E-Commerce Accessibility Issues Highlighted in New Campaign

Wednesday, November 13, 2019 - 13:32 by David Aiken

While the vast majority of consumers can carry out safe shopping online unhindered by anything other than connectivity complications, a new campaign called Purple Tuesday was launched this week to pinpoint some of the problems facing disabled members of the public who want to enjoy the same privileges.

Internet Retailing reports that the campaign hopes to reveal the ongoing challenges that many disabled consumers face when trying to buy online, with bricks and mortar experiences claimed to be more conducive to seamless shopping.

Ultimately, it comes down to the need to redesign user experiences around those who have disabilities that might limit them from using a site. This includes visual impairments as well as health issues that compromise a visitor’s ability to interact with standard interface elements.

The group behind Purple Tuesday say that 75 per cent of people living with disabilities have been given no choice but to abandon a purchase at some point as a direct result of their condition not being taken into account by retailers.

This is not just about improving experiences for shoppers of all backgrounds but also about making retailers appreciate that they could actually be missing out on a significant number of sales by failing to pay attention to this niche in the market.

There are a number of ways for retail sites to enhance the UX for disabled customers, including by integrating audio description solutions so that those who are unable to use standard input methods or even see product pictures and details on the page are not held back.

A number of major retailers, including Marks & Spencer and Sainsbury’s, are committed to following the recommendations made by the founders of Purple Tuesday, and it is likely that this event will continue to gather steam in the coming years.