Inclusive Online Marketplace with WCAG 2.1

Imagine Anum, a visually impaired individual from Pakistan, eagerly anticipating purchasing a new beauty product from Daraz, an online marketplace. However, her excitement quickly turns to frustration as she encounters confusing menus, blurry images, and forms that her screen reader can't interpret. Sadly, Anum's experience is all too common for millions of people with disabilities who face similar challenges when trying to shop online.

The problem here is evident: individuals with disabilities, like Anum, often struggle to access online shopping platforms due to inaccessible design elements. This issue is not only an ethical concern but also represents a significant missed opportunity. In the United States, for instance, people with disabilities have a combined spending power of $830 billion. Similar situations exist in Europe, the Middle East, and Pakistan.

So, how can we tap into this potential and create an online shopping experience that truly includes everyone?

Enter WCAG 2.1, the superhero of web accessibility. Unlike a strict rulebook, WCAG 2.1 empowers website creators to build platforms that anyone can use, regardless of their abilities. It offers solutions to key challenges:

Perceivable: Imagine Anum easily navigating through clear menus and receiving helpful descriptions of images. WCAG ensures that all content is presented in a way that everyone can understand, regardless of how they access the website.

Operable: Picture Anum using just her keyboard to browse for beauty products. WCAG encourages features like keyboard navigation, ensuring that everyone can interact with the website in their preferred way.

Understandable: Think about Anum finding clear instructions for completing her purchase. WCAG emphasizes the importance of providing content that is easy to understand, promoting a smooth and consistent experience for everyone.

Robust: Envision Anum accessing the website with her preferred assistive technologies without any compatibility issues. WCAG encourages using technologies that work well for everyone, ensuring long-term accessibility.

However, following WCAG guidelines is just the beginning. The real magic happens when we combine these principles with empathy and a focus on user experience. By listening to the needs of diverse users and testing our websites from their perspective, we can create online shopping experiences that are not only accessible but also welcoming and enjoyable for everyone.

Tools like the WAVE Accessibility Tool or automated checkers like axe can assist in testing for WCAG compliance and overall accessibility, helping identify potential issues and providing recommendations for improvement.

These are some examples of websites that are known to be WCAG 2.1 compliant:

BBC: https://www.bbc.com

Apple: https://www.apple.com/

Nike: https://www.nike.com/

World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/

By embracing WCAG principles and prioritizing empathy in our design process, we can create a digital world where everyone, including individuals like Anum, can shop with confidence and ease.

Let's collaborate to make online shopping truly inclusive for everyone, regardless of their abilities or background.