Accessibility Statement
Oak & Birch | Commitment to Inclusive Shopping
Oak & Birch, a brand of TJ&A Global Online LLC is committed to ensuring that our website (www.oakandbirch.store) is accessible to the widest possible audience, including people with disabilities. This statement explains what web accessibility means, what our current platform provides, where gaps remain, and what we are doing about it.
What Is Web Accessibility?
Web accessibility means designing and building digital experiences so that everyone can use them — including people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities. An accessible website works with assistive technologies such as screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, voice control software, and screen magnification tools.
The primary global standard is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), published by the W3C. WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the benchmark most commonly referenced in US legal proceedings under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and is the standard Oak & Birch is working toward.
Is Accessibility Legally Required?
Yes. In the United States, the ADA has been consistently interpreted by federal courts to apply to commercial websites. Businesses operating e-commerce stores — regardless of whether they have a physical location — are increasingly subject to ADA Title III claims if their websites present barriers to users with disabilities. The Department of Justice has affirmed that websites must be accessible and references WCAG as the applicable standard.
Web accessibility lawsuits against e-commerce businesses have increased significantly in recent years, with thousands of cases filed annually. Oak & Birch takes this obligation seriously and is actively working to meet and maintain compliance.
Our Platform: Shopify & the Empire (Forma) Theme
Our store is built on Shopify using the Empire theme in the Forma layout, developed by Pixel Union. Understanding what this provides — and what it does not — is important for an honest assessment of our current accessibility posture.
What the Empire (Forma) Theme Provides
Empire is a paid theme sold through the Shopify Theme Store. Pixel Union has made a number of documented accessibility improvements across theme versions, including:
• Keyboard navigation support for the slideshow, search menu, and navigation elements
• Focus states added to account pages and interactive controls, allowing keyboard users to see where they are on the page
• Accessible HTML structure for mosaic, grid, collection, cart, product card, and blog sections
• Alt text and ARIA label support for images and media elements, enabling screen reader compatibility when alt text is provided
• Accessible collection list pages and cart page updates for broader usability
• Mobile-responsive design with touch-friendly targets across devices
• Ongoing accessibility fixes included in theme version updates
What the Theme Does Not Guarantee
While Empire provides a meaningful accessibility foundation, it is important to be transparent about its limitations:
• Shopify itself acknowledges that no theme in the Theme Store can be confidently identified as fully conforming to WCAG 2.0, 2.1, or 2.2 at Level AA
• Shopify Theme Store requirements cover only a subset of WCAG criteria — estimated at roughly 16-22% of full WCAG 2.2 AA coverage — focusing on the highest-impact areas such as keyboard navigation and focus visibility
• Empire is a third-party theme; unlike Shopify's own free themes (such as Dawn), it is not monitored by Shopify for ongoing accessibility compliance
• Full accessibility depends significantly on how the theme is configured and what content is added — including whether images have alt text, whether color contrast is sufficient, and whether any third-party apps introduce new barriers
What This Means for Oak & Birch
In practical terms: our store benefits from the built-in keyboard navigation, screen reader hooks, focus management, and responsive design that Empire provides. These are meaningful baseline features that many stores lack entirely. However, we do not currently claim full WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance, as we have not conducted a formal accessibility audit.
Our Current Accessibility Practices
As part of our day-to-day store management, we apply the following practices that support accessibility:
• Adding descriptive alt text to product images where possible, so screen reader users can understand what is shown
• Using Shopify's built-in checkout flow, which is Shopify's most accessibility-tested customer-facing component
• Maintaining a mobile-responsive layout that supports pinch-to-zoom and does not restrict scaling
• Keeping the theme updated to the latest version, which incorporates Pixel Union's ongoing accessibility fixes
• Using clear, readable fonts and avoiding reliance on color alone to convey information
Known Gaps & Ongoing Work
We are an independent business and have not yet commissioned a formal third-party accessibility audit. Known areas where we are actively working to improve include:
• Completing alt text for all product and lifestyle images across the catalogue
• Reviewing color contrast ratios across the Forma theme's color palette to confirm WCAG AA compliance (minimum 4.5:1 for body text, 3:1 for large text and UI elements)
• Evaluating any third-party apps installed on our store for their own accessibility compliance, as apps can introduce barriers independent of the theme
• Planning a formal accessibility review as the store grows
We treat accessibility as an ongoing commitment, not a one-time task. We will update this statement as improvements are made.
Request Assistance or Report a Barrier
If you encounter any difficulty using our website — navigating, browsing products, or completing a purchase — we want to hear from you. We will do our best to provide the information or assistance you need through an alternative means and to address the underlying barrier on our Site.
Email: support@tjaglobal.com
Website: www.oakandbirch.store
We aim to respond to all accessibility-related enquiries within 2 business days.
Last updated: January 1, 2026