The weeks after the holiday season are one of the busiest times of the year for product returns. Gift exchanges, extended return windows, and unwanted purchases all increase the number of items sent back to retailers. Even small online stores now offer return experiences similar to major retailers.
I return online purchases occasionally and have found the process far from accessible. While each company designs its return workflow differently, the same accessibility barriers appear repeatedly. In this post I describe the most common problems I encounter when completing online returns independently.
In this article
This article explains common accessibility barriers blind shoppers encounter during online product returns, including return codes, location selection, and form input requirements. Many of these issues occur after the purchase is complete and can prevent customers from finishing a return without assistance.
Online shopping does not end at checkout and remains part of broader
ecommerce accessibility requirements.
Most online returns rely on a QR code scanned at a drop-off location. The code connects the product to the return request and usually arrives by email after submitting the return form.
I frequently encounter accessibility problems interacting with these codes.
Screen readers often skip the code entirely when it appears in an email or webpage. Nothing is announced, and I cannot quickly locate the code to present at the return location. When returning multiple items, I also cannot confirm which product belongs to which code.
This happens because the code is treated only as an image and lacks accessible text or interaction support, similar to other
common ecommerce accessibility issues.
Sometimes the screen reader finds the QR code but then becomes stuck on it. I cannot move forward or backward through the email. The only way to recover is to exit and reopen the message.
These problems turn a simple step into a blocker that prevents completing the return independently.
Most returns require bringing the product to a store or shipping access point. The return process typically asks the shopper to choose a drop-off location.
This step is often inaccessible.
Many retailers now use map interfaces instead of lists. A map shows nearby locations and selecting a pin opens details for that site.
These map interfaces are rarely screen reader accessible because they depend on visual interaction and share patterns with broader
retail navigation accessibility barriers.
Some platforms include a button to switch to a list-based interface. Ironically, the button is often unlabeled or announced incorrectly, so it cannot be found.
I often become stuck here and must ask a sighted person for help to continue the return.
Many retailers now require a written reason for the return. A text field with a character limit collects this information.
The accessibility issue involves how the limit is communicated.
Visually, a counter updates as the shopper types. Screen readers often provide no indication of remaining characters.
If I exceed the limit, the system prevents continuing but does not identify where the problem occurs. The extra text appears visually different, but the screen reader reads everything the same.
The Continue button becomes unavailable and I must guess how much text to delete.
Because of this, I often enter only a single word to avoid failure. While this works, it prevents me from providing useful feedback about the product. These interaction patterns are also seen in broader holiday shopping accessibility problems.
Online shopping does not end with a purchase. A transaction is only accessible if it can also be reversed independently.
Common return barriers include:
Many of these failures are not detected by
automated accessibility testing because the interface technically exists but cannot be used effectively.
Blind shoppers should be able to initiate and complete returns without assistance. At present, many return workflows still prevent that from happening.
Organizations addressing these issues typically implement broader e-commerce accessibility solutions.