Accessibility is not just a compliance box. It is a growth lever for Shopify stores that want better conversion, bigger organic reach, and lower legal risk. The audience is larger than many teams realize. As the World Health Organization notes in its disability fact sheet, an estimated 1.3 billion people, roughly 16 percent of the global population, live with a significant disability, which is one in six of us (according to the World Health Organization’s Disability and Health overview at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health).
The web is still falling short. The 2025 WebAIM Million found that 94.8 percent of home pages had detectable WCAG failures and an average of 51 errors per page, while shopping sites were among the worst performing categories at 71.2 errors on average (as reported in The WebAIM Million 2025 report at https://webaim.org/projects/million/). Lawsuits are a real cost center too. In 2024 there were more than 4,000 ADA digital accessibility lawsuits, and eCommerce accounted for 77 percent of them, with many repeat filings against the same companies, according to UsableNet’s 2024 year-end analysis (see the UsableNet 2024 Digital Accessibility Lawsuit Report at https://blog.usablenet.com/2024-digital-accessibility-lawsuit-report-relased-insights-for-2025).
If you build on Shopify, the opportunity is to turn accessibility into brand reach, trust, and measurable performance. The platform encourages this direction. Shopify’s own theme guidance frames specific best practices for keyboard support, structure, media, forms, and contrast to serve merchants and customers inclusively (see Shopify’s Accessibility best practices for themes at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility). Shopify also set explicit theme store requirements and testing expectations for accessibility to ship accessible defaults out of the box (as outlined in Shopify’s Theme Store accessibility requirements article at https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/theme-store-accessibility-requirements).
What changed in WCAG 2.2 and why it matters for online stores
WCAG 2.2 introduced nine new success criteria, focusing heavily on usability for keyboard and mobile users. The standard was finalized in October 2023 and includes important additions that are especially relevant to retail UI patterns, such as sticky headers, carousels, filters, account flows, and small touch targets (see W3C’s What’s New in WCAG 2.2 overview at https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/).
Key highlights for Shopify teams:
Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11 AA and 2.4.12 AAA): Elements that receive keyboard focus must be at least partially visible, and ideally fully visible. Sticky headers and promo bars often hide focused content, so navigation, cart drawers, and modals need careful handling (explained in W3C’s Focus Not Obscured criteria at https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/).
Focus Appearance (2.4.13 AAA): Focus indicators must be large enough and have sufficient contrast, which helps older adults and low-vision users find their place on a page (defined in the Focus Appearance criterion at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-appearance.html).
Dragging Movements (2.5.7 AA): Any interaction that relies on drag must have a simple click alternative. This applies to sliders, sort and filter UIs, and product media controls (see W3C’s Dragging Movements page at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/dragging-movements).
Target Size Minimum (2.5.8 AA): Tap and click targets must be at least 24 by 24 CSS pixels, or meet spacing alternatives. This pairs well with Shopify’s own guidance to size critical touch targets to at least 44 by 44 pixels for ease of use on mobile (compare W3C’s Target Size Minimum at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/target-size-minimum.html with Shopify’s touch target recommendations at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#touch-screen-and-mobile-devices).
Consistent Help (3.2.6 A) and Redundant Entry (3.3.7 A): Place support options consistently and avoid asking customers to retype information in the same process. Both impact checkout conversion and account flows (described in W3C’s Consistent Help and Redundant Entry criteria at https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/).
Accessible Authentication (3.3.7 and 3.3.8): Avoid cognitive function tests during sign in and allow password managers and paste so customers do not have to memorize or transcribe complex codes (covered in W3C’s Accessible Authentication criteria at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/accessible-authentication-minimum and https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/accessible-authentication-enhanced).
Shopify implementation blueprint for WCAG 2.2 AA
The winning pattern is to combine semantic HTML, purposeful ARIA, and theme-level UX decisions that make the default storefront usable by keyboard and touch. The following priorities align to high-impact WCAG 2.2 items and Shopify’s guidance.
1) Keyboard and focus that never gets lost
Start with the basics in Shopify templates and snippets:
Make skip links work. Include a visually hidden Skip to content link that becomes visible on focus and targets a main landmark. Shopify explicitly recommends that main content containers accept focus with tabindex="-1" so the skip link lands correctly (as detailed in Shopify’s page structure and skip link advice at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#global).
Keep focus on screen. If you use sticky headers, promo bars, or sticky add to cart, ensure focused elements are not hidden behind them to satisfy Focus Not Obscured (the W3C explanation of this requirement is at https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/).
