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Accessibility

Our commitment​

Accessibility lets customers with disabilities, whether visual, motor, cognitive or auditory, browse and buy from your store with ease. Wise is built with accessibility best practices in mind, so your store can be used by as many people as possible.

Built-in accessibility features​

Wise includes these accessibility features out of the box:

  • Page structure: the main content and the footer are marked as page regions that screen readers can jump to, and product, page and blog post titles are marked as the main heading (H1). In the Heading block you choose the heading level (H1 to H6) separately from the text size, so you can keep a logical heading order whatever the design.
  • Skip links: "Skip to content" and "Skip to footer" links appear when keyboard users press Tab at the top of the page, so they can jump past the navigation.
  • Keyboard navigation: links, buttons, forms, menus, drawers and sliders can be used with the keyboard. Menus tell screen readers whether they are open or closed, and drawers and pop-ups close with the Escape key.
  • Focus management: a clear outline shows which element has keyboard focus. When a drawer or pop-up opens, such as the cart drawer, quick view or filters, focus moves into it and stays there until it closes.
  • Labels for assistive technology: icon buttons, sliders and other controls have descriptive labels for screen readers. Star ratings have a text alternative, and changes such as updates to the cart are announced.
  • Reduced motion: when a customer has turned on "reduce motion" on their device, Wise turns off scroll animations, slider autoplay, parallax effects and moving marquees, and pauses autoplaying videos.
  • Zoom: customers can zoom the page in their browser or on their phone.
  • Alt text: images use the alt text you set in your Shopify admin, so screen readers can describe them.

ADA and WCAG compliance​

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) set the standards for web accessibility.

We continuously work to improve accessibility and follow WCAG 2.1 best practices, but full compliance depends on how you set up and use the theme. The theme provides the foundation, and you are responsible for making sure that your content, images, colors and third-party apps meet accessibility standards.

Best practices for merchants​

To keep your store accessible:

Use descriptive link text​

Avoid generic text such as "Click here" or "Learn more". Use labels that explain where the link leads:

  • Good: "View our summer dress collection"
  • Avoid: "Click here"

Add alt text to all images​

Every image in your store should have alt text that describes what it shows. This is essential for screen readers and also helps your SEO.

Keep enough color contrast​

Make sure there is enough contrast between text and background colors, both in Theme settings > Colors and in the colors you set on sections. Use a contrast checker to check that your color combinations meet at least WCAG AA (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text). Pay extra attention to text placed on top of images.

Be careful with third-party apps​

Apps can add elements that are not accessible. Before installing an app, consider:

  • Can it be used with the keyboard?
  • Does it have proper labels for screen readers?
  • Does it handle focus correctly in pop-ups?

If you are unsure, ask the app developer about their accessibility practices.

Don't rely on video alone​

Use images with alt text and written descriptions as the main way to share information. Video should support your content, not replace it. When you use video, add captions or a transcript where possible.

Test your store​

Test your store's accessibility regularly:

  • Browse your whole store using only the keyboard (Tab, Enter, Escape).
  • Use a screen reader (VoiceOver on Mac, NVDA on Windows) to browse your store.
  • Run an automated check with Google Lighthouse or WAVE.

Reporting issues​

If you find an accessibility issue in Wise, please contact our support team. We take accessibility feedback seriously and keep improving the theme.