ERICK NOLASCO Design

Website accessibility · Shopify stores

Accessible Shopify stores that still look like your brand.

I’m Erick, a designer who fixes accessibility issues in Shopify theme code. I start with a manual WCAG 2.2 AA audit, then make real fixes in your theme. No overlay widgets, and no redesign you didn’t ask for.

Fixed prices · Work done on a duplicate theme · You approve every visual change

Before and after of the same product card. Before: the price is light gray at 2.5:1 contrast, the cart icon button has no name, and there is no focus ring. After: the price is a darker brand brown at 7.6:1, the cart button is named “Cart”, and a visible brass focus ring surrounds it.
Same design, fixed code: readable price, named button, visible focus.

Some shoppers can’t get to checkout on your store

You’ve put work into your photos, your product copy and your brand. But a shopper who uses a keyboard, a screen reader or a zoomed-in screen can still get stuck before they reach checkout.

Most common failures in my scan of 37 Shopify stores

Number of stores with each issue · automated scan, November 2026

89%had serious or critical failures (33 of 37)

  1. Low color contrast 24 of 37 stores
  2. Links with no name 22 of 37 stores
  3. Buttons with no name 14 of 37 stores
  4. Clickable items nested inside each other 12 of 37 stores
  5. Hidden content that still takes keyboard focus 10 of 37 stores
  6. Images missing alt text 7 of 37 stores
Homepage plus one product page per store, checked with axe-core against WCAG 2.1 A/AA. Automated tools only catch some issue types, so a manual review always finds more. Contrast and labels can usually be fixed in a way that fits your brand. Read the full write-up, with fixes for each issue

Accessibility also matters legally. UsableNet counted 5,114 US digital accessibility lawsuits in 2025; about 70% targeted e-commerce, and 64% of defendants had less than $25M in revenue (UsableNet 2025 lawsuit report). I’m not a lawyer and I can’t give legal advice. What I can do is find the barriers and fix them in your code.

Three fixes in 30 seconds

What these fixes look like on a real product page. No sound; the description below covers everything shown.

Video description (text version)
  1. Contrast. A product card shows the price in light gray at a 2.5:1 contrast ratio, which fails the 4.5:1 minimum. The price darkens to the brand’s darker brown, the ratio climbs to 7.6:1 and passes. Same look, readable price.
  2. Button labels. A cart icon button is announced by a screen reader as just “button.” After adding aria-label="Cart, 2 items", it’s announced as “Cart, 2 items, button,” so shoppers know what it does.
  3. Visible focus. Pressing Tab through a navigation menu shows no sign of where focus is. After the fix, a brass focus ring follows each item.
  4. Closing card: “Real fixes in your theme code. No overlays.” ericknolasco.com, free 5-point summary for your store.

Why I don’t use overlay widgets

Overlay widgets add a script and a toolbar to your store and promise to make it accessible automatically. They’re cheap and quick to install. But they usually don’t fix the underlying code, and they can get in the way of the screen readers and settings that disabled shoppers already use.

In April 2025 the FTC finalized an order requiring accessiBe, an overlay vendor, to pay $1 million over its claims about what its product could do (FTC press release).

Overlay widget vs. code fixes
Overlay widget Code fixes
Adds a script on top of your theme Changes your theme’s Liquid, CSS and JS
Often leaves the original issues in the code Fixes the issues at the source
Can conflict with shoppers’ own assistive tech Works with screen readers, zoom and keyboard settings
Monthly fee for as long as it’s installed One-time fix, with optional monitoring

If you already have an overlay, I’ll remove it as part of Audit + Fix.

How it works

  1. Step 1

    Free 5-point summary

    Send your store URL. Within 3 business days you get five real issues, in plain English.

  2. Step 2

    Audit

    Keyboard, screen reader, zoom and contrast checks across your key templates and storefront apps.

  3. Step 3

    Fix

    On a duplicate theme, never your live one. You approve every visible change first.

  4. Step 4

    Re-test and hand off

    A fix log and an updated statement. You publish when you’re ready.

Packages and pricing

50% deposit to start. Work outside the agreed scope is billed at $100/hr, and I’ll always ask first. Shopify’s checkout is hosted by Shopify and is out of scope. When an issue is inside a third-party app, I document it, give you a workaround where possible and open a ticket with the vendor.