Make focus visible. Do not remove the focus ring. If you style focus states, meet the contrast expectations and provide enough size to pass Focus Appearance where feasible (Shopify offers examples and guidance on focus styling at https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/theme-store-accessibility-requirements and W3C defines Focus Appearance at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/focus-appearance.html).
Trap focus in overlays. When modals or cart drawers open, move focus into them and return focus to the trigger when closed. Support Esc for closing and Space or Enter for opening, as recommended by Shopify’s dynamic components best practices (see Shopify’s modals and drawers guidance at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#drawers-and-modals).
2) Input modalities and tap target sizing
Provide a non-drag option. For carousels, product image zoom, or any drag-only control, add click buttons for previous and next to satisfy Dragging Movements (the W3C rationale and examples are at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/dragging-movements).
Enlarge primary tap targets. Use padding to ensure at least 44 by 44 pixels for core controls like add to cart, search, hamburger menus, close buttons, and variant swatches, as Shopify advises (see Shopify’s touch target best practice at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#touch-screen-and-mobile-devices). Also respect the WCAG 2.2 minimum of 24 by 24 CSS pixels or spacing alternatives (see W3C’s Target Size Minimum at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/target-size-minimum.html).
3) Predictable help and frictionless forms
Place help consistently. If you offer chat, phone, or self-serve help links, position them in the same place on every page variation to meet Consistent Help (W3C’s criterion overview is at https://www.w3.org/WAI/standards-guidelines/wcag/new-in-22/).
Do not force re-entry. Auto-populate fields already provided in the same process to satisfy Redundant Entry. In Shopify, this often means preserving values across step changes in custom checkouts, account profiles, and returns flows.
Label every input. Shopify stresses that input elements must have programmatic labels using label with for, aria-label, or aria-labelledby, and that placeholder does not replace a label (Shopify’s form guidance is at https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/theme-store-accessibility-requirements and https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#forms).
Announce errors politely. Associate error text with inputs via aria-describedby, use clear messaging, and prefer inline errors announced via aria-live regions so screen readers hear changes (as shown in Shopify’s error handling guidance at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#form-errors).
Support authentication without puzzles. Allow paste and password managers during sign in and avoid mandatory visual CAPTCHAs to align with Accessible Authentication (see W3C’s minimum guidance at https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG22/Understanding/accessible-authentication-minimum).
4) Content, media, and semantics that boost UX and SEO
Write real alt text. Google’s Image SEO documentation states that alt text is the most important attribute for providing metadata about an image and helps images appear in Google Images (see Image SEO Best Practices from Google Search Central at https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/google-images). Shopify recommends outputting product.image.alt everywhere a product image appears, not just a product title in the alt attribute (Shopify’s examples are at https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/theme-store-accessibility-requirements and its images guidance at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#images-and-icons).
Caption video and avoid autoplay with sound. Shopify’s media guidance prioritizes captions, transcripts, and user control to reduce motion sensitivity and cognitive load (the media section is at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#media).
Use semantic structure. Headings and landmarks are navigation anchors for screen reader users. In WebAIM’s latest Screen Reader User Survey, 71.6 percent said they find information first by navigating headings, making correct heading levels and a single H1 per page critical for comprehension and speed (see the WebAIM Screen Reader User Survey #10 findings at https://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey10/). Shopify advises proper heading order, nav elements, and the main landmark (see page structure guidance at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#page-structure).
Keep link text meaningful. Avoid “Learn more” and “Click here” without context. Ambiguous link text is a top frustration in screen reader research and appears frequently in automated audits, as summarized in WebAIM’s reports (see The WebAIM Million 2025 analysis at https://webaim.org/projects/million/).
Use ARIA sparingly and correctly. WebAIM observed that pages using ARIA had over twice as many detectable errors on average, often due to misapplied roles and attributes. Favor native HTML controls and add ARIA only when needed for accessible names and state (the ARIA trend and error correlation are documented in The WebAIM Million at https://webaim.org/projects/million/).
5) QA workflows that catch issues before launch
Automate checks in CI. Shopify provides a Lighthouse CI GitHub Action that uploads theme code to a benchmark shop and measures accessibility, enabling you to enforce score thresholds in pull requests (outlined in Shopify’s accessibility testing section at https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#accessibility-testing).
Use multiple tools. Pair automated checks in Lighthouse, WAVE, and Accessibility Insights with manual keyboard testing. Verify focus order, skip links, modal focus, and Esc handling. Then run quick smoke tests in a screen reader like VoiceOver or NVDA focused on the critical path from homepage to checkout (as recommended in Shopify’s testing guidance at https://www.shopify.com/partners/blog/theme-store-accessibility-requirements and https://shopify.dev/docs/storefronts/themes/best-practices/accessibility#keyboard-and-gesture-controls).
