The contents of this article, including any advice, suggestions, and guidelines, are for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve as legal advice. The authors are not legal professionals; this text does not constitute a lawyer-client relationship. Please consult a lawyer to obtain specific legal advice tailored to your particular circumstance.

Ecommerce accessibility issues are much more common than you might think. In fact, WebAIM’s 2026 analysis of one million home pages found automatically detectable WCAG failures on 95.9% of the pages tested, an increase from 2025’s 94.8%. Low-contrast text appeared on 83.9% of pages, while missing image alt text and missing form labels each affected more than half. Shopping websites also averaged more detectable accessibility errors than the overall sample.

These failures affect the same features customers use to shop online: promotional banners, product images, navigation menus, search filters, account forms, carts, and checkout fields.

For merchants using Shopify or Adobe Commerce, accessibility can’t be delegated entirely to the platform. Themes, apps, extensions, custom components, content, and third-party scripts can all introduce barriers.

This makes it harder than it looks to ensure that your store is easy to navigate by users with disabilities. Plus, depending on where you’re located, not having an accessible website can result in legal troubles. 

In this blog, we’ll explain what teams should audit, what you need to know about accessibility regulations in Canada, and what ecommerce agencies can actually fix to ensure an accessible online store. 

What is Ecommerce Accessibility?

Ecommerce accessibility means designing and developing an online store so people with disabilities can browse products, understand content, operate controls, complete forms, and place orders using their preferred devices or assistive technologies.

That includes customers who:

• Navigate using a keyboard

• Use screen readers or screen magnifiers

• Rely on voice controls

• Need captions or transcripts

• Have limited dexterity

• Have difficulty distinguishing certain colours

• Need more time to read or complete a task

• Experience cognitive or learning disabilities

Accessibility improvements often make websites easier for everyone to use. Clear form labels help customers checking out on a phone, captions help shoppers watching videos without sound, larger tap targets reduce accidental clicks, and consistent navigation helps customers find products faster. An accessible website benefits everyone. 

What is the WCAG?

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, commonly known as WCAG, are published by the World Wide Web Consortium. WCAG isn’t itself a law, but a technical standard that governments, organizations, designers, developers, and procurement teams can use to define and evaluate accessibility.

WCAG 2.2 organizes web accessibility around four principles:

1. Perceivable: Customers must be able to perceive the content.

2. Operable: Controls and navigation must be usable.

3. Understandable: Information and interactions must be clear.

4. Robust: Content must work reliably with browsers and assistive technologies.

WCAG includes three conformance levels: A, AA, and AAA. Level AA is the benchmark most commonly referenced by accessibility policies and legislation.

W3C recommends using WCAG 2.2 for new accessibility work. Content that conforms to WCAG 2.2 also conforms to WCAG 2.0 and 2.1, although organizations may still need to report against the particular version named in an applicable law or policy.

What Accessibility Guidelines do Canadian Ecommerce Businesses Need to Follow?

As of August 2026, Ontario and Manitoba are the only provinces with express WCAG-based requirements that reach ordinary private-sector websites. Several other provinces have enacted accessibility legislation, but their private-sector digital standards are still under development. Provincial and territorial human-rights obligations nevertheless apply across Canada. 

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)

Historical Background and Legislative Framework

The AODA was enacted in 2005 with the goal of making Ontario accessible by 2025. It covers a wide range of standards, including Customer Service, Information and Communications, Employment, Transportation, and Design of Public Spaces, ensuring that people with disabilities can participate fully in society regardless of any physical or mental impairments.  

The AODA applies to public-sector bodies and organizations with employees in Ontario that have one or more employees (full-time, part-time, and seasonal). Contract employees aren’t automatically counted as employees but may still require accessibility training when providing services on an organization’s behalf.

If you’re an Ontario business or organization, here’s what you need to know: businesses and nonprofits without Ontario employees are exempt, and different requirements kick in at different employee thresholds. Businesses and nonprofits with 20+ employees must file accessibility compliance reports, while the specific public-website WCAG obligation applies to 50+ employees. 

Ontario also says to include full-time, part-time, seasonal employees and contract workers who are actually employees, but not independent contractors.

Key Principles and Goals

The AODA is built around the principles of dignity, independence, integration, and equal opportunity, aiming to break down barriers that individuals with disabilities face daily. The AODA broadly defines disability, identifying physical/mental impairments, learning/developmental disabilities, and injuries, as this covers the broadest range of disabilities. 

For ecommerce, this means creating online spaces that everyone can navigate, understand, and use as effectively as anyone else. Compliance in terms of ecommerce generally should look like: 

• For organizations subject to AODA's website requirements, applicable public websites, web content, and web-based applications must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA, subject to the regulation's exceptions.

• Use of effective communication for users with sensory, motor, or cognitive impairments on your website pages and in all marketing materials and transactional communications.

• Compatibility with assistive technology, like screen readers and speech recognition software.

As society has become more tethered to the Internet of Things, consumers have grown to expect inclusive experiences online. Ensuring your store is accessible should be a top priority for any ecommerce merchant, regardless of any legal imperative to do so. 

Overview of the Information and Communications Standard

While all AODA standards are important, the Information and Communications standard is most relevant to ecommerce. It requires websites and web content to meet specific accessibility standards, primarily defined by the WCAG.

As of January 1, 2021, websites and web content posted by businesses with 50 or more employees in Ontario after January 1, 2012, must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards and provide/arrange accessible formats and communication supports when providing information to people with disabilities. 

Accessible formats can include large print, braille, accessible electronic documents, audio, and other formats suited to an individual's needs. For an ecommerce website, screen-reader compatibility is an important part of digital accessibility, but it doesn't replace the broader obligation to provide accessible information or communication supports when required.

When someone with a disability requests accessible information or communication support, organizations should work with that individual to determine an appropriate way to meet their needs.

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA)

Since May 1, 2025, businesses and nonprofits with at least one employee in Manitoba must make newly published web content, content needed to access their goods or services, and new or significantly updated web applications conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA (subject to exceptions in the regulation).

This is very similar to Ontario’s AODA in terms of what businesses in Manitoba must do to ensure all customers can access their content fairly. 

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA)

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) came into force in 2019. Its goal is to create a barrier-free Canada by January 1, 2040, by proactively identifying, removing, and preventing accessibility barriers.

The ACA addresses seven priority areas, including information and communication technologies, communication outside of technology, the design and delivery of programs and services, employment, procurement, transportation, and the built environment.

Unlike AODA or AMA, the ACA applies within federal jurisdiction. It covers federal government departments, Parliament, Crown corporations, the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCMP, and parts of the private sector regulated by the federal government, such as banks and airlines.

An ecommerce business doesn’t automatically fall under the ACA simply because it sells products throughout Canada. Most retailers remain provincially regulated and must consider applicable provincial accessibility and human rights laws instead. Businesses should confirm their jurisdiction and specific obligations with qualified legal counsel.   

That said, the WCAG is frequently used as the technical foundation for digital accessibility requirements. For new ecommerce projects, targeting WCAG 2.2 Level AA is generally the more future-proof approach, even where applicable legislation still formally references WCAG 2.0 or 2.1.

The European Accessibility Act (EAA)

For ecommerce businesses selling internationally, accessibility requirements can extend beyond Canada. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) establishes common accessibility requirements for certain products and services across the European Union, including ecommerce services. 

It defines ecommerce services as services provided at a distance through websites or mobile services, at a consumer's individual request, to conclude a consumer contract.

The EAA's requirements apply to covered services provided to consumers after June 28, 2025. EU member states were responsible for incorporating the Directive into their national laws, which means specific enforcement procedures and penalties can vary from country to country.

For ecommerce merchants, accessibility considerations can include making websites and mobile experiences usable by people with disabilities, providing accessible information about products and services, and ensuring support services can provide accessibility information where required.

The EAA does include important exceptions: Microenterprises providing services are exempt, and certain third-party website or app content can fall outside the Directive when it isn't funded, developed, or controlled by the business. Requirements may also be limited where compliance would fundamentally alter a product or service or impose a disproportionate burden.

Canadian ecommerce businesses shouldn't assume the EAA is irrelevant just because they're headquartered outside Europe, especially when platforms like Shopify make it so easy to open international online storefronts. Merchants offering covered ecommerce services to consumers in the EU should determine whether the EAA and the relevant member state's implementing legislation apply to their operations.

Accessibility and Ecommerce

Accessibility in ecommerce broadens your market reach and aligns with ethical business practices, which is something every reputable business should strive for. Non-compliance can sometimes result in penalties, depending on where you are located, but more importantly, it can damage your brand's reputation and customer loyalty by alienating many potential customers.

A Broader Reach

Opening your website up to an often overlooked and underserved market can be quite lucrative, depending on what you sell. The disability community is large but also tight-knit. Word gets around, and if your store becomes a place people trust to be accessible and easy to navigate, customers will keep shopping with you and tell their friends, too! 

Leverage every opportunity to cater to your Total Addressable Market (TAM) for maximum growth and gain a competitive edge by not simply complying with the law but going the extra mile and really leaning into accessible design to show potential customers that your business actually cares. This helps to remove barriers and strengthen UX, thus reducing friction. 

How to Ensure Your Ecommerce Store is Accessible

While as of now, only Ontario and Manitoba currently have explicit private-sector WCAG requirements, human-rights obligations apply across Canada, and everyone running an ecommerce store should want to make sure that everyone who wants to use your website can. Here’s how to get started. 

Are Shopify and Adobe Commerce Accessible by Default?

Neither platform can guarantee that a completed store will be accessible, but Shopify’s theme documentation was created with WCAG in mind and provides guidance covering keyboard controls, page structure, navigation, forms, product information, media, contrast, and dynamic components.

That said, Shopify also explicitly notes that following its theme best practices alone doesn’t guarantee that a theme is completely accessible and refers users to the WCAG website 

Adobe is similarly direct. Its documentation states that accessibility responsibility rests with the partner or merchant because Adobe Commerce is highly customizable.

Adobe’s November 2025 Accessibility Conformance Report for Adobe Commerce Storefront documents partial or missing support in areas including text alternatives, semantic structure, colour use, keyboard operation, and modal behaviour. The report covers Adobe’s tested storefront product, not every customized Adobe Commerce implementation.

An accessible platform foundation can still become an inaccessible store after a theme is customized, an extension is installed, or a marketing script is added.

To ensure compliance with accessibility standards, ecommerce businesses should take three main steps.

1. Conduct an Accessibility Audit

Start by assessing your current website's accessibility. Identify areas for improvement and prioritize them based on impact. There are two ways to go about this:

1. Hire a consulting firm to thoroughly audit your entire website/ecommerce store. A specialist accessibility firm can perform automated and manual testing, including keyboard and assistive-technology testing, document WCAG findings, and retest after remediation. Some providers also offer conformance documentation or legal-support services.

2. If a consulting firm is out of your budget at this time, you can always use an online tool or browser extension like the WAVE Evaluation Tool. Tools like this evaluate a rendered webpage, including its styles and dynamically generated content, and identify accessibility issues for you to review and remediate. Always pair automated testing with manual accessibility testing.

2. Develop an Action Plan for Compliance with WCAG

Once you have your accessibility audit, you’ll need to create a detailed plan outlining steps to achieve compliance, including timelines, responsibilities, and needed resources. At this point, consider how you will implement any required changes to meet your local accessibility standard. 

Generally, ecommerce businesses take one of two routes:

1. Use an internal development team to implement their website accessibility overhaul.

2. Hire an ecommerce agency with experience in online accessibility and inclusive web development to take on your project. 

Whether you’ve used an external firm to audit your website or need help analyzing it with an extension like Wave, an experienced ecommerce agency can help translate audit findings into technical priorities, remediate accessibility barriers, and incorporate accessibility testing into ongoing development and QA. 

3. Train Staff on Accessibility Best Practices

Ensure your team understands the importance of accessibility and how to maintain it across your digital properties. Most companies have accessibility guidelines for every department. 

Your graphic and UX designers should understand accessibility guidelines for contrast, text size, motion, etc. 

Your marketing team should write appropriate alt text for meaningful images and know when decorative imagery should use empty alt text. They should also create sales copy that is easy to read and understand. 

Your customer service team should know how best to communicate with and accommodate people with disabilities and offer communication alternatives when requested. 

Accessibility Compliance Checklist for Ecommerce Websites

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview

WCAG provides the technical foundation for web accessibility and is referenced by accessibility laws and policies worldwide. Ecommerce teams can use WCAG Level AA as a benchmark when designing, developing, and testing accessible shopping experiences.

Design Considerations

• Text Readability: Ensure that text is easy to read and understand. Use legible fonts, adequate contrast, and provide text alternatives for images. 
• Non-text Content: Offer text alternatives for any non-text content. Provide appropriate text alternatives for meaningful non-text content; hide purely decorative images appropriately from assistive technologies.
• Accessible Navigation: Make it easy for users to navigate your site. This includes keyboard navigation, clear headings, and a consistent layout. Avoid auto-playing material, moving backgrounds, or overpowering colours

Technical Aspects

• ARIA Labels: Prioritize semantic HTML and use ARIA roles, states, and labels only where native HTML can't communicate the required semantics. 
• Assistive Technology Compatibility: Ensure your website works well with screen readers, magnifiers, and other assistive technologies.
• Responsive Design: Your site should be usable on various devices, including smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers, without losing any accessibility features
  

Content Management

• Multimedia Content: Provide accurate captions for video and audio description where required or where important visual information isn't otherwise conveyed through the audio.
• Accessible Documents: Offer documents in accessible formats (e.g., PDF, Word) and ensure they are structured for screen readers.
• User-generated Content: Implement guidelines to ensure user-generated content, such as product reviews, is accessible.

Ecommerce Specifics

• Product Descriptions and Catalogues: Ensure all product information is accessible, including descriptions, images, and prices.
• Accessible Checkout Process: The checkout process should be straightforward and clearly communicate form errors and confirmations.
• Accessible Customer Service: Offer multiple ways for customers to contact your business, including text-based and voice communication options.

Tools and Resources

Getting started with accessibility compliance might seem complicated, but many resources are available to help you understand what compliance means and how to implement it. 

Here are our tool and resource recommendations for ecommerce businesses:

• AODA.ca: The complete guide to AODA, which offers free online training, website audit services, consulting, news, and more for businesses in Ontario.  

• The Accessibility for Manitobans Act: Documentation for Manitoba’s Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation. 

• WCAG Quick Reference: A searchable, filterable list of all the WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 guidelines with full descriptions, techniques, and exceptions.   

• AODA Compliance Report: Instructions for completing and submitting your company’s compliance report for businesses with 20 or more employees.

• Blue Badger Ecommerce Agency: With over nine years of experience building omnichannel ecommerce experiences for your favourite brands and online retailers, we can identify barriers, implement remediation, test critical shopping flows, and establish ongoing accessibility practices while still looking and running smoothly.

Conclusion

Whether you need to abide by strict guidelines like those listed under AODA or AMA, or you just want to ensure that everyone can easily access your online store, building an accessible website isn’t a one-and-done task. Themes, apps, extensions, content updates, and third-party scripts can introduce new barriers long after an initial audit. Shopify and Adobe Commerce merchants need a repeatable process that combines testing, remediation, staff training, and ongoing monitoring.

Following WCAG 2.2 Level AA is generally the best idea, even when applicable legislation references an earlier WCAG version. It can improve shopping journeys, reduce unnecessary friction, and help more customers browse, purchase, and get support independently. Businesses operating in Ontario, Manitoba, or federally regulated sectors should also confirm which legal requirements and reporting duties apply.

At Blue Badger, we can help identify and address accessibility barriers across navigation, product discovery, content, account experiences, and checkout. Get in touch with us today to build a more inclusive ecommerce experience without sacrificing performance, flexibility, or brand design.