Shopify Accessibility Audit

Most Shopify themes aren't fully accessible out of the box. Our scanner checks your store against WCAG 2.1 AA standards and identifies exactly what needs to be fixed for EAA compliance.

Scan Your Shopify Store Free

Enter your store URL. Get results in 30 seconds.

Audit My Shopify Store →

Common Shopify Accessibility Issues

After scanning thousands of Shopify stores, these are the most frequent accessibility problems we find:

Product Images

  • • Missing alt text on product photos
  • • Decorative images not hidden from screen readers
  • • Image zoom not keyboard accessible

Navigation

  • • Dropdown menus not keyboard accessible
  • • Missing skip-to-content links
  • • Mobile menu not screen reader friendly

Cart & Checkout

  • • Form fields without visible labels
  • • Error messages not announced to screen readers
  • • Quantity selectors not accessible

Visual Design

  • • Low color contrast on buttons and text
  • • Focus indicators removed or invisible
  • • Touch targets too small on mobile

Accessibility by Shopify Theme

Some themes are more accessible than others. Here's what we've found:

ThemeAverage ScoreCommon Issues
Dawn (Free)82/100Best default option, minor contrast issues
Debut (Legacy)68/100Dropdown menus, focus indicators
Brooklyn65/100Slideshow accessibility, contrast
Minimal70/100Generally decent, form labels
Turbo58/100Complex features hurt accessibility
Prestige55/100Visual-heavy design, many issues

Quick Fixes for Shopify Accessibility

1. Add Alt Text to All Products

In Shopify admin: Products → Select product → Click image → Add alt text

Describe what's in the image. "Blue cotton t-shirt front view" not "IMG_1234"

2. Enable Skip-to-Content Link

Add to theme.liquid before the header:

<a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">Skip to content</a>

3. Fix Color Contrast

Check your theme colors in theme settings. Ensure text has at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio.

Use a contrast checker tool. Common fixes: darken gray text, increase button contrast.

4. Label All Form Fields

Every input needs a visible label. Don't rely on placeholders alone.

<label for="email">Email address</label> <input type="email" id="email" name="email">

Shopify Apps for Accessibility

⚠️ Warning about accessibility overlay apps:

Apps that promise to "make your site accessible with one line of code" are not a real solution. They add widgets on top of accessibility issues instead of fixing them. Many have been criticized by the disability community and don't provide legal protection. Fix the actual issues instead.

Get Your Shopify Accessibility Score

Free scan. Prioritized fixes. Real compliance.

Scan My Store Now →