E-commerce has become a cornerstone of modern retail, with companies investing millions annually to enhance their online shopping platforms. However, 13.4% of the U.S. population continues to face challenges when trying to shop online. That’s because the vast majority of e-commerce experiences, including mobile apps, contain accessibility barriers.

Digital accessibility is the practice of working to ensure that digital experiences are free of accessibility barriers so that the largest possible group of people, including those with disabilities, can interact with them successfully. Embracing digital accessibility in e-commerce opens doors for retailers to reach this vast global audience.

But the problem with inaccessible experiences is pervasive. More than 95% of the most popular website homepages contain accessibility barriers, which can include things like missing alternative text for images, insufficient color contrast, content that isn’t keyboard-only operable, and others. These barriers make it difficult or impossible for many users to complete basic tasks like finding items, adding them to a cart, or making a purchase. For retailers, this creates two problems.

• First, inaccessible websites create significant litigation risk. A phalanx of plaintiff attorneys awaits to file ADA-related lawsuits against organizations operating inaccessible websites and mobile apps in the U.S. Globally, organizations doing business within the European Union (EU) are subject to European Accessibility Act (EAA) requirements, with steep penalties for non-compliance. 
• Second, and more practically, you lose customers. If consumers can’t easily flow through your buying journey, they will take their business elsewhere–and won’t stop to ask you for help before they do. Neglecting digital accessibility can result in severe revenue loss, particularly when considering the substantial purchasing power of individuals with disabilities. 

To combat these risks and unlock the full potential of online businesses, retailers must understand how to integrate accessibility into every customer touchpoint. This includes ensuring all users can navigate, interact with, and complete transactions on their e-commerce experiences regardless of their abilities.

Business Benefits of E-Commerce Accessibility 

Prioritizing accessibility in e-commerce offers multiple business advantages. It expands market reach, increasing revenue, economic profit margins and net income compared to less inclusive competitors. 

According to the 2024 Global Economics of Disability Report, the collective purchasing power of the disability market exceeds $18 trillion USD. Further, research by Forrester found that 80% of consumers will spend more with organizations that offer an exceptional customer experience. By ensuring digital experiences are accessible to all users, retailers can enhance customer engagement, potentially driving higher average order values and increased customer frequency.

A comprehensive study by Accenture reveals that companies focused on disability inclusion are noting significant economic benefits. The report highlights that such companies are growing sales 2.9 times faster and profits 4.1 times faster than their peers. Additionally, these companies are twice as likely to have higher total shareholder returns than their industry counterparts. This data underscores the clear financial incentives for retailers to prioritize accessibility in their e-commerce strategies.

Moreover, accessible e-commerce platforms foster brand loyalty and trust. Customers who experience a seamless digital shopping experience with a certain brand are more likely to return and recommend that brand to others. This word-of-mouth promotion can help companies boost customer acquisition without additional marketing costs.

Finally, prioritizing accessibility is a boon to brands’ reputations, particularly among audiences that value inclusivity. As awareness of digital accessibility grows, consumers increasingly prefer brands that demonstrate a commitment to inclusive practices.

Legal Considerations

Embracing accessibility in e-commerce isn’t just a business advantage; it’s crucial for legal compliance. Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination in “places of public accommodations,” and the Department of Justice (DOJ), the organization that enforces Title III of the ADA, has clearly stated it believes Title III applies to websites. U.S. Federal Courts consistently agree.

Failure to provide accessible online shopping experiences exposes companies to legal risks, including ADA demand letters and lawsuits. Non-compliant e-commerce platforms are frequent targets of digital accessibility lawsuits, leading to significant financial consequences—including legal fees and potential settlements—as well as lost staff time and reputational damage. 

Beyond the U.S., retailers operating in global markets must adhere to accessibility laws such as the EAA. The EAA requires a range of digital products, services, and technologies, including e-commerce, to be accessible to people with disabilities by June 2025. If you sell to customers in the EU, your e-commerce experience must meet accessibility standards by this deadline, regardless of where your organization is based. Non-compliance can result in fines and penalties.

Coupled with the clear business benefits of enhanced usability, these regulatory requirements underscore the fact that accessibility is imperative for any brand aiming to serve more customers, avoid legal risks and protect their reputation.

Practical Accessibility Implementation

Creating accessible e-commerce experiences starts with adhering to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), a framework with more than 80 criteria for evaluating web accessibility. The WCAG principles, organized under the acronym POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust), provide a practical framework for designers, developers, and content authors. For example, designers and authors must make sure experiences have appropriate alternative (alt) text for images, clear form labels, and consistent navigation and identification of content, and that they are operable for keyboard users. Implementing the WCAG principles not only improves accessibility but also elevates the overall user experience for all customers.

Perceivable

The first principle of WCAG, Perceivable, ensures that users can perceive all the information on a website. This includes providing text alternatives for non-text content, creating content that can be presented in different ways without losing information or structure, and making it easier for users to see and hear content. For instance, using proper alt text for images helps users who are blind or have low vision understand content.

Operable

The second principle, Operable, ensures users can navigate and interact with a website. In practice, this involves making all functionality available from a keyboard, giving users enough time to read and use content, and helping users navigate and find content. 

Understandable

The Understandable principle focuses on making content and interface operations easy to understand. Adhering to this principle includes making text readable and understandable, ensuring web pages appear and operate in predictable ways, and helping users avoid and correct mistakes. Providing clear form labels and instructions, a best practice for designing understandable content, is particularly critical for users with cognitive disabilities.

Robust

Finally, the Robust principle ensures that various user agents such as browsers and assistive technologies, can reliably interpret content. This involves ensuring compatibility with current and future user tools. Providing information to these technologies on user interface components, including name, role, value, and status messages is also essential to this principle.

Getting Started with E-Commerce Accessibility

Because e-commerce experiences continuously change, e-commerce accessibility is a continuous process, not a one-time project. And it can be challenging for organizations to navigate on their own. For that reason, it’s advisable for businesses to align with accessibility experts. 

Experienced professionals can audit your e-commerce experiences to identify existing barriers—including barriers that may be blocking your users from selecting an item, adding it to their cart, and paying for it. They can also provide role-specific training and guidance on implementing accessibility best practices. Eventually, accessibility should be integrated into every stage of the experience creation process, starting with ideation and design and then moving to development. Addressing accessibility before an experience is live will ultimately save time and money and reduce the risks associated with correcting issues once an experience is already live. 

While reaching this integrated state may take time, making the decision to prioritize accessibility sooner rather than later is a strategic legal and business decision. By making progress now, retailers can ensure they’re on track to meet compliance deadlines for laws like the EAA–as well as expand their market reach, increase revenue, and enhance customer engagement.