Website Accessibility Audit and Remediation (WCAG 2.1 AA / ADA) for Shopify E-Commerce Site

Duration: 1-3 months, with potential for ongoing quarterly retainer Experience Level: Expert We are a US-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce brand running on Shopify. We need a digital accessibility specialist to conduct a comprehensive WCAG 2.1 AA audit of our website, identify all barriers, and implement or guide remediation of the issues found. We also need someone who can embed accessibility testing into our ongoing development workflow so that every new feature, page, or A/B test meets compliance standards before it goes live. Scope of Work Phase 1: Audit (Priority, needed ASAP) Full accessibility audit of our Shopify storefront against WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria and ADA Title III requirements Testing with assistive technologies including screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), keyboard-only navigation, and voice control Focus areas include (but are not limited to): navigation menu structure and keyboard focus order, ARIA states and properties on interactive elements (menus, accordions, dialogs), modal/dialog focus management (e.g. Add to Cart confirmations, cart drawers), form labels and error handling, image alt text completeness, color contrast, and heading hierarchy Deliverable: a prioritized findings report with specific code-level remediation guidance for each issue, mapped to the relevant WCAG success criteria Phase 2: Remediation Implement fixes directly in our Shopify theme (Liquid, HTML, CSS, JavaScript) or provide detailed code-level guidance our developer can execute Validate each fix with assistive technology re-testing Deliverable: documented proof of remediation for each issue Phase 3: Ongoing Compliance and Dev Integration Establish a quarterly or semi-annual accessibility review process for the full site Build an accessibility QA checklist that plugs into our feature rollout workflow, so every new page, PDP test, landing page, or site update gets a final layer of ADA compliance testing before going live Provide a lightweight testing protocol our developer and QA team can run independently between formal audits (tools to use, what to check, pass/fail criteria) Be available on a retainer basis to review and sign off on new features or design changes as needed Advise on accessibility best practices as the site evolves Ideal Candidate Demonstrated expertise in WCAG 2.1/2.2 and ADA Title III digital accessibility requirements Professional certification strongly preferred: IAAP CPWA (Certified Professional in Web Accessibility), IAAP WAS (Web Accessibility Specialist), or DHS Trusted Tester Hands-on experience auditing and remediating Shopify or similar e-commerce platforms Proficiency with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) and accessibility testing tools (axe, Lighthouse, WAVE, etc.) Ability to write or review Liquid, HTML, CSS, and JavaScript Experience integrating accessibility testing into agile or iterative development workflows (CI/CD, QA checklists, design review processes) Strong documentation skills for audit reports and remediation tracking Familiarity with legal requirements under ADA Title III as they apply to commercial websites To Apply, Please Include A brief summary of your accessibility credentials and certifications Two to three examples of past e-commerce accessibility audits or remediations (Shopify experience is a plus) Your typical timeline for completing a full-site audit Your hourly rate or a fixed-price estimate for the audit phase Timeline is urgent. We are looking to begin the audit within the first week of engagement.