Theme structure
Correct headings, landmarks, and skip links across sections, product templates, and collection pages.
Shopify ADA Compliance & WCAG Remediation
We bring your Shopify store into real WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA conformance — at the theme and code level, done for you. No overlay apps.
What's included
- Manual audit of your theme, product, collection, cart, and checkout flow
- Fixes in your Liquid theme code, not a script on top
- Alt text for your product catalog, human-reviewed
- Before-and-after report you can hand your attorney
Where Shopify sites fail
Where Shopify stores fail accessibility audits
Most Shopify accessibility problems don't come from Shopify itself. They come from the layer on top: theme customizations, installed apps, and store content. A color swatch that only shows color, a cart drawer that traps the keyboard, a discount pop-up nobody can close without a mouse — these are the barriers plaintiffs' testers find in minutes.
Here are the issues we find most often on Shopify stores, each tied to the WCAG success criterion it breaks.
- 1.1.1
Product images without alt text
Imported catalogs often ship with empty or file-name alt text, so screen-reader users can't tell one product photo from another.
- 1.4.1
Color swatches that only show color
Variant pickers that rely on a colored circle with no text name leave color-blind and blind shoppers guessing.
- 2.1.2
Cart drawers and pop-ups that trap focus
Slide-out carts, newsletter modals, and age gates that can't be closed or escaped with the keyboard.
- 4.1.2
Custom variant and quantity controls
Size selectors and +/– buttons built from divs, with no accessible name, role, or state for assistive technology.
- 1.4.3
Low-contrast badges and prices
Sale badges, compare-at prices, and light-gray text that fall below the 4.5:1 contrast ratio.
- 2.2.2
Auto-rotating slideshows
Hero slideshows and announcement bars that move on their own and can't be paused.
No overlays
Why a Shopify accessibility app isn't the fix
The “accessibility apps” in the Shopify App Store are overlays — the same widgets courts treat as a liability. They add a toolbar and try to patch the page in the browser, but your theme code stays exactly as it was.
Plaintiffs test the underlying store, not the widget. When the barriers are still in the code, the app becomes part of the complaint instead of a defense.
- Nearly 1 in 4 accessibility lawsuits in 2025 hit sites that already had an overlay.
- The FTC fined a leading overlay vendor $1,000,000 in 2025.
What we fix
What we fix in your Shopify theme
We work in your theme's Liquid, CSS, and JavaScript — on a duplicate theme first, so your live store is never at risk — and publish when every fix is verified.
Product and variant forms
Accessible variant pickers, quantity inputs, and add-to-cart buttons with proper names and states.
Cart and drawers
Focus management, Escape to close, and screen-reader announcements when items are added.
Catalog alt text at scale
Alt text across your product images — AI-assisted, then reviewed by a person.
Contrast and visual design
Theme colors, badges, and buttons brought to AA contrast without redesigning your brand.
Apps and pop-ups
We audit what your apps inject and fix or replace the components that fail.
Honest limits: Shopify controls the core of its hosted checkout. We fix everything your store controls and document anything that only Shopify can change, so your report is accurate.
How it works
Audit, fix, prove it
Manual audit
We test your real Shopify templates against all 55 WCAG 2.2 AA criteria with axe-core, manual code inspection, keyboard, and screen readers. Every issue is ranked by legal risk.
Code-level remediation
We fix the issues ourselves, in your Shopify site — not with a script on top. You get a fixed scope and timeline before any work starts.
Before-and-after report
We re-run the same checks and document each fix with screenshots, so you can hand the proof to your attorney.
Proof of work
A before-and-after report that proves the work
- 1.1.1Missing alt textIssue
- 1.4.3Low color contrastIssue
- 3.3.2Unlabeled form fieldsIssue
- 2.4.7Keyboard focus not visibleIssue
- 1.3.1Skipped heading levelsIssue
- 1.1.1Missing alt textFixed
- 1.4.3Low color contrastFixed
- 3.3.2Unlabeled form fieldsFixed
- 2.4.7Keyboard focus not visibleFixed
- 1.3.1Skipped heading levelsFixed
Sample report shown for illustration — not a client result.
- Before: every WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA issue, ranked by legal risk, with axe-core results and screenshots.
- After: the same checks re-run, showing issues resolved.
- Evidence: PDF with screenshots; screen-reader and keyboard video on request.
FAQ
Shopify ADA compliance: common questions
Engineers, not lawyers. For legal questions about your situation, talk to an attorney.
Is my Shopify store ADA compliant out of the box?
Not automatically. Shopify's own themes are built with accessibility in mind, but your store's compliance depends on the theme you chose, how it was customized, the apps you installed, and your content — product images, color choices, and pop-ups. That's what a manual audit checks.
Can I be sued if my Shopify store is not ADA compliant?
Yes. E-commerce stores are frequent targets of ADA website lawsuits, and being on Shopify does not protect you — the claim is about your storefront. Over 5,000 website accessibility lawsuits were filed in 2025. For your specific risk, talk to an attorney.
Which Shopify themes are ADA compliant?
No theme makes a store compliant on its own. A well-built theme is a better starting point, but customizations, apps, and content can each break conformance. We audit the theme you actually run — with your sections, apps, and products — rather than the theme demo.
Will an accessibility app from the Shopify App Store make my store compliant?
No. Most accessibility apps are overlays: a script that loads on top of your theme without fixing its code. Nearly 1 in 4 accessibility lawsuits in 2025 hit sites that already had one. We fix the theme itself.
Can you fix Shopify's checkout?
Shopify hosts and maintains its checkout, so its core code isn't editable by store owners. We audit it, fix what your store controls — checkout branding, custom fields, and extensions — and document anything that only Shopify can change.
Other platforms we remediate
Start here
Get a manual Shopify accessibility audit
Real issues, ranked by risk, with a clear remediation plan.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 (786) 793-6135 or message us on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab).