Website accessibility checklists for ADA compliance

Being a Shopify merchant, you can’t deny the importance of website ADA compliance. Conforming it means your website follows the compliance checklists. However, the awareness of website accessibility is limited. Maybe you don’t even know that your Shopify website is overlooking all essential parameters of accessibility for disabilities. If you don’t know what constitutes the right checklists for website accessibility, this blog is for you. Scroll down to know more about ADA compliance and WCAG checklists. 

What we know about ADA and WCAG 2.0

Basically, the American with Disabilities Act- a civil rights law protects individuals with disabilities against all discriminations that deny their access to public accommodations like schools, colleges, markets, transportation, and anywhere general people can enjoy free access. Alike public accommodations, ADA compliance also refers to digital accommodations, which means persons with disabilities must access digital properties- websites, apps on any devices, and their content. 

Selling through Shopify online stores to US shoppers is also a critical parameter to confirm eCommerce ADA compliance. More than often, the most basic norms of ADA lose validity for ignorance or insensitive behavior.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG, is a manuscript conceptualized by Web Accessibility Initiatives of the World Wide Web Consortium. The website accessibility standards as laid down by WCAG enable accessibility for persons with disabilities to digital content along with devices. The WCAG has its current version 2.1 that businesses or organizations must adhere to improve user experience. 

How do ADA and WCAG differ from each other?

Audience and usability wise both of the acts or rules differ.  

• ADA audiences mainly encompass private and public sector organizations. It is against all sorts of discrimination against its people. 
• WCAG acts as a guide to help ensure accessibility for websites. At the same time, any industry or organization can get adequate and accurate compliance information from WCAG. Also, WCAG emphasizes HTML accessibility. 

In essence, both ADA and WCAG ensure the usability of digital accommodations for people with disabilities.  

The various levels of WCAG 2.1 

The Web Content Accessibility checklists are standards for every organization to allow free access to digital properties. As you deal with WCAG 2.1, you will discover the current version includes three necessary levels- A, AA, AAA. 

•  Single-A - This stage entails a minimal level of web accessibility adherence. You can follow this pattern with your Shopify website, apps, or electronic content. 
• Double-A - Most online services regard this as an acceptable level to ensure accessibility for online services. This level also works with mobile and desktop devices. 
• Triple-A - It is a difference between feeling good and feeling excellent. We can call it the gold standard of compliance level. 

However, only to avoid litigation, you can make your Shopify accessible by following levels A and AA. The WCAG 2.1 A, AA levels are in use across the United States and Canada.  But, remember, a successful merchant needs more than just avoiding legal penalties- customer experience may make or break your goodwill. 

WCAG compliance standard 

There are four primary breakdowns of WCAG-based website accessibility standards. They are as follows as below- 

1. Perceivable 
2. Operable
3. Understandable 
4. Robust 

Perceivable 

Information and user interface must align with users’ reasoning so that they can understand or perceive it. The information must be visible to everyone and everyone must absorb it in a flexible manner.  This category also involves some critical areas for Perceivable to become easily accessible for end-users like disabled persons. Merchants who want Shopify accessibility for their websites must ensure Perceivability in the following manner - 

1. Text Alternatives - Take it as a level A standard. The merchant should use text alternatives for non-text content. However, this rule varies by situation. Find them below- 

2. Time-based Media - pre-recorded audio-video media must contain alternate text to provide equivalent information. 

3. Adaptable  - this category emphasizes content to be presented in a different manner so information can be easy to grasp. 

4. Distinguishable - Website content should be made easily distinguishable so users can hear and see it. For example- if audio or video content is available, users must be able to control it using a mechanism. 

Operable 

The website has user interface components and navigation. So, users must have the flexibility to use various kinds of components on the interface. Also, there isn’t any obstacle that hinders users from utilizing web interfaces. Based on this, there are some conditions that the Shopify website must have in place or merchants must ensure on their website or store. 

• The keyboard must provide accessibility for users to perform a specific task.
• Users must get enough flexibility to read and use the information on the website. 
• Users must navigate and find the content at ease.
• If any information violates the rights of disabled persons, it must not be there on the website. 

Understandable 

As a Shopify website owner, you must ensure that the information and user interface you have on your website is understandable for your users. It means users must grasp information and use interface components easily. 

• The text must be easy to read and understand.
• Content should be in a manner that users can predict it in a good manner. 
• Provide enough resources so users can prevent mistakes or correct themselves. 

Robust 

Individuals with disabilities can interpret content reliably by using a wide variety of tools including assistive technology. It also confirms that content on your website must be in line with the latest tools and technologies. So, users can adapt to the content easily. 

• Content must be accessible in compliance with future tools and technologies. 

As you discover, Shopify website accessibility compliance is tough to maintain. Find an accessibility expert or ADA compliance expert like HulkApps to leverage their experience and build a better website to comply with ADA and WCAG 2.0. 

HulkApps ADA Compliance Expertise 

 HulkApps follows the best practices in the industry to provide ADA accessibility audit. It is based on WCAG 2.1 version, so Shopify merchants and users can expect the best-in-class ADA compliance services. 

• Using automated WCAG testing to run a crawl throughout the website, and find out errors.
• Capitalizing on manual WCAG testing to review codes manually and also use-cases for various web pages. 
• Relying upon assistive tools and technologies, we can ensure people with disabilities can better cope with use cases on the website.

Besides, HulkApps also provides an in-depth website accessibility audit report to help you assess the error levels and therefore severity of legal risks. In the various areas of use cases, you can apply HulkApps ADA compliance or WCAG accessibility expertise. 

• We let you apply different ways to use cases for users with disabilities on your Shopify website. 
• Scrutinize HTML codes to know the chances of penalties.