ASOS.com has responded to claims made as part of a recent study, which said more than 21% of the fashion brand’s website is inaccessible for ‘millions of potential customers’, saying it takes accessibility issues “incredibly seriously”.
The study – conducted by ToolTester – looked at 200 of the most popular websites across the globe and found that Asos was the least accessible website of those it analysed.
“We want everyone to be able to confidently shop at ASOS. We take issues of accessibility incredibly seriously and regularly conduct full audits of our websites and apps to ensure we account for everyone’s unique needs and experiences,” read the statement.
“Since our last audit, we have made a number of changes, including adding alternative text to images, sound and captions on product videos and improved adaptability for keyboard-only users.
“However, we know there are always ways we can do better so we will review the report in detail and assess any further improvements to ensure the ASOS experience remains as inclusive as possible.”
READ MORE: None of the world’s top 50 retail sites meet digital accessibility guidelines
In practical terms, ASOS has also taken a number of steps to ensure that users with specific accessibility needs are able to navigate and use its website as easily as possible.
Working with a dedicated accessibility specialist has allowed the fashion brand to identify gaps and drive a number of improvements.
The enhancements have been wide-ranging, from introducing automation technology to a number of processes to training employees to use tools such as screen readers to manually test for accessibility issues.
As a result of these changes, ASOS has been certified AA Web Content Accessibility Guideline compliant by an independent assessor.
“Accessibility is now engrained in our delivery process. All new features on ASOS.com are designed and tested with accessibility in mind, and accessibility is kept at the forefront of our planning sessions,” the statement continued.
“Going forward, we’re focusing on increasing our use of automated scanning tools and introducing more training for our teams so they can manually test for a greater range of disabilities.”
The original report revealed that fashion sites are among the poorest performing sector when it comes to accessibility. It also estimated that the amount lost due to inaccessible websites in the UK alone (known as the click-away pound), was £11.75 billion in 2020.
Click here to sign up to Charged‘s free daily email newsletter
