to reach without a mouse.”</p.

Well-designed interaction patterns not only improve accessibility — they streamline mobile usability and support users who navigate quickly via keyboard shortcuts. When you make every interaction AT-friendly, you reduce friction, increase speed, and create more satisfying customer experiences across the board.

Make Product Images Accessible with Descriptive Alt Text

Visuals are central to e-commerce — but if you’re not providing meaningful alternative text (alt text), users who rely on screen readers are left behind.

For instance, JAWS now includes Picture Smart AI, a tool that can generate descriptions of images using artificial intelligence. Although it provides a fallback, this feature is no substitute for well-crafted, meaningful alt text that truly serves users.

Here’s why manual alt text still matters:

• AI-generated descriptions may miss context, marketing intent, or subtle product details — like sizing options, brand names, or tactile features.
• Custom alt text communicates value in a way AI can’t predict. For example, “Lightweight waterproof running jacket with reflective trim” is more helpful than a generic “jacket” label or auto-generated guess.

To get it right:

• Write concise, informative alt text that highlights key product traits users need to make decisions.
• Be specific and context aware. Think: “Men’s blue button-down shirt with white polka dots,” not just “shirt.”
• Avoid filler like “image of…” unless necessary to clarify.
• Don’t rely solely on AI or visual recognition tools. Picture Smart should enhance — not replace — your accessibility efforts.

Thoughtful alt text empowers all users to shop confidently. It also enhances SEO, reduces support inquiries, and builds trust — because your site communicates with clarity, not guesswork.

Prioritize Visual Clarity with Contrast and Flexible Typography

If users can’t easily read your content, they can’t engage with your store — or make a purchase. Readability is a cornerstone of accessibility, especially for customers with low vision, color blindness, or cognitive disabilities.

But better typography also improves mobile experiences and drives conversions. Here’s how to get it right:

• Meet WCAG 2.2 contrast guidelines, which require a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for normal-sized body text and 3:1 for large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold).
• Use accessibility testing tools to test foreground and background color combinations. Like the Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA), which is a free desktop tool that provides visual simulations and pass/fail results for WCAG compliance.
• Avoid relying on color alone to convey information. Use labels, icons, or patterns to supplement meaning — for example, in error messages or product filters.
• Use legible fonts with clear letterforms, adequate spacing, and predictable shapes (e.g., avoid decorative or overly stylized typefaces).
• Enable zoom without breaking layout. Users must be able to resize text up to 200% without loss of functionality, as required by WCAG.

Bonus benefit: High-contrast, flexible typography improves mobile UX, where users face glare, small screens, and constant motion, making readability even more critical.

Accessible typography vastly reduces friction for every customer, on every screen, and creates a smoother path from homepage to checkout.

Make Checkout Forms Accessible — and Conversion-Friendly

The checkout experience is where interest turns into revenue, but it’s also where many users abandon the process, especially when forms are unclear or inaccessible. People using screen readers or keyboard navigation often face barriers like unlabeled fields, disappearing instructions, or poor error handling.

Here’s how to design forms that work for everyone — and increase conversions in the process:

• Use programmatically associated labels for every form field. Avoid relying on placeholder text as the only label — it disappears once users start typing and isn’t consistently read by screen readers.
• Provide clear, persistent instructions near the field — not buried in a tooltip or left to autofill.
• Surface error messages dynamically and visibly. Error text should appear inline and be announced by assistive tech, with links or focus that guide the user to fix the issue.
• Use ARIA attributes responsibly. Roles like aria-describedby and aria-invalid help screen readers interpret form behavior—especially error states—but avoid excessive ARIA that may cause conflicts or confusion.
• Deliver meaningful, user-specific feedback to screen reader users. For instance, JAWS Connect is a first-of-its-kind solution that delivers assistive technology user feedback directly to your organization, as they navigate your site. It’s a fast, practical way to surface form validation messages, confirmations, and updates — improving the user experience without adding friction.
• Avoid disabling autocomplete and password managers. People with disabilities often rely on these tools to reduce keystrokes and avoid input fatigue. Blocking them — often for ‘security reasons’ — creates unnecessary barriers.

When checkout forms are accessible, users move through the process with confidence. You’ll see fewer abandoned carts, better conversion rates, and stronger brand trust—all from an experience designed with real people in mind.

Accessibility Is a Continuous Commitment — Not a One-Time Fix

Making your e-commerce site accessible isn’t a box to check during a redesign. It’s a continuous practice that evolves with your users, your technology, and the regulations that govern digital experiences.

As technology advances and expectations shift, your digital experiences must adapt to stay both compliant and competitive.

Here’s how to make accessibility part of your long-term digital strategy:

Ground Your Design in Real-World Usability Testing

Nothing reveals accessibility gaps faster than observing real users. Involve people with disabilities in usability testing to uncover pain points that automated tools often miss — whether it’s confusion during checkout or friction in navigation. These insights drive practical design improvements that benefit all users, not just those with disabilities.

Combine Automated Testing with Expert-Led Audits

Automated testing can scale your efforts, but it can’t replace human judgment. That’s why pairing automated scans with manual testing by experienced accessibility professionals ensures full WCAG coverage, especially for complex components like custom widgets, modals, and dynamic content. Adopt a balanced, comprehensive approach that streamlines remediation and sets your team up for long-term success.

Monitor Accessibility Like You Monitor Performance

Accessibility can degrade over time. New content, code changes, or platform updates can unintentionally break what was once compliant. That’s why ongoing monitoring is essential — not just for compliance, but for protecting the user experience. TPGi’s ARC Monitoring helps you catch issues early, track trends over time, and maintain conformance at scale.

But technology is only one side of the equation. “Users are increasingly accustomed to being asked for feedback during or after a shopping experience,” Onsman adds. “Make it easy for them to share input, especially if they abandoned the purchase due to an accessibility issue. Whether the feedback is positive or negative, treat it as a usability signal: what’s working, and what’s not.”

When you listen to your users and monitor accessibility in real time, you can shift from reactive remediation to a proactive, scalable strategy — one that protects your brand, strengthens loyalty, and ensures that every customer interaction is equitable.

With support from TPGi, you can move from reactive remediation to a proactive, scalable accessibility strategy — one that protects your brand, boosts usability, and strengthens loyalty with every visit.

Ready to unlock the full potential of your e-commerce site? Schedule a consultation with TPGi and start building an accessible, high-performing online store for every customer.