Accessibility Friendly? A Case of Namibian Online Stores

Abstract

Online stores offer various conveniences such as allowing people to shop from the comfort of their homes, using a multitude of devices such as mobile phones. People living with disabilities should also be able to enjoy the conveniences that come with online stores. The purpose of this study was to determine whether web accessibility guidelines, that allow people living with disabilities to navigate easier on websites, have been implemented on Namibian online stores. Another objective of the study was to determine whether the owners of the online stores are familiar with web accessibility and assistive technologies. A case study was undertaken, using 7 online stores as cases. The cases were purposively selected. Three of the 7 online stores participated in a qualitative interview. It was found that the online stores had some features that provided for accessibility and that were compatible with assistive technologies but there were also some features lacking that would make the stores more accessible. The site owners additionally showed a low-level understanding of what web accessibility and assistive technologies are. The study calls for the inclusivity of people living with disabilities in using and navigating Namibian online stores.