How we workHow do we make an existing store accessible?
01Define the scope
We bound the purchase path, customer account, forms and the editorially important pages. Not every landing page from 2021 has to be in the first pass.
02Manual testing
Operating the store by keyboard only, a run with a screen reader, checks on focus, zoom, magnification and mouse-free operation. Automated tests find only part of the problems.
03Prioritise findings
Anything that blocks buying goes first: variant picker, cart, forms, error messages. Navigation, filters and content pages follow.
04Fix in the theme
Semantics, labels, focus styles, contrast, status messages and keyboard operation of components. Changes run through preview themes and are re-tested individually.
05Settle third parties
For apps and widgets we assess alternatives, configuration or building it ourselves. Sometimes swapping an app is the shorter route than any repair.
06Document and hold
Record the level reached, set up a feedback route and add accessibility to the acceptance of new features. Otherwise the state is lost again after two campaigns.
FAQFrequently asked questions about accessibility on Shopify
What exactly does the BFSG require from an online store?
The law names no lines of code; it points at the state of the art. In practice the route runs through the European standard EN 301 549, which references WCAG for web content. Working to conformance level AA covers the technical part of the requirement.
Are we in scope as a small store?
For services there is an exemption for microenterprises with fewer than ten employees and no more than two million euros in turnover or balance sheet total. Those thresholds are crossed quickly, and the assessment is a legal question. We supply the technical facts; your legal counsel makes the call.
Is an accessibility overlay enough?
No. Overlays sit on top of a page whose markup stays unchanged. Missing labels, wrong semantics and inoperable components remain. In some cases they even interfere with the assistive technology users already run. The fix belongs in the theme, not in a script above it.
Does WCAG 2.1 or WCAG 2.2 apply?
The European standard currently references WCAG 2.1 at level AA. We still work against WCAG 2.2 AA, because that version fully contains the older one and adds criteria on focus visibility and target size that matter in a store context anyway.
Is the Shopify checkout accessible?
The checkout is provided by Shopify and only adjustable within defined limits. Your share sits in what you add there: your own checkout extensions, additional fields, colour and contrast settings in branding. Those are exactly the parts we include in the audit.
How do we hold the level after the project?
By making accessibility part of acceptance. New sections, campaign pages and apps otherwise come back with the same defects. In practice: a short checklist in your definition of done, a keyboard and contrast pass before every release, and a named contact for user reports.
How far is your store from WCAG 2.2 AA?
We test the purchase path with keyboard and screen reader and tell you which findings block a sale and which can wait.
