As an entrepreneur, you expect people from all walks of life to use and shop from your online store. According to World Health Organization (WHO), 56.7 million people worldwide live with some disability. Considering this population, if your online store isn’t user-friendly for this group, it’s less likely to succeed.
Shopify supports several accessibility apps, making it easier for businesses to access a larger customer base and generate more conversions. These apps are one of the most reliable and convenient options that simplify life of disabled consumers by resolving the digital obstacles. Not only that, but integrating these apps into your Shopify store can enhance the functionality of your store.
This article highlights the importance of accessibility apps for the online store and some great accessibility apps you can use for your Shopify store in 2022.
What are Accessibility Apps?
Before moving on to the five best accessibility apps, let’s first learn what these applications actually are. Accessibility is a holistic approach where people of all abilities can understand, utilize, and interact with online products and services. Physical, mental, visual, auditory, and cognitive disabilities are prominent aspects to consider when building accessibility apps.
The idea behind an accessibility app is that people of all kinds should be able and accessible to use an online site regardless of their ability.
Different disability conditions can limit a person from using a website. Some common disability conditions are:
- Visually Impaired: People with total or partial inability to see or differentiate color contrasts.
- Auditory Impaired/Hard of Hearing: People with poor ability to hear.
- PhotoSensitive or Epilepsy: Bright color contrasts and flashing lights trigger people with such conditions.
- Physically Disabled or Impaired Motor Skills: Users with limited movement of body parts (such as moving a finger).
Accessibility apps are software applications and plugins that make other applications and websites accessible to those with disability (e.g., visual impairment, auditory disability, etc.)
Best Accessibility Apps for Better Shopify Experience
Smart devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers often represent a usability challenge to people with disabilities. Thanks to advanced innovation and technological progress, accessibility is a significant factor when building a site or app. Read on to explore the five best Shopify accessibility apps that can improve your ability for a better user experience.
1. Accessibility Spark
Compliant with ADA & WCAG, Accessibility Spark is a one-size-fits-all solution for people with or without disabilities. Accessibility spark is powered by AI that transforms manual, expensive site management processes into automated ones. As a result, it eliminates the need to hire an agency or a developer to maintain or update your site regularly.
It’s the best accessibility app as it provides helpful recommendations to your Shopify store to improve accessibility. Accessibility spark is powered by AI technology to optimize screen reading for visually and motor-impaired individuals.
The combination of AI and Machine Learning scans your Shopify website and rectifies accessibility defiance on your site. The tool is already used by popular brands like Loom footwear, xFyro, Floately, and more.
Why Choose Accessibility Spark?
- Supports and adherence to ADA & WCAG Standards
- 5-minute site scanning and analysis
- Quicky automated implementation and setup
- Provides certification of accessibility performance
- Improves organic traffic, SEO, and conversion rate
Features
- Keyboard navigation
- Automated screen and text adjustment
- Voice command
- Color inversion
- Reading guide
- Highlight content
- Text modes (accessible fonts)
- Tooltip
- Seizure-safe animations pause
- Layout structuring
2. Accessibly
Accessibly is the most sought-after and appreciated accessibility app for making a Shopify store more accessible. The primary focus of this accessibility app is to create an online store that is more understandable by implementing tooltips and text modes.
This app can also manage your site’s color contrast, layout, structure, and brightness to create a more user-friendly Shopify website. It also offers compliance with WCAG/ADA standards. Moreover, It also allows you to display your Shopify store content in 8 different languages.
The most helpful features are practical adjustments, such as a screen navigator and content magnifiers. The primary goal of this app is to make on-screen content easier to read, especially for people with visual impairment and cognitive disabilities.
Why Choose Accessibly?
- Shopify store 2.0 compatible
- Adherence to Global compliance
- Different language translations
- Automated setup and app implementation
Widget customized placement
Features
- Text-to-voice command
- Extend cursor
- Small to large text sizes
- Contrast and grayscale management
- Speech recognition
- Screen magnifier
3. Accessibility Toolkit
Designed by Appify Commerce, Accessibility Toolkit is a fantastic accessibility app, especially for those with visual impairment and weak eyesight. The Accessibility Toolkit can be a go-to solution in making your Shopify store perceivable and understandable. It allows the developer and visitor to customize and tailor the site to their particular requirements.
