You got the complaint. The next five business days are already planned.
Accessibility fixes in your Shopify theme code, retested with a keyboard and a screen reader, delivered with a dated evidence pack your attorney can use.
Demo store, Dawn theme, widget installed. Scan of 5 Nov 2026, product page
- Quantity field has no accessible label (WCAG 4.1.2)
- 20 text and background pairs below 4.5:1 contrast (WCAG 1.4.3)
- Widget running the whole time. It changed nothing in the markup.
21 failing elements on one template
You are not an unusual case. That is the useful part.
The same few defects appear in complaint after complaint, which is why the fixes are predictable and the timeline is short.
- 3,117federal website accessibility lawsuits in 2025, up 27% on 2024.Source: Seyfarth Shaw
- 1,318of those named a Shopify store, more than any other platform.Source: EcomBack 2025
- 46%of federal defendants had been sued before. A fix that leaves gaps invites the second letter.Source: UsableNet
The clock is real. Panic is optional.
A federal complaint gives you 21 days to respond after service. Your attorney writes the response. What they need from you inside that window is proof the problems are being fixed, in writing, with dates.
- Day 0
Served
The complaint arrives. The 21-day response clock starts.
- Day 1 to 2
Sprint starts
Collaborator access approved. First fixes live within 48 hours.
- Day 5 to 6
Evidence pack delivered
Before/after, fix log, assistive-tech notes, app report. To you and to counsel.
- Day 21
Response due
Your attorney answers with the store already changed and documented.
Not legal advice. The 21-day figure is Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 12(a); confirm your own deadline with counsel.
Why the widget did not protect you
An overlay adds a floating button and a menu. It does not change the theme markup that a screen reader, or a plaintiff's scanner, actually reads. In September 2026, 91 of the 360 stores sued had a widget running (UsableNet tracker). In 2025 the FTC ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million over its compliance claims (JD Supra).
An overlay widget sits on top of the page
- Theme code unchanged; the failures remain in the source
- Scanners and screen readers still hit the same unlabeled fields and low-contrast text
- Nothing dated to hand to counsel
A Wayfind sprint changes the page itself
- Fixes committed in the theme files: labels, focus order, contrast tokens, alt text, keyboard paths
- Installed apps reviewed one by one; broken injections fixed, isolated, or flagged to the vendor
- Before/after evidence with timestamps, mapped to WCAG 2.2 criteria
What your attorney receives
Every failing element is outlined on the live page and captured with a timestamp. These are from the demo store above, before any fix.
| Before and after captures, dated | Each fixed element outlined on the live page, per template and viewportPNG + JSON |
|---|---|
| Fix log | Every change mapped to a WCAG 2.2 success criterion and the theme file it touchedTable, with diff |
| Assistive technology notes | Keyboard walkthrough, NVDA and VoiceOver: find product, pick variant, add to cart, review cartVideo + notes |
| Third-party app report | Which installed apps inject inaccessible UI and what was done about eachPer app |
| Accessibility statement draft | Ready to publish, with a contact route for users who hit a barrierText |
Want to read one before deciding? Ask for the sample pack by email. It comes from this demo store, not from a client.
Five business days, in order
- Day 0
Scope
You approve collaborator access in Shopify admin, no passwords. Automated scan plus a manual pass on home, collection, product, cart and search, and every app that injects UI.
- 48 hours
First fixes live
Keyboard traps, unlabeled controls, contrast tokens, missing alt text, focus order. Done in a duplicate of your theme and published only with your written OK.
- Day 3 to 4
Full remediation and app review
The rest of the fix list, then each third-party app tested in place.
- Day 5
Retest and evidence pack
Screen reader and keyboard retest, final captures, the pack goes to you and, if you want, directly to counsel.
Fixed prices. No hourly surprises.
Half to start, half on delivery of the evidence pack. Shopify-hosted checkout is outside theme scope and I say so in writing where it applies.
Response sprint
$1,800
- For a store that received a demand letter or complaint
- First fixes within 48 hours of access
- Full remediation plus app review in 5 business days
- Evidence pack addressed to your attorney
Prevention sprint
$900
- Same work, no legal deadline
- For stores that want the widget gone and the theme fixed
- Evidence pack on file in case a letter ever arrives
Monitoring
$149 / month
- Retest after every app install and theme update
- Updated report each month, so the pack never goes stale
- Cancel any time
For scale: published prices for a manual WCAG audit of a small store run from about $1,500 to $5,000 before any fixing (DigitalA11Y, HalfAccessible). A sprint includes the fixing. I take two response sprints a week, so the 48-hour promise stays true.
Questions merchants ask first
Will this make the lawsuit go away?
No one can promise that, and anyone who does is selling something. What a sprint gives your attorney is documented, dated remediation. How they use it is their call.
I already have an accessibility app installed.
Keep it or remove it, your choice. The sprint fixes the theme underneath it. If the app injects its own broken markup, that goes in the app report.
Do you need my Shopify password?
Never. You send a collaborator request from your admin with access to Themes and Apps. You can revoke it the day the sprint ends.
What about checkout?
Checkout is hosted and rendered by Shopify; theme developers cannot change it. The evidence pack states that scope boundary so your attorney is not surprised.
Why not a big agency?
You can. Their audits are good and their queues are long. A sprint exists for the week you do not have: one developer, two stores at a time, first fixes in 48 hours.
Who is doing the work?
Islam Nasser, a senior front-end developer. Accessible, bilingual storefronts and admin systems are what I have built for years; the portfolio is linked below. I work from Egypt and take calls in US hours.
Send the store URL. You get a reply within one business day.
Include whether a letter or complaint has arrived and any date you are working to. The reply contains the collaborator request, the start date, and the first scan.