Vendor Accessibility Guide
Making Your Shop Welcoming to Everyone
Virtually Hebden is for the whole community — and that means making sure every listing and shop is easy to read, browse, and buy from, no matter who’s using it.
Accessibility isn’t just good practice — it helps more customers find you, trust you, and buy from you.
Why It Matters
- 1 in 5 people in the UK have a disability or visual/audio/reading need.
- Making your listings accessible = more customers, fewer barriers.
- It’s also part of our commitment to a fairer, friendlier online high street.
What You Can Do (Without Any Tech Skills)
1. Write Clear Product Titles
✔️ Good: “Organic Yorkshire Honey – 500g Jar”
🚫 Avoid: “Buzzin’ Good Stuff!” (Save the fun for the description)
Make it easy to search and skim. Keep it short, clear, and specific.
2. Describe Your Products Fully
Include:
- Size/weight
- Materials or ingredients
- Use or purpose
- Care instructions (if relevant)
Customers with visual impairments or screen readers rely on detailed text.
3. Add Image Alt Text (Where Available)
Alt text = a short image description read aloud by screen readers.
✔️ Example: “Bottle of handmade elderflower cordial with recycled paper label”
🚫 Avoid: “image1234.jpg” or leaving it blank
We’re building tools to make this easier for you — for now, keep descriptions detailed in your product listings.
4. Use Plain Backgrounds for Photos
Busy backgrounds or low-contrast colours can make it harder for users to see the product clearly.
✔️ Neutral walls, wooden tables, white cloths
🚫 No clutter, strong patterns, or dark-on-dark
5. Be Colour Conscious
Avoid using colour alone to highlight something (e.g. red text for “Important”).
✔️ Instead: Add symbols, bold text or headers[Text Wrapping Break]✔️ Use strong contrast (dark text on light background or vice versa)
6. Write in Short Paragraphs
Break up your product descriptions with line breaks or bullet points.
✔️ Easier for neurodivergent customers, older users, and everyone on mobile!
7. Don’t Rely on Just Emojis or GIFs
Emojis are fun — but don’t make them the main message.
✔️ Example: “Order by Friday 📦”
🚫 Not just: “🔥🛍️📦”
Extra Sustainability Tip (Optional)
Accessible AND sustainable = win-win.
- Offer local pickup or bike delivery
- Use eco-conscious packaging
- Share these values in your product listing!
💬 Need Help?
We’re here to support you. If you’re unsure how to write a product description or want help checking your shop page, email:
Together, we can make Hebden’s online high street as welcoming, inclusive, and powerful as the real one.