E-commerce provider Rosie has met specific criteria to ensure people with disabilities can use its online platform, the company said in an emailed press release last Thursday.
What is Rosie and what are some of its accessibility features?
Rosie, which serves independent grocers and wholesalers, highlighted several of its accessibility features, including compatibility with screen reader technology, a high-contrast option and the ability to shop and place orders with the use of a keyboard. Additionally, the e-commerce platform also allows shoppers to remove moving images, also known as gifs.
How did Rosie incorporate accessibility on to its platform?
Rosie said it is one of the first grocery e-commerce providers to meet Level AA of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The e-commerce provider also said it scored 100/100 in the Accessibility Mode and 98/100 in default mode for Lighthouse, a tool for improving web page quality.
Approximately 61 million U.S. adults, or 26%, have some type of disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retailers are increasingly paying attention to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
An emphasis on accessibility is gaining traction in the grocery industry now that the pandemic has caused e-commerce adoption to leap ahead.
Online accessibility still remains a murky legal area. As the number of website inaccessibility lawsuits grows, grocers and e-commerce providers in recent years have faced legal action over alleged ADA violations.
Have there been any improvements to in-store shopping?
In addition to the online space, some grocers are also looking to make their in-store shopping more accessible. For example, Trader Joe’s teamed up with life skills app Magnusmode on virtual card decks that assist people with autism and other cognitive and intellectual disabilities with in-store shopping.
