BigCommerce ADA & WCAG 2.1 Compliance Guide

Make your BigCommerce store ADA and WCAG 2.1 AA compliant. Fix common accessibility issues in Cornerstone theme, checkout, and product pages.

8 min read

Introduction

BigCommerce powers mid-market and enterprise e-commerce stores, but the Cornerstone theme has multiple WCAG 2.1 AA violations. As e-commerce ADA lawsuits continue to rise, BigCommerce merchants must proactively address accessibility to avoid legal exposure.

BigCommerce stores are subject to ADA Title III as places of public accommodation. The FTC and DOJ have both issued guidance that websites must be accessible. E-commerce lawsuits target checkout flows, product filtering, and image galleries most frequently.

Legal Risk: Websites built on BigCommerce are subject to ADA Title III requirements. Over 300+ lawsuits target BigCommerce sites annually. 71% of sites are non-compliant.

Common Accessibility Issues

Cornerstone Theme Color ContrastseriousWCAG 2.1 AA 1.4.3

Default Cornerstone theme colors fail WCAG 1.4.3 minimum contrast ratio. Button text and placeholder text are particularly low-contrast.

Quick View Modal FocuscriticalWCAG 2.1 AA 2.4.3

BigCommerce Quick View modal doesn't trap focus or return focus when closed.

Missing Product Alt TextcriticalWCAG 2.1 AA 1.1.1

BigCommerce product images often lack meaningful alt text, defaulting to product code.

Faceted Search Not AccessibleseriousWCAG 2.1 AA 2.1.1

Category page filters aren't keyboard accessible and don't announce filter changes to screen readers.

How to Fix Common Issues

Fix Cornerstone Button Contrast

Before (inaccessible)

.button { background: #7d7d7d; color: #fff; }

After (accessible)

.button { background: #595959; color: #fff; } /* 7.0:1 ratio */

Increase button background darkness to meet 4.5:1 contrast ratio. Use a contrast checker to verify. Update Cornerstone theme settings or custom CSS.

Product Image Alt Text

Before (inaccessible)

{{image url=img_url alt=product.sku}}

After (accessible)

{{image url=img_url alt=(concat product.name " product image")}}

Use BigCommerce Handlebars helpers to construct meaningful alt text. Include product name and relevant descriptor. Avoid SKU codes as alt text.

BigCommerce-Specific Notes

BigCommerce's Page Builder has limited accessibility customization. Cornerstone theme updates in 2024 improved some ARIA but checkout still needs manual fixes. BigCommerce Checkout SDK allows custom accessible checkout experiences. Use BigCommerce's theme editor to adjust contrast colors without coding.

Accessibility Statistics

300+

Lawsuits per year

71%

Sites non-compliant

60-100 hours

Avg fix time

Frequently Asked Questions

Does BigCommerce have an accessibility app?

BigCommerce App Marketplace has overlay-based accessibility apps, but we don't recommend overlays — they're frequently ineffective and have faced lawsuits themselves. Focus on true WCAG compliance in your theme.

Can I customize BigCommerce checkout for accessibility?

Yes. BigCommerce offers an Optimized One-Page Checkout that has better accessibility than legacy checkout. For full control, use the Checkout SDK to build a custom accessible checkout.

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