Can React Native apps be made accessible for people with disabilities? Let’s find out! — Back in January 2020, Shopify publicly announced its adoption of React Native. This meant from that point forward, all of our new mobile apps would be built with the React Native framework. By extension, this also meant a new learning opportunity for our accessibility team, in testing apps and guiding…

Whether you’re a seasoned ecommerce expert or just getting started, fellow Shopify merchants, this post is for you. — Table of contents: Write inclusive content Provide enough contrast Describe product images Embrace the keyboard focus ring Headings are navigation, too Use lists for list content Next level inclusivity with captions and transcripts Accessibility is about being mindful when creating content, designing experiences, and writing code. The purpose of which is to be…

And what are those item-something attributes for, anyway? — I’ve been studying HTML from an accessibility blog written by a blind developer. I was curious how they structured their markup and wanted to see if there were any extra bits that made it even more accessible. The markup from this particular blog seemed to go above and beyond what…

How a children’s cartoon incorporates accessibility best practices to be more inclusive. — Being a new dad to a 4 year old, you end up watching a lot of children’s programming you’ve likely never heard of before. (Why would you?) I do pay some attention to what our daughter watches and consumes. …

Let’s add a dynamic content sections to our pages! — Shopify Themes feature dynamic Sections on each homepage. Content such as hero banners, carousels, featured blogs, and collections to name a few. This makes editing your homepage and giving your Store a custom look a breeze! However, wouldn’t it be nice to have some of these dynamic content Sections available…

Hi Mom, it’s your baby, Scott. I’m just writing to say thank you for raising me, encouraging me, loving me, and taking care of my every need. For sharing your sweetness, kindness, and strength. …

Find out what alt text is, why it’s so important, and how to write content for your images — Alt text. We know it’s something that can be added to images on the web, but what is it really? Who is it for? Why should we care? And, perhaps most important, how do we write it? Let’s explore these questions and more! What is alt text? Alt text, or “alternative text” as the…

Find out how to warn people ahead of time and why it’s so important — You’ve probably seen this bit of HTML before: <a href="https://mysite.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">My site</a> Specifically, check out the target="_blank" attribute. This is what allows a link to open a new tab or window automatically. …

Because let’s face it, no one asked to have our function keys taken away! — I don’t know how many times I’ve set my hand down to rest only to accidentally hit something on the Apple Touch Bar and end up losing my work… Or how about when I actually need to use the Touch Bar to switch the currently playing song, adjust the volume…