Accessibility

What is Accessibility?

Accessibility means ensuring your products, services, and premises can be used by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities. This includes people with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments.

Implementing accessibility is not just a legal or ethical best practice; it also expands your customer base and improves the experience for all users.

1. Physical Store Accessibility (2157 Eagle Pointe Drive)

Since you have a brick-and-mortar location, here are key points to consider:

  • Parking: Is there an accessible parking space close to the entrance that is clearly marked and wide enough for a van with a ramp?

  • Path to Entrance: The pathway from the parking lot to your door should be smooth, wide, and free of obstacles.

  • Entrance: Is the entrance step-free? If there are steps, a permanent ramp or a portable ramp is necessary. The door should be easy to open (automatic or lightweight with a lever handle).

  • In-Store Navigation: Aisles should be wide enough (at least 36 inches) for a wheelchair or walker to maneuver easily between clothing racks.

  • Fitting Rooms: At least one fitting room should be an accessible size to accommodate a wheelchair and a companion. It should have a bench, support bars, and a door that is easy to open and close.

  • Checkout Counter: A portion of the main counter should be at a lower height (max 36 inches) for wheelchair users.

  • Staff Training: Train your staff to be helpful and respectful. Offer assistance but wait for it to be accepted. Don't make assumptions about a customer's needs.

2. Website Accessibility (www.livepaty.com)

This is where you can make a huge impact. An accessible website allows everyone to shop your collection.

Key Areas to Focus On:

a) For the Visually Impaired:

  • Alt Text: Every product image must have descriptive alternative text (alt text). This allows screen readers to describe the image to blind users. (e.g., instead of "image123.jpg," use "Livepaty women's black linen high-waisted wide-leg trousers").

  • Color Contrast: Text must have high contrast against its background (e.g., light gray text on a white background is very hard to read). Use online tools to check contrast ratios.

  • Scalable Text: Ensure users can zoom in on your web pages (up to 200%) without the text breaking or overlapping.

  • Keyboard Navigation: Users must be able to navigate your entire website—menus, product pages, cart—using only a keyboard (Tab key). Visible focus indicators are essential.

b) For Those with Motor Difficulties:

  • Large Clickable Areas: Buttons (like "Add to Cart") and links should be large enough to click easily.

  • Simplify Forms: The checkout process should be as simple as possible with clear labels and error messages.

c) For Cognitive Disabilities:

  • Simple Language: Use clear, straightforward language on your website.

  • Consistent Layout: Keep your navigation and layout consistent across all pages.

  • Clear Instructions: Provide obvious instructions and error messages (e.g., if a user enters an invalid email format during checkout).

How to Implement This on Your Website (Practical Steps)

  1. Audit Your Site: Use an automated tool like WAVE (wave.webaim.org) or Lighthouse (in Google Chrome DevTools) to find obvious errors. These are free and a great starting point.

  2. Manual Testing: Test keyboard navigation yourself. Try to tab through your entire site.

  3. Write Alt Text: Go through your product catalog and ensure every image has meaningful alt text.

  4. Add an Accessibility Statement: Create a page on your website that states your commitment to accessibility. This builds trust. You can mention:

    *"Livepaty is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless of technology or ability. We are actively working to increase the accessibility and usability of our site... If you have any questions or concerns regarding the accessibility of any page on this site, please contact us at Contact@livepaty.com or call us at +1 (346) 212-7336."*

  5. Consider Professional Help: For a thorough solution, consider hiring an accessibility consultant or using a service like AccessiBe or UserWay to help implement and maintain compliance. This can be a more efficient route than doing it entirely manually.