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ADA compliance isn’t just a “tech” issue anymore, it’s a retail priority. Why? Because retailers, especially in eCommerce, are increasingly finding themselves on the wrong side of accessibility lawsuits. Last year alone, more than 4,600 digital accessibility lawsuits were filed in the US, a 14% jump that reflects just how seriously this issue is being taken now.
But this conversation isn’t just about legal risk. It’s about people, your customers.
Roughly 1 in 4 adults in the US lives with a disability that affects how they interact with digital content. If your website isn’t built to accommodate them, you’re unintentionally closing the door on millions of potential customers.
Retailers who get ahead of compliance are the ones who are building better, more usable websites that work for everyone. Which all leads to a wider reach, improved SEO, and a reputation for inclusivity.
In this guide, we’ll walk through everything modern retailers need to know about ADA compliance in 2025, including what’s changed, what’s required, and how solutions like AudioEye, when integrated with your existing Celerant system, can simplify the entire process.
We’ll be discussing the following:
When people hear “ADA compliance,” they often imagine a one-time checklist, build the site right, tick a few boxes, and you’re done. But compliance in 2025 is different. It’s about keeping your site usable, inclusive, and legally protected every single day.
Modern accessibility covers a wide range of user needs. That includes compatibility with screen readers, properly labeled images (alt text), keyboard-friendly navigation, clear color contrast for text, and more. And even if your site was built with all those elements in place, it doesn’t stay compliant on its own.
Especially if you add a product, upload a new banner, or swap out a menu item, suddenly something as simple as forgetting to write alt text for an image can throw your site out of compliance, which is why it’s essential to keep everything consistent.
The stakes of falling behind on accessibility aren’t just technical -they’re legal, financial, and operational. For retailers, it’s no longer a question of ‘if’ accessibility will be scrutinized, but ‘when.’
Even smaller businesses aren’t flying under the radar anymore. The average cost of defending a web accessibility claim now runs anywhere from $20,000 to $50,000+, even higher if the case drags out or lands in the press.
There was a case recently where a small apparel shop got hit with a lawsuit because their checkout page wasn’t fully navigable by keyboard. A few missing code elements that were just overlooked, ended up costing them months of distraction and a settlement they hadn’t budgeted for.
Missing a detail like that shouldn’t take your entire team off course. But without the right support, it can.
Now it’s easy to brush off accessibility concerns, especially if your inbox hasn’t yet seen a demand letter. But just because no one’s knocked on the door doesn’t mean the risk isn’t there.
Many retailers assume that because their site feels easy to use, it must be compliant. But accessibility isn’t just surface-level, it’s about how your site functions under the hood, for everyone. That includes someone navigating without a mouse, relying on a screen reader, or adjusting text contrast to read your product details.
And when something doesn’t work for them, the fallout isn’t just a frustrated customer, it can be a formal complaint, legal action, and damage that doesn’t stop at your bank account. Reputation takes a hit, operational focus gets pulled, and suddenly your team is spending more time with attorneys than customers.
Staying compliant doesn’t have to mean constant manual oversight. Modern Retail Systems like Celerant, which offer a direct integration with AudioEye, take much of that burden off your plate. As soon as the integration is enabled, AudioEye begins scanning your site for 400+ potential accessibility issues and automatically fixes many of the most common ones in real time.
That means when your team adds a new product, swaps out images, or updates content, the platform quietly steps in to catch things like missing alt text, low color contrast, or keyboard navigation issues. No disruption to your site, no need to call a developer, just ongoing accessibility baked into your workflow. This kind of behind-the-scenes protection is one of the smartest (and easiest) ways to stay ahead of ADA compliance.
If avoiding legal risks is one side of the coin, the other is something many retailers overlook -growth. Making your site accessible not only protects your business, it opens your doors to a wider customer base, strengthens loyalty, and improves the overall shopping experience for everyone who lands on your site.
And when you make it easier for all users to browse, read, and buy from your store, you’re naturally going to see better results. In fact, retailers with accessible websites often see higher conversion rates and improved SEO performance simply because their content is easier for both humans and search engines to navigate.
Still, a common pushback we hear is “We don’t really have customers with disabilities.”
Well, you probably do and may not even know it.
Accessibility doesn’t just benefit someone using a screen reader. It helps an aging shopper who’s adjusting text size on a mobile phone, a parent holding a baby with one hand while navigating your site with the other, or someone recovering from an injury who’s relying on keyboard navigation.
We all now know that accessibility isn’t just a one-time fix. It’s something that needs to keep working in the background without slowing you down.
That’s where the Celerant and AudioEye partnership really shines. We take the pressure off your team by baking in accessibility from the start. There is no heavy dev lift, no second-guessing every update, just smart technology doing its job so you can focus on yours.
Here’s how we make it work, day in and day out:
So basically, you’re not adding another tool to manage. You’re getting a layer of built-in protection that’s always working for you.
Q1. You built my site, why isn’t it ADA compliant already? Why do I have to pay more?
Your website was built with accessibility best practices in mind, but recent lawsuits and evolving standards go far beyond initial design and structure. Every time your team updates a product, adds a banner, or tweaks a layout, new compliance risks can surface.
That’s why we integrate with AudioEye to help retailers like you maintain continuous protection without having to rethink your website every week. Similar to PCI compliance, ADA is a shared, evolving responsibility between your tech partner and your business.
Q2. Does having AudioEye mean I’m fully protected from lawsuits?
No solution can offer complete immunity, but with AudioEye, you’re in the strongest position possible. It’s not just about fixing issues, it’s about showing that your business is actively working to be accessible. AudioEye delivers automated remediations, manual audits from certified experts, and documentation that can support your legal response if needed.
When you access AudioEye through Celerant, you’re putting real, proactive defense behind your brand. It’s one of the most practical ways to reduce risk and keep moving forward confidently.
Q3. Won’t it slow down our site or interfere with the website layout?
Not with AudioEye. It’s designed to be lightweight and non-disruptive. It runs quietly in the background without interfering with your site’s performance or design. That matters, especially in retail, where every second (and every pixel) counts.
Q4. We already have an accessibility widget. Isn’t that enough?
Most widgets stop at surface-level fixes. AudioEye goes deeper, applying patented AI, conducting expert reviews, and even providing legal documentation if your business is ever challenged. When you work with Celerant, we bring you tools that go beyond appearances and help you stay protected for the long haul.
Q4. Can’t our devs handle accessibility internally?
You’ve probably got a solid dev team, but accessibility is a highly specialized space. Standards change, lawsuits evolve, and compliance expectations go well beyond standard coding. AudioEye helps lighten the lift, combining automation with expert remediation, so your team can stay focused on optimizing your storefront, not chasing down WCAG issues.
Q5. Is ADA compliance really something we need to worry about?
Yes. More courts are holding that websites, like physical stores, must be accessible to everyone. And with thousands of lawsuits filed each year, retailers aren’t flying under the radar. That’s why Celerant doesn’t just build your site, we bring you a proactive path forward through trusted integrations like AudioEye.
ADA compliance can feel like one more thing on a long to-do list, but with Celerant and AudioEye, it becomes one less thing to worry about.
You get always-on protection, expert support, and peace of mind, all baked right into your eCommerce and POS platform. So, while the legal landscape shifts and the tech keeps evolving, you’re already covered.
See how we are making ADA compliance a breeze for our retailers.
