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If WCAG felt like a rulebook written by lawyers, welcome to Part 2 of this series, where we get practical. If you skipped Part 1, start with this WCAG crash course so you’re not flying blind.
The POUR principles explain what accessibility actually looks like in the real world and why your website either works for people or blocks them at the door. They act as the spine of WCAG and the fastest way to spot where a site fails humans.
While the POUR principles lay down a solid foundation for inclusive design, here is an ugly truth: A shocking 67% of accessibility issues happen in the design phase.
So if you design or approve designs, this one targets you. Follow the POUR principles and you prevent disasters instead of cleaning them up later. (For more on that stat, read this report)
Perceivable: Making Content Available to the Senses
If users can’t see, hear, or understand your content, they can’t access or can’t buy it. It’s as simple as that.
The perceivable principle is about making every product, message, and detail accessible. Add text alternatives for product images, captions for promo videos, and transcripts for audio demos. If your visuals or sounds aren’t inclusive, you’re locking out potential customers.
Examples:
- Captions & Transcripts: If you have a video on your site, add captions so people who are deaf or hard of hearing can follow along. And don’t forget about transcripts for podcasts or audio content; these are crucial for everyone, including those who prefer reading to listening.
- Colour Contrast: I can’t stress this enough: your colour palette and brand identity might be eye-catching, but if they’re inaccessible, they’re worthless. If your “Add to Cart” button fades into your background, you’ve lost the sale before checkout. Brand colours mean nothing if users can’t see the text. Keep a high contrast between text and background.
- Alternative Text: Every product image needs descriptive alt text. “Blue cotton t-shirt, size M, front view” beats “product-image1.” It’s not just inclusive, it boosts SEO and improves your product discoverability.
💡Tip for Designers: Visual Hierarchy: Use visual hierarchy to guide users through your content. Clear headings and subheadings help users with cognitive impairments navigate and understand what they’re reading. Cognitive clarity converts.
💡Tip for Developers: Use ARIA roles to keep dynamic content visible to assistive tech. If your sale banner updates in real-time, aria-live="polite" makes sure no one misses it.
Operable: Make Every Interaction Easy for Every User
Operability is making sure all users can navigate and interact with your site, no matter how they shop. Some rely on keyboards, voice commands, or other assistive tech to buy. If your site doesn’t support these methods, you’re locking out real revenue.
Examples:
- Keyboard Navigation: All buttons, forms, menus, and checkout steps must be reachable via keyboard. If shoppers can’t tab through products and add to the cart easily, they leave, and you lose a sale.
- Avoiding Keyboard Traps: Ever get stuck in a dropdown or modal? That’s a keyboard trap. Make sure users can navigate in and out of interactive elements smoothly, from product filters to promo popups.
- Voice Commands: More customers now shop with voice assistants. Ensure your site responds properly to voice inputs so users can search, filter, and checkout hands-free.
- Touch Targets: Buttons, “Add to Cart,” and product links need to be big enough to tap without precision struggles, especially for mobile shoppers with motor challenges.
💡Tip for Designers: Keep navigation predictable and intuitive. Clear menus, logical categories, and visible CTAs make shopping easier for everyone.
💡Tip for Developers: Implement a logical tab order and correct tabindex for forms and interactive components. Efficient navigation keeps users moving through the funnel instead of bouncing.
Understandable: Make Shopping Simple for Everyone
Understandability is about making your site’s content and interactions easy to follow. Confusing language, inconsistent layouts, or hidden instructions can frustrate shoppers and tank conversions. This principle covers everything from copy clarity to predictable design.
Examples:
- Language Clarity: Ditch the jargon and write like a human. Product descriptions, checkout instructions, and promo messages should be straightforward. If shoppers have to decode your text, they won’t stick around.
- Consistent Design: Keep buttons, menus, and forms uniform across pages. A consistent layout helps users anticipate how your store works from product pages to the checkout, reducing friction and abandoned carts.
- Clear Instructions: Form fields, shipping options, and payment steps must have clear guidance. Place instructions before input fields so screen reader users and new customers understand what to do before acting.
💡Tip for Designers: Stick to a predictable layout across all pages. Visual consistency builds user confidence and keeps customers moving through the funnel.
💡Tip for Developers: Make error messages clear and actionable. A “Try Again” isn’t enough, tell users exactly what went wrong and how to fix it, especially during checkout.
Robust: Future-Proof Your Store for Every Shopper
Robustness ensures your site works reliably across all technologies, now and in the future. This means using clean, standard code so your store functions on every browser, device, and assistive tool. If your site breaks in a screen reader, an old browser, or a mobile device, you risk losing customers before they even see your products.
Examples:
- Valid HTML & CSS: Follow web standards so assistive tech can read your pages correctly. Broken code can hide product details or checkout options, killing conversions.
- Assistive Technologies: Screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other tools rely on well-structured code. A robust store ensures every user can browse, filter products, and complete purchases.
- Future-Proofing: Technology isn’t static. As new devices and tools emerge, your site should be ready to adapt. Sticking to web standards today ensures that your site remains accessible tomorrow. If you neglect this, you risk your content becoming obsolete.
💡Tip for Designers: Plan layouts that adapt to different screen sizes and devices. Flexible, scalable design protects your store against future tech changes.
💡Tip for Developers: Use graceful degradation. Make sure your store remains functional even if some modern features aren’t supported by older browsers or assistive tech.
If you jumped here…
Whether you’re building a new site or tweaking an existing one, here’s how you can apply the POUR principles:
Perceivable: Ensure all content is accessible in multiple formats as visual, auditory, or tactile. If users can’t perceive it, they can’t buy from you.
Operable: Don’t just assume everyone uses a mouse. Make interactive elements navigable by keyboard, touch, or voice commands. If it’s not operable for all users, it might as well not exist.
Understandable: Keep your language simple and your navigation predictable. If users can’t understand your site, they won’t stick around.
Robust: Use clean, standards-compliant code that works with assistive technologies and can handle future devices. If your code is a mess, don’t expect users to find their way around it.
Ready to turn theory into action? Explore my case studies to see how the POUR principles play out in real e-commerce stores, or request a quick audit to see how your site stacks up.
Next Stop: Guidelines: The Goal