Shopify agencies: I also work white-label. I audit and fix under your brand, and you keep the client relationship. Email me about agency work

What you get

  • A prioritized issue log: what’s broken, where it is, who it affects and how serious it is
  • A plain-English report you can share with your team
  • A draft accessibility statement for your site
  • With Audit + Fix: a fix log of every change, a re-test and an updated statement
  • With Monitoring: dated monthly records

See it on a real store setup: a free scan found 3 problems on my demo store; testing by hand found 9 more.

Erick Nolasco

Hi, I’m Erick

I’m a UX/UI designer and front-end builder based in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and I run my own LLC. I’ve spent 15+ years in visual and UI design and design systems. Visual design and accessibility are what I’m best at, and this service is where they meet: I can fix a contrast problem in a way your brand team will like, and fix a broken focus state without making your store look like a government form.

  • 15+ years in visual and UI design
  • Fixes in Liquid, CSS and JS
  • Hampton Roads, VA · working with brands anywhere in the US

Questions I get asked

Will this make me lawsuit-proof?

No. Nobody can honestly promise that, and I’d be wary of anyone who does. I’m not a lawyer and this isn’t legal advice. The work finds and fixes real barriers in your store, measured against WCAG 2.2 AA, the current version of the WCAG standard, and gives you a dated record of what was tested and fixed. If you’ve received a demand letter, please talk to a lawyer. I’m happy to work alongside them.

Do you need my password?

No. I send a collaborator request from my Shopify Partner account. You approve it in your admin and choose which permissions I get, and you can remove my access at any time.

What about my apps?

I test the apps that show up on your storefront, such as reviews, pop-ups, chat and size guides. Where I can fix an issue through settings or the theme, I do. When an issue is inside the app’s own code, I document it, suggest a workaround and open a ticket with the vendor.

Will my site look different?

Mostly no. Many fixes can’t be seen at all, like labels, headings and keyboard behavior. Where something visible needs to change, such as a text color that’s too light or a focus outline, I propose a version that fits your brand and you approve it first.

Will you touch my live store?

No. I work on a duplicate of your theme. You preview it and decide when to publish.

What about checkout?

Shopify hosts and controls checkout, so it’s out of scope. I can note anything I see there, but I can’t change it.

Do you use an overlay or widget?

No. If you already have one, Audit + Fix includes removing it.

What’s the difference between the Quick Fix and Audit + Fix?

The Quick Fix covers the 5 issues I already found in your free summary, for a fixed price. Audit + Fix is a full review of your key templates and apps, usually 15 to 40 issues, with everything fixed and documented. Many stores start with the Quick Fix, and if you move up within 30 days, what you paid is credited.

Do I need to do anything for AI shopping tools like ChatGPT?

Shopify already handles the basics for you, like making your catalog available to AI shopping channels. What it doesn’t fix is bad product data: broken schema in your theme, fake or missing barcodes, empty product types and image descriptions. That’s what the product data add-on covers. I won’t sell you an llms.txt file, because Shopify already creates one.

What if I just want the audit?

That’s fine. You get the full report and issue log, and your developer can use them. If you choose Audit + Fix within 30 days, your $950 is credited toward it.

What happens after the fixes?

Theme and app updates can bring issues back. Monitoring ($199/mo) includes a monthly scan, a manual spot check, up to 2 hours of regression fixes and dated records. It’s optional.

Do you only work on Shopify?

Shopify is my focus, and it’s where my theme fix guides and research come from. I also work on WordPress and WooCommerce, and I can audit Wix and Squarespace stores. On those builders some parts are locked by the platform, so I fix what the builder allows and tell you clearly what can’t be changed. If you’re not sure, send me your site and I’ll tell you what’s possible.

Do you work with agencies?

Yes. I can work white-label, auditing and fixing under your agency’s name while you keep the client relationship.

See what I’d fix first, for free

Send me your store URL. I’ll reply with five real issues I found and what I’d do about each one.

Fields marked required must be filled in.

Your public storefront, e.g. yourbrand.com
I’m a… (required)
What prompted this? (optional)

Only if your store is password-protected. Never your admin login.

I reply within 3 business days. No obligation, and no sales call unless you ask for one.