Website accessibility for online stores: WCAG basics that win customers

Accessible stores sell to more people. They also tend to be faster, clearer and easier to use for everyone. Accessibility is also becoming a legal expectation in several markets.

The standard to aim for

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are the common yardstick, and level AA of WCAG 2.1 is the usual target. They are organised around four ideas: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.

Laws that may apply

• India: the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 promotes accessibility of information and services, and government sites follow national guidelines. Expectations for private sites are growing.
• EU: the European Accessibility Act applies to many e-commerce services from 28 June 2025, with exemptions for microenterprises in some cases.
• Elsewhere: other countries, such as the US, see accessibility lawsuits against online stores.

If you sell abroad, ask an adviser which rules apply to you.

The fixes that matter most

1. Text contrast. Aim for at least 4.5 to 1 between text and its background for normal text.
2. Alt text. Describe product images briefly: "Indigo khadi saree, front view". Decorative images get empty alt text.
3. Keyboard use. Every link, button, menu and form must work with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter and Escape, and the focus outline must be visible.
4. Form labels and errors. Each field has a visible label. Errors say what is wrong and how to fix it, and they are not shown by colour alone.
5. Headings and landmarks. One page title, logical headings, and regions such as header, main and footer so that screen reader users can jump around.
6. Zoom and reflow. The page works at 200% zoom without horizontal scrolling on a phone.
7. Touch targets. Buttons large enough to tap comfortably.
8. Motion. Respect "reduce motion" settings, and avoid autoplaying video with sound.
9. Time limits. OTP and session timeouts should be generous, with clear warnings.

Your checkout comes first

If someone cannot complete a purchase, nothing else matters. Test the entire path: product, cart, address, payment, confirmation. Make sure error messages are announced and that OTP fields are usable with the keyboard and with auto-fill (failed payments).

How to test in an afternoon

• Keyboard only: put the mouse away and tab through your store.
• Automated checks: browser tools such as axe or Lighthouse catch many issues.
• A screen reader: try the built-in one on your phone or computer on a product page.
• Zoom to 200% and view on a small phone.
• Ask real people with different abilities to try your store, and listen.

Make it part of how you work

Add accessibility to your checklist for every new page and campaign. Choose a platform and theme that start accessible (choosing a platform). Orvexa's own site is tested for these basics, and we publish an accessibility statement in our trust centre.

What to do next

Spend fifteen minutes using your checkout with the keyboard only. Write down every place you get stuck, and fix the top three.