An analysis of the online stores offered by 100 major retailers revealed more than 10,000 digital accessibility (a11y) issues across the nearly 450 tested pages. Worse yet, 70 percent of the pages tested contained “critical” problems — inaccessible designs likely to have a significant impact on people with disabilities trying to use core functions of the web page. 
 
Peak online shopping times like the holidays magnify accessibility gaps, highlighting the depth and severity of the digital inequalities that exist today. Busy online shopping periods also underscore the need for online retailers to prioritize digital accessibility in their shopping experiences — and not just during the holidays. 
 
The Necessity of Digital Accessibility 
 
Improved accessibility in e-commerce experiences promotes equity and inclusion goals while also expanding your brand’s reach to the 61 million adults in the U.S. currently living with a disability. In addition to being the right thing to do, a11y content lowers the risk of complaints, negative publicity, and even lawsuits. 
 
Although the shift from digitally enabled to digital-only commerce during the pandemic increased understanding about the need for a11y improvements, awareness is only the first step. Building high-velocity digital accessibility is an ongoing process that requires an organizational-wide commitment and a meaningful investment of time and resources. 
 
Here are three steps your business can take to optimize e-commerce experiences for all customers: 
 
1. Help your developers prioritize accessibility.

A11y work can feel like yet another project on your developers’ plates when accessibility standards aren’t factored into the development of digital assets. Even when digital accessibility is considered at the start of the process, your developers may find a11y improvements overwhelming, especially if they’re looking at significant changes to long-standing workflows. 
 
Professional development and strategic planning initiatives educate developers about the importance of a11y work, as well as processes for creating high-velocity digital accessibility experiences. A training and execution plan can help your team order accessibility projects by priority level. For example, color contrast and parsing are two of the most common digital accessibility issues in e-commerce stores. So, adjusting site-wide templates to account for these accessibility limitations may be a good place for your developers to start their a11y journey. 
 
A structured and intentional training regimen also offers your development team a deeper understanding of the human side of their work. The experiences customers have at every digital touchpoint reflect your organization’s values and commitment to creating equitable, welcoming spaces. So, it’s essential for developers to understand how accessibility improvements impact actual users and their relationship with the brand. 
 
2. Adopt a11y technologies.

Once your developers are on board with high-velocity digital accessibility, they need tools to turn priorities into realities. There’s no shortage of available a11y software solutions. However, not all accessibility technology is created equal, and not all tools are appropriate for every developer team. 
 
While overlay solutions may seem effective, most disabled users report that the overlay doesn’t fix many a11y issues — and in some cases makes problems worse. If you’re new to digital accessibility, it’s worth investing in more robust automation tools capable of integrating a11y designs into the coding process, shifting work left toward the left in the development cycle. Automated tools can identify the majority of accessibility limitations, including many of the most critical issues common in e-commerce stores. 
 
As your a11y program matures and your development team grows more proficient in accessibility testing, you can adopt more advanced semi-automated and manual testing tools and processes. These solutions dig into the more complex aspects of your web and mobile assets and ensure accessibility across all components of your online stores — like link text and interactive elements. 
 
3. Monitor accessibility over time.

Digital accessibility work is never done. Whether you’re learning about digital accessibility for the first time or have been practicing it for years, there are always new strategies to adopt and concepts to reinforce. 
 
Continuous a11y work is particularly important if your business is in a growth phase. A11y integrations require ongoing and dedicated attention as you expand your product or service offerings and develop more sophisticated content and design strategies. The same goes for routine maintenance, platform updates, and full-scale e-commerce overhauls. High-velocity digital accessibility must be top of mind for everyone involved with digital products –- including developers and leaders — regardless of experience level or company tenure. 
 
But digital accessibility isn’t static. Even the most proficient organizations must be prepared to respond to technological and societal trends that alter a11y best practices. Significant evolutions in the retail space are already underway thanks to AI, and more disruptive changes could be around the corner with virtual shopping in the metaverse. 
 
Whatever path is in store for e-commerce — and whatever time of year it is — your digital accessibility needs to keep pace. The road to high-velocity digital accessibility isn’t short, but it’s one your organization must take. E-commerce accessibility creates the online shopping experiences your business requires to remain competitive and the experiences all consumers deserve. 

The author, Matthew Luken is VP & principal strategy consultant, Deque.