We were lucky to sit down with a special guest, Bet Hannon of Accessicart to discuss where Accessibility should fit in WooCommerce store building, particularly with the European Accessibility Act taking effect in June of 2025. Check out the recording of the webinar below!
Key highlights
Accessibility is good design
Accessibility is a much broader topic and concept than most people think about. Accessibility in design makes considerations for everything from current physical and mobility issues, to ADHD and Anxiety, as well as future proofing for age-related vision changes. With that in mind, when your stores are more usable to more people, merchants ultimately end up with more sales, repeat customers, less cart abandonment, and developers are able to deliver stores with consistency.
European Accessibility Act
The European Accessibility Act has been in the works for quite a few years, but is only about to go into effect in June of 2025. Typically, store and site remediation for accessibility compliance takes anywhere from 6-9 months. Ultimately, if you are a store selling in Europe, you will be subject to the laws of the EAA, which range from fines to even potential jail time in certain countries. It’s best to be prepared and encourage developers and clients alike to take steps to remediate their sites and stores and bake accessibility into the design and build process for future stores as well.
Become a leader in accessibility rights
There are opportunities to lead the pack with accessibility through certifications and participation in accessibility efforts all over the world. Overlay plugins and automated accessibility solutions don’t actually account for everything necessary in accessibility standards, and can still lead to fines and remediation. Having a multi-faceted approach with industry professionals can help you become a leader in the field as well. Join us for WordPress Accessibility Day and in the WordPress Accessibility Slack channel for more!
Thank you and stay connected
We’re grateful to everyone who participated in this event. Efforts for accessibility are not limited to the EAA, or quick changes – they are constant and evolving, so make sure to get involved on a community level and work with your clients to have these conversations early and often!
For updates, feedback, and further discussions:
- Visit the Developer Blog.
- Join the Community Slack.
- Subscribe to the Developer Newsletter.
We’ll be hosting more sessions like this. Stay tuned, while we talk Marketplace, WooCommerce Core Accessibility and more throughout the year!
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