PrestaShop Accessibility Guidelines: How to Ensure Compliance

Recently created a store on PrestaShop? Are you sure that it’s accessible to all users? Here’s everything you need to know about PrestaShop accessibility.

So, you’re finally ready to launch your PrestaShop store and start making sales! 

But, just how sure are you that each and every customer will be able to access and use your site?

Having an inaccessible website means that you’re cutting off a large portion of your target audience that is living with disabilities. Not only is this discrimination, but you aren’t giving your eCommerce store the best chance of succeeding.

Fortunately, it’s easier than ever to test your website for ADA compliance and become WCAG compliant.

Let’s dive in.

About PrestaShop

Just in case you’re still considering the PrestaShop platform for your eCommerce store, here is what you should know.

Launched in 2007, PrestaShop is a popular open-source platform that makes it easy to build and manage an eCommerce store – once you get the hang of the backend, anyway. While it’s mostly better suited to smaller online stores, this doesn’t mean the platform isn’t feature-rich.

PrestaShop is known for its impressive store design and product customization options, making it possible for you to sell both physical and downloadable products across the online storefront you’ve been envisioning.

The Phenomenon of Accessibility

Before we get into the specifics of making your PrestaShop accessible, let’s take a moment to remember why accessibility should be an integral part of doing business in a modern world.

Imagine wanting to visit a store, engage with a video, or purchase a new pair of shoes (1) online only to realize that you can’t access that store or website. This is the reality for millions of online users globally.

Accessibility plays an important role in business because it gives everyone equal access and opportunities and creates a more inclusive society overall.

We know enough and have access to enough technology to no longer create barriers for those living with disabilities!

PrestaShop and Accessibility

Many website owners assume that because they’re designing a site using a leading website builder that it means they don’t need to worry about web accessibility – this is not the case.

PrestaShop does not incorporate the latest WCAG, also known as Website Content Accessibility Guidelines. 

WCAG is the standard for web accessibility across the globe and forms part of almost every disability act, including the ADA. 

This means that building your online store on the PrestaShop platform doesn’t automatically mean it’s accessible.

So, what are your options?

An accessibility module that offers WCAG 2.0 compliance is currently available in the Addons Marketplace on PrestaShop. However, adding this module won’t correct every accessibility issue that might be present on your site. 

What’s more, the latest version of WCAG is actually 2.2, which means it doesn’t follow the latest guidelines.

Making Your PrestaShop Accessible

If you want to make sure that your online store is fully accessible and compliant, your best option is to try one of the leading accessibility solutions on the market.

Let’s get into those now. 

As mentioned, manually auditing your PrestaShop store is one way to make your site accessible – it’s not the easiest or best solution though. 

Web accessibility outsourcing has fast become the preferred choice for businesses and website owners because it simplifies the process and eliminates any accessibility-related risks more quickly.

There are a number of ADA compliance software solutions available to achieve PrestaShop accessibility. 

Top solutions such as accessiBe, Userway and Siteimprove adhere to the latest version of WCAG and automatically scan your store and fix accessibility issues. One of the aspects that an automated tool might fix includes color contrast correction

Other issues such as adding text alternatives to your images and videos is something you will be alerted to but will need to fix yourself. 

The Significance of PrestaShop Accessibility

Ensuring your PrestaShop site is accessible makes sense for a number of reasons – doing your part to create a more inclusive society is just one of them.

Another good reason is to avoid costly and damaging lawsuits. Once you start looking into the law on website accessibility (2), you quickly realize just how easily you could receive a demand letter. 

ADA and other accessibility-related lawsuits are increasing year on year because lawyers are keeping a close eye on websites. This leads to unnecessary legal costs and a damaged brand reputation, both of which can be avoided. 

Then there’s the fact that millions of disabled customers use the internet daily. If your eCommerce store is not accessible, you’re potentially losing out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in potential income. 

These reasons paired with the fact that solutions such as AudioEye, accessiBe, UserWay, and Siteimprove, and are readily available means there’s no excuse not to prioritize PrestaShop accessibility this year. 

Wrapping up

Now that you understand the true value of PrestaShop accessibility and how easily you can become WCAG compliant, you can look forward to running an online store that’s accessible and easy to use for all.

The result? More sales, loyal customers, and a thriving PrestaShop store.

Find out whether your PrestaShop store is accessible or not by conducting a test on Accessibility Checker

Want to Learn More?

Here are a few other blogs we thought you would find interesting:

• ADA Compliance for Websites 
• Guide to Shopify Accessibility
• How to Make PDFs and Other Documents Accessible