The standard behind the law
The European Accessibility Act points to EN 301 549, which for websites builds on WCAG 2.1 level AA. So the working checklist is WCAG. National laws differ across member states — Germany's BFSG, France's and Spain's equivalents — but the technical target is shared, which means one round of fixes serves every EU market you sell to.
Part 1 — what a scan can check for you
These have objective pass/fail conditions, so a tool can test them reliably and repeatedly. Start here: they are the cheapest wins and usually the bulk of the occurrences.
| Check | WCAG | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Every image has a text alternative | 1.1.1 | Alt text present — but whether it is meaningful is a human call |
| Text contrast is at least 4.5:1 | 1.4.3 | Measured directly against the rendered page |
| Every form field has a label | 3.3.2 | Programmatic label association |
| Links and buttons have accessible names | 2.4.4 / 4.1.2 | Icon-only controls are the usual offenders |
| Page declares its language | 3.1.1 | The lang attribute on the html element |
| Page has a title | 2.4.2 | Unique and descriptive per page |
| Headings follow a sensible order | 1.3.1 | Structure, not styling |
| Zoom is not blocked | 1.4.4 | The viewport meta must not disable scaling |
Coverage is the number nobody quotes. Automated testing reaches roughly half of the WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria — in our tool, 27 of 50. Any product that hands you a single “accessibility score” is quietly counting untested criteria as passed. Ask what was tested, not just what failed.
Part 2 — what only a person can judge
These decide whether your store is genuinely usable, and no scanner settles them. Budget human time for this part.
- Is the alt text actually useful? — A machine sees that alt exists; only a person can tell whether it describes what matters in context.
- Does the reading order make sense? — Visual order and DOM order can diverge in ways no rule catches.
- Are error messages helpful? — “Invalid input” passes the rule and fails the user.
- Can the whole purchase be completed by keyboard? — Add to cart, variant pickers, drawers, checkout — end to end, no mouse.
- Does it work with a real screen reader? — The only way to know is to try it, ideally with people who use one daily.
Part 3 — the paperwork
- Accessibility statement on your storefront: what the service is, what is known to be limited, and how to report a barrier. Dated, and kept current.
- A working feedback channel — an address a real person reads. This is explicitly expected, not optional decoration.
- A record of what you did. Findings, dates, actions. If accessibility is ever questioned, documented good-faith effort is the thing you can actually show.
A realistic order of work
- Scan your key templates — home, collection, product, cart.
- Fix contrast and missing alt text (usually most occurrences).
- Label icon-only controls and form fields.
- Walk the full purchase flow with the keyboard only.
- Publish an honest statement with a feedback address.
- Re-scan on a schedule — themes and apps change, regressions happen.
Start with Part 1 right now
Free check of your storefront against WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549 — about 30 seconds, no install, no account.
Run the free checkThis checklist is information, not legal advice, and does not guarantee compliance with the EAA, the BFSG or any national law. Automated testing detects only a portion of accessibility issues and does not replace an expert audit or testing with people who use assistive technology.