Equalize Digital is proud to announce significant contributions to the recent accessibility improvements in WooCommerce core, enhancing the shopping experience for millions of people across the globe. Amber Hinds, Equalize Digital CEO, evaluated WooCommerce as part of independent research for her presentation Building a Low-Code Accessible WooCommerce Website.
Out of that research, Amber was able to raise 50+ accessibility issues in the core of WooCommerce. As a result of this collaborative effort, in June 2024 the Woo team released several user interface improvements to the checkout experience, as well as accessibility enhancements.
Improved WooCommerce Checkout Experience
In an effort to improve the overall checkout experience, WooCommerce has rolled out several key changes that end users will appreciate in their 9.0 update.
- Refreshed Order Summary: A visual overhaul with sticky functionality on desktop, making it easier for users to review their orders.
- Local Pickup Options: Clearer display to streamline the selection process.
- Address Form Layout: Enhanced layout with the option to make Address Line 2 required, displayed as an inline button when optional.
- Checkout Steps: Simplified steps without default step numbers for a cleaner interface, with the option to re-enable them in the editor.
- Delivery Options Selectors: Updated display for easier navigation.
- Location Information: Truncated with a “Read more” prompt to simplify the user experience.
- Free Shipping Methods: Now displayed as “FREE” instead of “0.00” for better clarity.
Accessibility Enhancements in Recent WooCommerce Releases
In response to the accessibility feedback from Amber, several accessibility improvements were added to WooCommerce checkout process in recent update:
- Improved Visibility: Elements like the mini cart button no longer reduce opacity on hover, maintaining readability (Issue #42328).
- Keyboard Navigation: Enhanced navigation capabilities using the keyboard, ensuring users who cannot use a mouse can still interact with all features. This includes better focus management and navigation within modal dialogs (Issues #43607, #43630, #43658, #49482).
- Screen Reader Support: Increased support for screen readers through the addition of ARIA labels, helping visually impaired users understand the interface better (Issues #43633, #43634, #44478).
- Contrast Adjustments: Adjustments across the platform to improve text visibility against backgrounds, aiding users with visual impairments (Issues #43628, #43630, #43631).
- Form Field Improvements: Enhanced form labels and error messages to be more accessible to screen readers, ensuring users receive clear feedback on their actions (Issues #40589, #43603).
- Custom Select Boxes: Accessibility improvements to custom select boxes, making them operable via keyboard and screen readers (Issue #43629).
- Focus Indicators: Improved focus indicators for better navigation by keyboard users (Issues #37598, #37606, #47071, #49482).
- General Enhancements: Various enhancements across different components to ensure compliance with WCAG guidelines and improve overall user experience (Issues #26875, #37597, #49046).
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More Work is Happening Now
As part of the response to Equalize Digital’s independent research, WooCommerce and well-known enterprise WordPress agency 10up have been working away at resolving more of the accessibility issues that Amber identified. Since the release of WooCommerce 9.0 in June 2024, they have resolved nearly half the issues identified.
We appreciate and applaud their efforts!
The Woo Developer Blog has more details on both the WooCommerce 9.0 update and an interview the Woo team conducted with Equalize Digital, plus development updates about the effort to resolve accessibility issues.
The Impact of Making Plugins Accessible
Because of the combined efforts of James Kemp, Product Lead for WooCommerce, the Woo team, 10up, and Equalize Digital, millions of websites that use WooCommerce will now be more accessible than they were before.
With the significant uptick in accessibility laws and regulations being implemented globally, savvy WordPress product companies should start familiarizing themselves with these legal requirements and taking action. If you are a WordPress product owner or lead and need assistance in making your softwate accessible, please contact us for a consultation.
