needed to make your online store more accessible aren’t particularly complicated or costly.  One key is not to assume you know what consumers with disabilities want or need. Not every disabled person needs additional modifications but others will greatly appreciate it.  As we also know, UI/UX (user interface and user experience) are the biggest predictors of online sales but where applicable, this thinking should also be a part of the strategy when creating an online store with improved accessibility. It would be useful to keep the principles of ‘universal design’ in mind when reading the below suggestions. That means that improving the accessibility of an online retail experience for disabled people can also be universally beneficial for all consumers.  Below are several ways you can make your store more accessible for those with a disability — or even the non-disabled consumer who will appreciate the additional ease of navigation. Look at the website coding and perfect your alt tags Visually impaired online shoppers rely on screen-reading software to help them navigate websites effectively. Alt tags are the little words that appear when you hover your mouse over a link or a clickable button or an image, and screen-reading software reads those. Your alt tags should be very descriptive so that a visually impaired shopper can understand the images and links included on your site.  Include text alternatives for visual and audio content (like videos and podcasts) If you include a lot of podcasts on your site, make it easy for the deaf to enjoy the conversations too, by adding a transcript. Likewise, if you publish lots of video content, adding captions makes it accessible to some disabled people and to non-disabled people who can’t have the sound on at that particular time. Make your links and buttons easier to click For shoppers with dexterity issues, managing a mouse efficiently can be challenging. Clicking on a tiny inserted link or an icon in the corner of the screen can be incredibly frustrating, require multiple attempts with misses and wrong clicks. People with conditions such as muscular dystrophy and Parkinson’s disease will appreciate large clickable icons that are well spaced and easy to see.  Keep your text succinct This isn’t just advantageous for some people with disabilities but can also be beneficial for non-disabled people who are time-poor. It also simplifies web browsing for shoppers relying on screen readers, people with learning difficulties, and impatient shoppers. In fact, all websites should keep their font size to at least 14 and never allow a paragraph to run on for longer than four lines before adding a space. This improved readability will improve your overall sales.  Review your font colours and sizes Not everyone with low vision has a screenreader and some of us just rely on our limited eyesight. Remember, you needn’t identify as disabled to have momentary poor eyesight online. For this reason, you may want to consider colours. Contrast is very important for some people with low vision, making a light font on a white background (or a dark font on a black background) almost impossible to read. Some websites have also adjusted their font size or made that particular function available to customers. Consider including an accessibility guide  An accessibility guide dedicates a full page to your shoppers who may have a limitation that affects their experience. This is beautifully exemplified in the BBC website, which has an entire page dedicated to helping visitors to optimise their own computer settings and software to work well with the website. It includes options you can select such as “I am blind” or “I am deaf” and based on your selections, different sets of instructions ensure you have the best possible experience.  No two disabled people are alike but there are many similarities when it comes to the additional requirements of some disabled people. Obviously, a more accessible site is great for moral and ethical reasons but for retailers, it can be enormously beneficial to your bottom line too.