How to Make a Shopify Store More Accessible with EA Accessibility

Why Accessibility Matters for a Shopify Store

People shop your store in more ways than the one you test with. Some use a screen reader or only a keyboard, some zoom text or need higher contrast or less motion. Barriers are usually small and specific: a product photo with no description, a cart button labelled only by an icon, a size selector a keyboard cannot reach, a popup that traps focus. Any one of them can stop a purchase.

There are three good reasons to work on it. First, shoppers who rely on assistive technology can actually buy from you. Second, most fixes are plain good usability: clear labels, readable text and predictable navigation help every visitor. Third, accessibility comes up in law and policy. WCAG is the standard most often referenced, and frameworks such as the ADA in the United States and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) in the EU are commonly discussed for online stores. What applies to your business is a question for a lawyer; what you can do today is make steady, documented progress. For the full background, see our Shopify store accessibility guide and the WCAG compliance checklist.

What EA Accessibility Does, and What It Does Not

EA Accessibility adds an accessibility menu to your storefront and gives you tools to find and fix common problems. Here is what it includes:

• Accessibility menu. Works by keyboard and screen reader, shows in your shopper's language and sits where you choose.
• One-tap profiles. Seizure Safe, Vision Impaired, ADHD, Dyslexia, Screen Reader and more, each switching on a set of tools.
• Reading and vision tools. Text size up to 200%, color filters, page zoom, a reading mask and reading guide, text to speech and voice navigation.
• Store scan. Checks your pages for common issues such as missing alt text, low contrast and unlabeled buttons, gives a score and explains each fix in plain English.
• Opt-in storefront fixes (Plus). Fixes for missing labels, focus outlines and skip links that you turn on one by one, plus AI-written alt text for product images.
• Accessibility statement and report-a-problem form. A statement page built in an editor and linked from the menu, and a form shoppers use to report a barrier, with reports arriving in an inbox in the app.
• Monitoring (Plus and above). Scheduled scans, email alerts when the score drops, score history and PDF or CSV reports.

Plans. The free plan includes the menu with every profile and tool in 32 languages, the statement page, the report-a-problem form and a store scan of up to 5 pages. Plus is $9.99 a month with a 7-day free trial and adds opt-in storefront fixes, scans of up to 50 pages with every issue, monitoring, email alerts and PDF reports, 500 AI alt texts a month with auto alt text, the option to show the menu only on chosen pages or countries, and no page-view limits. Pro ($49.99/month) and Business ($99.99/month) add larger scans and more AI alt texts for big catalogs. You can install it from EA Accessibility on the Shopify App Store.

What it does not do. No app can make a store legally compliant on its own, and this one does not claim to. Automated scans find only some issues. A scan can tell you an image has no alt text, but not whether the alt text you wrote describes what matters, and it cannot choose your brand colors for you. That is why the plan below pairs the app with manual review.

What to Set Up First

If you are starting from nothing, do things in this order. Each step is useful on its own, so you get value even if you stop partway.

1. Turn on the menu. It gives shoppers adjustment tools straight away and takes minutes.
2. Run a first scan on the pages people buy through. Home, your main collection, a best-selling product, a product with variants, and your contact or policy page.
3. Publish a statement and switch on the report-a-problem form. Shoppers who hit a barrier need a way to tell you and to get help placing an order.
4. Work through the scan's fixes by severity, starting with anything that blocks the buying path.
5. Set up re-checking so new problems are caught after theme and app changes.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Install and enable the app embed. Install EA Accessibility from the Shopify App Store, then open the theme editor and turn on its app embed. It installs as an app embed, so your theme code is not edited.
2. Place the menu. Choose a position that does not cover your chat button, cart button or cookie banner. Check it on a phone as well as a desktop, since floating buttons crowd together on small screens.
3. Try each profile on a real product page. Open Vision Impaired, Dyslexia, ADHD, Seizure Safe and Screen Reader one at a time and check that prices, variant pickers and the Add to Cart button still read and work correctly.
4. Run the store scan. The free scan covers 5 pages, so pick the ones on the buying path listed above. On Plus you can scan up to 50 pages; add your collection templates, blog template and any landing pages you run ads to.
5. Read the plain-English fixes. Sort by severity. Some fixes are content (alt text, link wording), some are theme settings (colors, font sizes) and some are code or app settings. Assign each one to whoever can do it.
6. Turn on opt-in fixes one at a time (Plus). Enable the fix for missing labels, then focus outlines, then skip links, checking the storefront after each. Every fix can be turned off again if it clashes with your theme.
7. Generate alt text, then review it. Use AI alt text for product images (500 a month on Plus). Read every result and edit where it misses what a shopper needs: color, material, size or what the photo shows that the title does not.
8. Create your accessibility statement. Write it in the app's editor, link it from the menu and add it to your footer. Our accessibility statement template is a good starting point.
9. Switch on the report-a-problem form and decide who checks the reports inbox and how quickly.
10. Schedule scans and alerts (Plus and above) so a theme update that lowers your score sends you an email instead of going unnoticed.

Manual Fixes the App Cannot Make for You

These are the jobs that need a person. Most are content and theme settings rather than code, and many can be done inside the Shopify admin.

• Alt text that says something. Describe what matters for the purchase. Decorative images such as background patterns should have empty alt text so screen readers skip them.
• Heading order. One H1 per page, then H2 and H3 in order without skipping levels. Check rich text blocks and theme sections where headings are often chosen for their size rather than their meaning.
• Color contrast. WCAG level AA asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal-size text. Check your theme's text, button and sale-badge colors, including text placed over images.
• Link and button wording. Replace "Click here" and "Read more" with text that makes sense on its own, such as "Read the sizing guide".
• Forms. Every field needs a visible label, and error messages should say what is wrong and how to fix it.
• Video and motion. Add captions to product videos and avoid autoplaying video with sound.
• Third-party apps. Review widgets, popups, chat and quizzes are part of your store too. Test them with a keyboard and ask their developers about known issues.

