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UK E-Commerce Sector

Website Accessibility for E-Commerce Businesses

Online retailers must provide accessible digital experiences to ensure every shopper can browse, choose, and purchase without barriers. In the UK, this is reinforced by key legislation including the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the Equality Act.

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Recite Me works with e-commerce organisations to create more accessible and inclusive online shopping experiences

Regulatory Framework

Key Accessibility Legislation for the E-Commerce Industry

Online retailers operating in the UK are required to ensure their digital platforms are accessible to all users. This obligation is underpinned by legislation such as the Equality Act and the EAA, both of which reference the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the benchmark standard.

Adhere to WCAG 2.2 Standards

E-commerce websites and mobile apps should meet the accessibility requirements set out in WCAG 2.2. Level AA is currently the accepted benchmark for compliance, though Level AAA can serve as an aspirational target for those wanting to go further.

Audit and Maintain Existing Content

Product pages, checkout flows, and other digital content should be regularly reviewed to identify and fix accessibility gaps. Scheduled audits help ensure ongoing compliance as new content is added.

Maintain a Clear Accessibility Statement

Every e-commerce website should display a current accessibility statement that communicates the site’s present level of conformance and outlines steps being taken to address any outstanding issues.

Integrate Accessibility Into Business Workflows

Accessibility should not be treated as a one-off project. It needs to be woven into content production, design processes, development sprints, QA testing, and governance structures so that standards are maintained as the platform grows.

Stay Ready for Legal and Regulatory Obligations

E-commerce businesses should be prepared for compliance requirements under applicable accessibility laws. Any customer queries or formal complaints relating to accessibility should be addressed promptly and thoroughly.

Provide Alternatives Where Barriers Still Exist

Where certain features or pages are not yet fully accessible, retailers should offer reasonable workarounds so that all shoppers can still complete purchases and access the information they need independently.

How We Help

How Recite Me Supports E-Commerce Businesses with Accessibility Challenges

For online retailers, creating an accessible shopping experience is about making sure every customer, regardless of disability, language, or how they browse, can engage fully with your store. The areas below outline common e-commerce accessibility challenges and how Recite Me helps address them.

 

Being transparent about what has been reviewed, improved, and what remains in progress builds trust with customers and demonstrates a genuine commitment to inclusion. Maintaining an up-to-date accessibility statement helps communicate this. Recite Me provides guidance and tools to help track and share accessibility progress over time.

From product discovery through to post-purchase support, digital barriers can prevent customers from completing their journey. The Recite Me Website Accessibility Checker highlights areas for improvement across your entire site, supporting progress toward established standards such as WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

E-commerce platforms often feature size guides, manuals, returns policies, and other downloadable documents. These can present challenges for users with disabilities if accessibility has not been considered in their design. Recite Me tools help identify barriers in documents and support updates that make them easier to navigate and use.

Shoppers with disabilities or specific access needs can offer valuable insight into where your website falls short. Having a structured process to collect, review, and respond to accessibility feedback helps retailers make targeted improvements. Recite Me supports businesses in assessing accessibility issues and identifying practical solutions.

Without the right support, some shoppers may struggle to read product descriptions, navigate menus, or complete checkout. The Recite Me Assistive Toolbar provides text-to-speech, on-the-fly translation, customisable display settings, and more, giving customers the flexibility to shop in the way that works best for them.

Why Digital Inclusion Matters for B2B Marketing

Across Your Organisation

D&I Teams Supported by Recite Me

In the e-commerce sector, delivering an accessible shopping experience is a shared responsibility across many business functions. Recite Me equips different teams with tools that help improve accessibility across content, platforms, and everyday workflows.

Digital & Development Teams

Developers and UX designers are responsible for building the online shopping environment that customers interact with. Every design decision and line of code can either support or hinder accessibility.

Recite Me helps these teams identify accessibility barriers early, improve usability throughout the site, and track compliance over time using automated scanning, detailed reporting, and remediation tools.

Content & Marketing Teams

Marketing teams crafting product copy, email campaigns, promotional content, and brand communications directly influence how inclusive and accessible a retailer’s messaging is to different audiences.

Recite Me helps present content in multiple formats, offers translation across more than 100 languages, and supports accessible website design that reaches the widest possible customer base.

Compliance & Legal Teams

Legal and compliance functions need reliable methods to track accessibility performance and demonstrate adherence to recognised standards as regulatory expectations continue to evolve.

Recite Me supports alignment with frameworks including WCAG and relevant legislation such as the Equality Act and the EAA, providing evidence of progress and ongoing commitment.

Customer Experience Teams

Customer service and CX teams shape how issues are handled and how the brand responds when shoppers encounter problems, including accessibility-related barriers at any point in the journey.

Recite Me supports a more accessible and positive customer experience by making it easier for all shoppers to engage with product information and complete purchases.

Our Solutions

Recite Me Accessibility Solutions for E-Commerce Businesses

Whether you run a growing online store or a large retail platform, Recite Me’s suite of tools delivers immediate impact and long-term accessibility improvements. Here’s a closer look at what’s available:

INCLUSION

Assistive Toolbar

  • Text-to-speech functionality with over 65 voices
  • Translation into more than 100 languages
  • Customisable colour and font settings
  • Focus aids including screen rulers and masks
  • Reading tools including dictionaries, page summaries, & magnifiers

Explore our Toolbar

COMPLIANCE

Web Accessibility Checker

  • Full site scanning for WCAG 2.2 violations
  • Prioritised list of accessibility issues to address
  • AI-powered autofixes, code suggestions, and image alt text generation
  • Schedule repeat audits for sustained compliance
  • Compatible with tools including Jira and Azure DevOps

Explore our Web Checker

DOCUMENTS

PDF Accessibility Checker

  • Site-wide scanning to locate inaccessible documents
  • AI-powered autofixes to address accessibility issues at scale
  • Batch remediation for PDF documents across your platform
  • Track progress and schedule future document scans
  • Supports compliance with EAA and the Equality Act standards

Explore our PDF checker

Customers

E-Commerce Businesses We Work With

Recite Me works with online retailers and e-commerce platforms across the UK to help create shopping experiences that are accessible and welcoming to all customers, including:

Danone Logo
  • Helen Marriott,
  • Talent and Learning Director, Danone

Download the Retail Accessibility Guide

Discover practical steps to make your online store accessible to every shopper.

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Resolving digital barriers

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Website build tips

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How Recite Me helps

Download Retail Accessibility Guide Now

Retail Accessibility FAQs

Online retailers serve a broad and diverse customer base. Digital accessibility helps ensure that shoppers with disabilities, older users, or those browsing in different languages are not inadvertently excluded from completing a purchase or accessing product information.

E-commerce businesses operating in the UK need to consider the Equality Act 2010 and the European Accessibility Act, both of which set out obligations around providing accessible digital services.

While specific legal requirements vary, aligning with WCAG 2.2 Level AA is widely considered industry best practice for e-commerce. It provides a framework for accessible design and helps demonstrate accessibility compliance.

All digital touchpoints should be considered, including product pages, category listings, checkout flows, order confirmation emails, PDFs, promotional banners, videos, and interactive features.

No. While accessibility is especially important for shoppers with disabilities, many of the improvements it brings, such as clearer navigation, simpler language, and better-structured content, benefit all customers.

No, accessibility can be embedded into your regular development and content workflows without a full rebuild.