A core part of making any website accessible is interfacing with its underlying code — so that the site's various features can align properly with the assistive technologies used by people with disabilities.
We often hear from website owners who mention, sometimes hesitantly, that their site is built on a closed-source platform such as Wix or Shopify. The hesitation usually comes from uncertainty about whether these platforms allow external access for accessibility work.
Let us put those concerns to rest right away: the importance of web accessibility is well understood by the developers behind these platforms (including the ones mentioned here and many others).
In the vast majority of cases, we don't run into technical barriers at all — quite the opposite. Most platforms are willing to support full accessibility implementation.
Third-Party Integrations on Closed-Source Platforms
Shopify and Wix, for example, already support third-party integrations for services like Google Analytics, external payment processors, and more.
Just as they allow those integrations, these platforms also allow accessibility companies like ours to connect our systems to the site and implement the required accessibility adjustments.
In plain terms: we have no problem providing accessibility services for sites built on these or similar platforms — and making them fully compliant.
That said, one caveat: unlike well-known platforms like Wix or Shopify, if a site is built on a lesser-known closed-source platform, we do need to verify compatibility in advance.
As long as we can embed the code we provide for accessibility purposes, the odds are strong that we can make the entire site accessible.
Most closed-source platforms do support third-party connections, so there's generally no fundamental barrier to making a site built on them accessible.
Closed-Source Platforms That Block External Accessibility Work
That said, we have encountered Israeli web development companies that use their control over a site's source code to force website owners into using only their own accessibility services — on their terms and at their price. The message to the client is blunt: either you do accessibility through us, or we won't allow any external accessibility widget to be embedded, and your site stays inaccessible. In those situations, we simply cannot step in and implement the necessary accessibility adjustments.
A small but important clarification: these companies aren't necessarily acting out of bad faith or trying to trap you. Hold off on the frustration for a moment.
There's no inherent technical obstacle — development teams could enable third-party integration if they chose to. However, some web development companies disallow external integrations as a matter of policy, often citing data security concerns.
Sometimes their systems are highly sensitive, and the company wants to minimize the risk of exposure to third-party actors. That's a legitimate consideration — but in an era where the vast majority of web development is built on open-source foundations used and contributed to by millions, it's hard to justify an extremely high security threshold, especially for standard websites that don't belong to sensitive sectors like insurance, banking, or healthcare.
Are Closed-Source Platforms Accessible Out of the Box?
Every case is different — especially when you've built the site yourself without factoring in the various requirements of web accessibility.
The short answer: closed-source websites are not accessible by default. Additionally, adding an accessibility button provided by the platform itself does not exempt you from conducting a proper accessibility audit to confirm your site meets legal requirements.
Your website must undergo a thorough review, be corrected where needed, and include an accessibility statement that clearly outlines what was audited, what was fixed, and who users can contact if they encounter accessibility issues.
We can genuinely praise platforms like Shopify, where the development teams have clearly invested significant effort in building accessibility-friendly infrastructure.
Wix has also made notable accessibility improvements — but that still doesn't replace a thorough audit. For instance, one known Wix bug is that while Hebrew content may be correctly set to display right-to-left, keyboard navigation is sometimes set left-to-right — meaning users navigate from the end to the beginning. Every platform has its own challenges, and only a company that specializes in accessibility can address them properly.
In summary, accessibility on closed-source platforms is absolutely achievable. At User A, we go the extra mile to develop technical solutions — sometimes custom-built — and we invite you to reach out with any questions.