Our guide to adding accessibility features to Shopify covers several of these fixes in more detail.

Settings Worth Choosing Carefully

• Menu position. Keep it visible and out of the way of other floating buttons. A bottom corner opposite your chat widget usually works.
• Language. The menu shows in your shopper's language. If you sell in several languages, translate your statement and report-form texts as well.
• Where the menu shows (Plus). You can limit the menu to chosen pages or countries. The default of showing it everywhere is usually right; limit it only when you have a specific reason, such as a landing page with its own controls.
• Auto alt text (Plus). Useful for stores that add products often. Set aside time to review new alt text the same way you review product descriptions.

What to Test

Automated scans are a starting point. Before you call a page done, run these manual checks on the buying path: home, collection, product, cart and the step into checkout.

• Keyboard only. Unplug the mouse. Use Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space and Esc to open the accessibility menu, pick a variant, add to cart, open the cart and reach checkout. Focus should always be visible and move in a logical order.
• Screen reader. Try VoiceOver on a Mac or iPhone, NVDA on Windows or TalkBack on Android. Product name, price, variant options and button names should all be announced clearly.
• Zoom and text size. Set browser zoom to 200% and try the menu's text size tool. Nothing important should be cut off or hidden behind other elements.
• Popups and drawers. When a popup or cart drawer opens, focus should move into it, Esc should close it and focus should return to where the shopper was.
• Phone. Repeat the main checks on a real phone, where tap targets and floating buttons cause the most trouble.

Keep a short checklist and run it again after every theme update or new app install.

What to Measure

Accessibility progress is best measured by the issues you remove and the barriers shoppers stop reporting. Track:

• Scan score and issue count by severity, with score history on Plus. The goal is to clear high-severity issues first, not to chase a perfect score.
• Page coverage. How many of your templates and key pages have been scanned and manually tested.
• Alt text coverage. The share of product images with reviewed alt text, not just generated alt text.
• Reports from shoppers. How many arrive through the report-a-problem form, what they are about and how long each takes to fix.
• Manual checklist results. Pass or fail for each check on each release, so you can see when a change broke something.

You can also watch general store metrics in Shopify analytics, such as bounce rate and conversion rate, but treat them as context. Many things move those numbers, so they are not proof that an accessibility change worked or failed.

Common Mistakes

• Treating the menu as the whole job. The menu helps shoppers adjust a page; it does not fix missing labels or poor contrast in your theme by itself.
• Claiming full compliance. Do not write "fully compliant" in your statement or marketing. Describe what you have done and how to contact you.
• Publishing AI alt text unread. Generated text is a draft. Review it.
• Scanning only the home page. Barriers usually sit on product pages, variant pickers, the cart and forms.
• Forgetting third-party apps. A popup that traps keyboard focus can block the whole page.
• No way to get help. Always give shoppers a contact route and an alternative way to order.

Related Guides

• How a Shopify Store Can Sell in New Countries with AI Translation
• How a Beauty Store Can Reduce Cart Abandonment with a Cart Drawer and Sticky Add to Cart
• How an Electronics Store Can Run Flash Sales with a Countdown Timer
• How a Food Store Can Promote Offers with an Announcement Bar
• How a Jewelry Store Can Speed Up Image-Heavy Pages and Improve SEO

Frequently Asked Questions

What does WCAG mean for a Shopify store?

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the W3C standard for accessible web content, and most store work targets level AA. For a Shopify store it means text alternatives for images, everything usable by keyboard, enough color contrast, text that can be enlarged without breaking the layout, labelled form fields and buttons, and pages that make sense to a screen reader. Laws such as the ADA in the United States and the European Accessibility Act in the EU are commonly discussed alongside WCAG; ask a lawyer which obligations apply to your business.

Can an accessibility app make my store fully compliant?

No app can make a store legally compliant on its own. EA Accessibility supports your WCAG, ADA and EAA work: it gives shoppers adjustment tools, scans for common issues, explains fixes in plain English and offers opt-in fixes. Automated checks find only some issues, so manual review with a keyboard and a screen reader still matters, and content such as alt text, headings and theme colors is yours to get right.

Is EA Accessibility free?

Yes. The accessibility menu with every profile and tool, the statement page, the report-a-problem form and a 5-page store scan are free. Plus costs $9.99 a month with a 7-day free trial and adds opt-in storefront fixes, scans of up to 50 pages, monitoring with email alerts and PDF reports, 500 AI alt texts a month and auto alt text. Larger Pro ($49.99/month) and Business ($99.99/month) plans add bigger scans and more AI alt texts.

Does accessibility work help SEO?

Some of it overlaps. Descriptive alt text, a clean heading order and meaningful link text help search engines understand a page as well as screen reader users. Treat that as a side benefit rather than a promise of rankings; the reason to do the work is that more shoppers can use your store.

What should an accessibility statement include?

Say which standard you are working toward (for example WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 level AA), what you have done, any known limits such as third-party content you are still working on, how shoppers can report a barrier or get help placing an order, and the date you last reviewed it. EA Accessibility has a statement editor and links the page in the accessibility menu. Avoid claiming the store is fully compliant.

How often should I re-check my store?

Re-check whenever something changes the storefront: a theme update, a new app, a new product or page template, or a redesign. On the Plus plan and above you can schedule scans and get an email alert when the score drops. Repeat a short keyboard and screen reader test of the buying path on a regular schedule, for example once a quarter.