Compliance landscape and risk reduction
In the United States, the Department of Justice finalized a rule in 2024 that requires state and local government web content and mobile apps to meet WCAG 2.1 AA within set timelines under Title II of the ADA (see the DOJ’s fact sheet on the new rule at https://www.ada.gov/resources/2024-03-08-web-rule/ and the Federal Register entry at https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/24/2024-07758/nondiscrimination-on-the-basis-of-disability-accessibility-of-web-information-and-services-of-state). While private sector eCommerce falls under Title III case law rather than that rule, enforcement trends show steady plaintiff activity, particularly in New York and California. UsableNet’s analysis notes that more than 4,000 digital accessibility lawsuits were filed in 2024 and that eCommerce was the leading target category at 77 percent (see UsableNet’s 2024 report summary at https://blog.usablenet.com/2024-digital-accessibility-lawsuit-report-relased-insights-for-2025).
Teams should also be mindful of international requirements. The European Accessibility Act came into effect in 2025 and covers consumer-facing digital services, including eCommerce, pushing many global brands to align with WCAG 2.1 AA baselines as a practical route to conformance (a high-level industry overview of the EAA’s eCommerce implications is available from Siteimprove at https://www.siteimprove.com/blog/european-accessibility-act-e-commerce/).
A note on overlays. Lawsuit data indicates that accessibility widgets and overlays do not shield organizations from litigation and do not resolve underlying issues. UsableNet reports that over 1,000 businesses were sued in 2024 despite deploying widgets, more than 25 percent of all cases, which underscores the need for code-level fixes rather than cosmetic layers (see the widget finding in UsableNet’s 2024 report at https://blog.usablenet.com/2024-digital-accessibility-lawsuit-report-relased-insights-for-2025).
Accessibility and SEO are natural allies
Google does not have a single accessibility ranking system, but many accessible practices reinforce search performance. Google’s Page Experience guidance frames how a good experience can impact ranking, while not being a standalone system to game (explained in Google’s Page Experience documentation at https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/page-experience). Practical overlaps include descriptive alt text that improves image discovery in Google Images, semantic headings that strengthen content hierarchy, and clear link text that helps crawlers and users alike. Google’s own documentation emphasizes that alt text is the most important attribute for providing metadata about images for search (see Google’s Image SEO Best Practices at https://developers.google.com/search/docs/appearance/google-images).
Where to start on Shopify
Pick accessible defaults. Start with a high-quality theme and evaluate it against Shopify’s checklists and Lighthouse thresholds. If you are launching your first storefront, a modern platform like Shopify makes it straightforward to evolve toward WCAG conformance with strong theme and app ecosystems.
Focus on the critical path. Ensure the flow from homepage to product to cart to checkout works by keyboard, with visible focus, announced updates, and descriptive labels.
Write content that includes everyone. Alt text that sells the product, headings that mirror the story on the page, and link text that sets expectations will help every visitor.
Prove it with testing. Bake Lighthouse, WAVE, and accessibility smoke tests into your pre-launch routine and into CI.
How BoomSprint makes accessibility drive growth on Shopify
If you want a partner that treats accessibility as both a customer experience and an organic growth strategy, our team at BoomSprint has you covered. We deliver end-to-end Shopify websites through an accelerated, interactive model that aligns stakeholders before build. Our process blends UX wireframes and interactive prototypes, high-end design with tasteful animation, custom development with modular design systems, and performance-oriented SEO baked in from day one.
Accessibility built into the system. Our design systems and CMS modules are intentionally structured for headings, landmarks, alt text inputs, and error states. Clients get tailored video tutorials so they can edit content without breaking accessibility.
WCAG 2.2-aware Shopify builds. From Focus Not Obscured and Focus Appearance to Target Size Minimum and Redundant Entry, our storefront patterns are designed to pass modern checks and to be easy to maintain.
SEO as a core, not an add-on. We align accessible content and semantic markup with keyword intent, internal linking, and performance so UX, SEO, and accessibility lift together. Explore our approach to content and ranking in posts like How to write content that ranks on Google and The importance of content in driving website traffic.
Curious what a polished, conversion-focused Shopify site looks like with accessibility in mind? Browse some of our recent work like Space, Nova, Sonic, and Solar. If you prefer to understand deliverables and timeframes first, our services and pricing pages explain our five-step model and typical durations measured in weeks, not months.
If your team is ready to turn accessibility into measurable growth and a defensible compliance posture on Shopify, let’s collaborate. Reach out through our contact page, learn more about our ethos, or explore more insights on the blog. A website that is truly inclusive does not just pass audits. It converts more customers, ranks for more moments, and leaves a lasting impression.