Accessibility Toolkit makes it easier for an individual with visual impairment to browse and navigate the Shopify store in a manageable manner. In addition, the app simplifies the product and services layout to be ADA & WCAG complaints.
Based on Artificial Intelligence, the Accessibility Toolkit can be your one-stop for all hearing and visual disabilities. The app uses your device data to predict your app navigation.
For example, you have recently searched for sunglasses for a partially impaired person. This app will leverage this history and display content related to it the next time you use Shopify.
Why Choose Accessibly Toolkit?
- Best app for blind and visually-impaired individuals
- Placement for accessibility toolbar
- Responsive and quick customization designs
- Freedom to customize the website to your preference
Features
- Custom CSS
- Toolkit customization
- Quick installation and setup
- Keyboard navigation
- Text-to-speech feature
- Screen structuring
- Starred and highlighted links
4. Accessibility Enabler
Accessibility Enabler is another helpful accessibility app that offers personalization freedom to visitors to make your Shopify store more accessible. On the other hand, it also helps site owners in improving the compliance of online accessibility.
This app provides up to 30 accessibility tools to consume and navigate a website effortlessly. Accessibility enabler is specially designed for people with dyslexia and other cognitive disabilities. Accessibility Enable is an excellent hub of various accessibility tools.
Combining various accessibility tools, Accessibility Enabler is one of the most reliable apps. The app also offers the merchant to set up automated and scheduled item entries and tasks. Standard features include speech-to-text command, controlling site brightness and color contrast, a smart saturation tool, and screen zoom-in and out.
Why Choose Accessibility Enabler
- Improves website traffic and engagement through various accessibility tools
- Responsive adjustable tool for page structuring
- Mobile and desktop compatible
- GDPR and ADA compliant
- Accessibility certification, badge, and statement
Features
- Multilingual translation and voice command option
- Decoration gadgets
- Floating button for scrolling
- Accessibility toolbar
- Personalized accessibility layout and widget
- Automated preset page adjustment
- Custom trigger button
5. UserWay Website Accessibility
UserWay’s Website Accessibility app delivers an easy browsing experience. The app aims to strengthen any website’s weak spots that could cause accessibility issues. It also offers modification and customization options to every element and content that is non-compliant.
This accessibility app is known to deliver a user-friendly interface where users of any disability can select and highlight the features they find helpful. However, one unique feature that sets UserWay’s Accessibility app apart from others is its access to a comprehensive dictionary.
This concept has been added for people with cognitive disabilities or those who are non-native English speakers.
Why Choose UserWay’s Website Accessibility App?
- Customize the site widget to match the site’s theme and look
- S-508. ADA & WCAG compliant
- Accessibility features that make your site accessible to all
- Installation and login guide through email
Features
- Screen reader and magnifier
- Text modes and size
- Smart contrast and saturation
- Highlight and save links
- Dyslexia-friendly
- Page structuring and alignment
Why Use Accessibility Apps for Your Shopify Store?
Shopify is an online ecommerce platform. It’s an exclusive platform providing an online shopping experience to everyone. Unfortunately, people with any disability can often be restricted from shopping online. However, there are some great accessibility apps to remove any barriers to digital shopping sites, products, or services.
All members of society, including those with disabilities, can access Shopify through an accessibility app. In addition, the accessibility apps give a sense of freedom to those with disabilities.
Adding accessibility to your Shopify store can help:
- Provide inclusive access to help people with disabilities live independently and with a sense of liberty and dignity – around 15% of the world population.
- Increase the potential income of your Shopify store as people from different categories can use it.
- Address the requirements and needs of people with disabilities who rely on assistive technology can stop discrimination.
- Implement accessibility tools and apps into the Shopify store can help business owners and merchants prevent accessibility-based lawsuits.
Final Verdict
Technology has become an essential part of everybody’s life. Whether ordering a takeaway or booking a ride, everything is accessible through a few clicks. However, in this rapid advancement, it’s imperative not to neglect those with disabilities. People with disabilities, old age, low-literacy users, or any other users with socioeconomic barriers face countless obstacles with digital services and apps.
Whether you want to create a store on Shopify to provide custom products and services or planning to grow your customer base, or perhaps you are just a user looking for improved accessibility, the accessibility apps described here can set you up for long-term success and better user experience.