The End-of-Summer Accessibility Check: Preparing for the Year's Busiest Digital Season

As summer winds down, the digital world is gearing up for its busiest stretch of the year. Back-to-school shopping is already well underway, while holiday travel bookings and early holiday sales continue to ramp up. Over the next few months, online traffic will climb toward its annual peak, creating intense competition for consumer attention and spending.

One factor can make or break performance during this high-stakes season: digital accessibility.

Websites and apps that are not usable for people with disabilities not only create frustration, but they also lose customers, risk brand reputation, and potentially open the door to legal exposure. With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) now in force as of this summer, global businesses face added pressure to ensure compliance.

AudioEye’s 2025 Digital Accessibility Index (DAI) analyzed 15,000 websites across industries and found an average of 297 accessibility issues per page, each one a potential barrier for the 1.3 billion people globally with disabilities and a legal risk for the organizations behind them.

The Hidden Cost of Digital Inaccessibility: A $13 Trillion Market at Stake

Picture this: A parent with visual impairment tries to shop for their child's back-to-school supplies online, but can't read the product descriptions because of poor color contrast. A business traveler using screen-reading software attempts to book a last-minute flight but gets stuck on an unlabeled form field. A family planning their holiday vacation finds the hotel booking calendar impossible to navigate because the dates aren't properly coded for assistive technology.

These examples happen every day, costing businesses billions in lost revenue. The global disability market represents $13 trillion in annual disposable income, yet many companies inadvertently turn away these customers at the digital front door.

Legal actions over digital accessibility violations are also on the rise, with courts increasingly ruling that websites must be accessible under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Meanwhile, the EAA is requiring businesses across multiple sectors to meet stringent digital accessibility standards or face penalties.

Where the Cracks Are Showing: Industries Under Pressure

AudioEye's DAI reveals a troubling pattern: the industries most dependent on seasonal traffic are also the most inaccessible. Here's where the problems run deepest:

Retail. Retail websites averaged a staggering 350 accessibility issues per page, representing the worst performance of any industry analyzed. Consider what this means during peak shopping season: every broken element represents a customer who might abandon their cart in frustration.

The most damaging barriers aren't obscure technical glitches, they're fundamental oversights. Over 38% of product images were missing alt text, meaning screen reader users can't understand what they're buying. Unclear link descriptions appear on 80% of pages, creating navigation nightmares, while 35% of pages had poorly labeled checkout forms, often at the critical moment when customers are ready to purchase.

A UK study from Purple Pound revealed the real-world impact: 83% of consumers with access needs limit their shopping to sites they know are accessible, while 71% will immediately abandon difficult-to-use sites. 

Travel & Hospitality. Travel sites averaged more than 250 accessibility issues per page in the DAI, with 41% creating barriers for keyboard-only users. Low-contrast booking calendars can make date selection impossible for individuals with visual impairments, while inaccessible reservation forms block the path to a completed booking

In peak travel periods, these barriers not only frustrate customers but also send business directly to competitors offering more inclusive digital experiences.

The Countdown to Peak Season: Steps to Improve Accessibility

With the holiday shopping and travel season approaching, organizations have a limited window to address accessibility gaps before traffic surges make fixes more complex and costly.

Here's where to start.

1. Fix Color Contrast Issues First

Start with color contrast, which was the most common violation flagged in the DAI. Ensure all text, buttons, and interactive elements meet the requirements in the Web Content and Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This single fix can dramatically improve usability for millions of users with visual impairments.

2. Add Alternative Text to All Images

Every product photo, destination image, and promotional graphic needs descriptive alternative text. By doing so, organizations are ensuring screen reader users can fully experience their brand and make informed purchasing decisions.

3. Test Site Keyboard Navigation

Ensure full site navigation using only a keyboard. Can users browse categories, filter products, and complete purchases without a mouse? Are form fields properly labeled with clear instructions? Do error messages actually help users fix problems?

4. Audit Forms and Interactive Elements

Review all checkout processes, booking forms, and contact forms. Ensure every field has a clear label, instructions are provided where needed, and error messages guide users to solutions rather than just identifying problems.

5. Run a Comprehensive Accessibility Audit

Combine automated scanning tools with expert reviews and custom fixes. Automated tools catch obvious technical violations, but accessibility experts identify the subtle usability barriers that can make or break the user experience.

The Business Case That Can't Be Ignored

Each accessibility barrier represents lost revenue, whether it is a missing product description that prevents a sale, a booking form that cannot be navigated by keyboard, or a low-contrast promotional banner that hides seasonal deals from people with low vision.

The math is simple: the 1.3 billion people with disabilities globally represent approximately 15% of the world's population. During peak shopping periods, when every conversion counts, can any business afford to exclude such a significant market segment?

The Narrow Window Is Closing

The end of summer offers a final opportunity to address accessibility issues before the most critical sales period of the year begins. Once back-to-school spending reaches its peak and holiday travel planning accelerates, implementing substantial changes becomes far more challenging.

Forward-thinking businesses are using this time to audit digital experiences, remove critical barriers, and ensure their platforms are accessible to all visitors. Those efforts not only reduce legal and reputational risk but also position organizations to capture a larger share of seasonal revenue.

The holiday season will make clear which companies prepared and which missed the opportunity. When utilized correctly, accessibility is a clear business advantage that can determine success in the year’s busiest months.