What the law says, in short
The Department of Justice treats web access for businesses open to the public as an ADA matter. The rules for private businesses (Title III) and for public bodies (Title II) are different, and how courts treat online-only shops varies by jurisdiction. One browser test doesn't make an "ADA certificate", and there's no such thing.
The public-sector deadlines are for state and local government websites, not private stores. Under the April 2026 change, entities with a population of 50,000 or more have until April 26, 2027, and smaller ones and special districts until April 26, 2028. Don't apply those dates to a private shop.
A sensible technical target
WCAG is the technical standard. WCAG 2.2 level AA is a good target for a new store build. That's my recommendation, not a statement that every business is legally required to meet that exact version.
Will a widget fix it?
An overlay or widget doesn't make a site compliant on its own. In April 2025 the FTC approved a final order requiring accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its product could make any website WCAG compliant. That case concerns one company and doesn't speak for every tool. But it's a reason not to treat a plugin as a guarantee. Automated scans also miss many problems, so they should be paired with manual testing.
In October 2026 one lawsuit tracker counted 431 cases, with 107 defendants using a widget. The tracker covers federal courts and New York and California state courts only, so it's not a count of all US cases, and it says nothing about cause.
Checks worth running on a store
- Use the whole store, from product page to order confirmation, with only a keyboard.
- Check that the focus is always visible, including in menus and pop-ups.
- Make sure form fields have labels, and that errors say what went wrong and how to fix it.
- Test choosing a variant such as size or color.
- Try the cart and checkout with a screen reader.
- Give product images meaningful alt text.
- Zoom the page and check that content reflows. Check text contrast: 4.5 to 1 for normal text and 3 to 1 for large text.
- Add captions to videos and give drag actions a simple alternative.
What an audit report should say
A useful report lists the pages tested, the date and version, the devices and assistive technology used, the issues still open, and a retest. Accessibility can change when content or third-party apps change, so it's an ongoing job.
What to do next
- Try your own checkout with the keyboard only, today.
- Write down what you couldn't reach or understand.
- Ask any developer you hire to include accessibility tests and a retest in the scope.
Keep reading
Need your Etsy shop managed or evaluated?
I take on Etsy shop management and evaluations, listing SEO, ads and AI automation. Share your project through the contact section and I will get back to you with a quote.
Share Your ProjectSources
Rules, numbers and dates change often. This page reflects the sources below as checked on Nov 9, 2026. Confirm current figures with the official source before you act.