Accessibility Statement

1. Our Commitment to Accessibility

We are committed to delivering a digital experience that is inclusive and accessible to everyone. As part of this commitment, lifestyle.volvocars.com is designed and maintained to comply with the European Accessibility Act (EAA), which has been enforceable across the EU since 28 June 2025.

Our accessibility work follows recognized international standards and aims to ensure that people of all abilities can navigate and interact with our content without barriers.

 

2. Technology Foundation: Shopify & Symmetry Theme

Shopify platform

lifestyle.volvocars.com is built on Shopify, which provides a strong accessibility foundation:

Shopify’s responsibilities (platform-level accessibility):

  • Shopify themes are built to meet WCAG 2.1 standards.
  • Core platform features (checkout, system UI, admin, and components) include built‑in accessibility support.
  • Shopify maintains an accessible technical infrastructure aligned with industry standards.  

These commitments complement the EAA requirement that digital products and services meet harmonized accessibility criteria grounded in EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 AA.

Symmetry Theme

We use the Symmetry theme for Shopify, which is developed with best‑practice accessibility considerations in mind and aligns with WCAG 2.1 AA development expectations.

 

3. Our Responsibilities (Content, Customization & Operations)

We manage all content and customizations on lifestyle.volvocars.com.

This includes:

Content Structure & Formatting

  • Applying correct heading hierarchy
  • Writing descriptive link text
  • Ensuring readable, understandable, predictable content — aligned with WCAG “Understandable” principles

Visual Accessibility

  • Providing alt text for images
  • Maintaining color‑contrast ratios that meet WCAG 2.1 AA
  • Ensuring clear focus states and visually consistent layout

Custom Code & Design

Any custom development must adhere to EAA and WCAG guidelines, including:

  • Maintaining semantic HTML
  • Ensuring ARIA is used appropriately
  • Preserving keyboard navigation and focus order
  • Validating third‑party scripts or UI components

Third‑Party Apps & Integrations

We ensure any third‑party apps, widgets, or embedded tools we add are documented as accessible or validated independently before integration.

 

4. Standards We Follow

We align with the European standard EN 301 549, the accepted benchmark for demonstrating compliance with the EAA.

EN 301 549 is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, which use the POUR framework:

  • Perceivable – Content must be presented in ways all users can sense.
  • Operable – All interactions must be usable through keyboard and assistive technologies.
  • Understandable – Content must be readable, predictable, and clear.
  • Robust – Content must work reliably across browsers, devices, and assistive tools.

 

5. Testing & Quality Assurance

We continuously test and monitor accessibility by assessing manual testing and assistive technologies. At the time of launch of this website, we used Siteimprove Accessiblity Checker to validate against WCAG 2.1, levels A and AA.

 

6. Known Limitations

While we strive for full compliance, there may be areas of the site that do not yet meet WCAG 2.1 AA. We are actively addressing any issues as part of an ongoing accessibility improvement roadmap.

Currently known limitations:

Navigation and Links

  • Certain page region are missing an accessible name. Landmark roles provide information about page structure and can help assistive technology users with in-page navigation.
  • All perceivable text content is not included in an ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) landmark. Perceivable text content refers to text that can be perceived by users of assistive technology — some of which may be invisible to sighted users, and therefore to be included in ARIA.
  • Some interactive elements, like buttons or links, do not meet minimum size nor spacing. They should be large enough to easily be clicked or tapped by users (24 by 24 pixels, or if smaller, be positioned with enough spacing to not intersect with other interactive elements).

Images

  • Some image links are missing a text alternative – these can be problematic for visitors who are blind or have low vision, and therefore the text alternative should describe the link's purpose. 

Structure and Formatting

  • Some headings are not properly structured, such as an h4 following an h2. These should follow a nested structure, from h1 to h6, so users can understand how content is structured.

Colors and Presentation

  • Certain elements color contrast does not meet minimum requirement for AA level. This means there is insufficient color contrast between the text and background.

Forms

  • Grouped form controls missing an accessible name. This is needed so that screen reader users can understand the group’s purpose, such as making a size selection.

 

7. Feedback & Contact

We welcome feedback on the accessibility of our website. If you encounter any barriers, need assistance, or have suggestions, please contact us at:

info.volvocars@brandoncompany.com

When contacting us:

Include details: Describe the specific accessibility issue you encountered, including:

  • The page URL where you experienced the problem
  • The assistive technology you were using (if applicable)
  • A description of the barrier or difficulty you faced<

 

8. Continuous Improvement

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment. We will continue to enhance lifestyle.volvocars.com as Shopify updates its accessibility standards, as the Symmetry theme evolves, and as we refine our own content, design, and development practices.

 

9. Monitoring agency

If you are not satisfied with how we handle your accessibility feedback, you may contact your country's designated monitoring authority. Please refer to your local government resources to identify the appropriate agency in your region. You can typically find this information through: 

  • Your national government's digital services portal
  • The ministry responsible for digital affairs or telecommunications
  • The European Commission's list of national monitoring bodies

 

Page last updated: 2026-01-28