Inclusion of Alternative Text: The images and icons used in the category navigation include alternative text that describes the purpose of each link. This supports the WCAG 2.1 Perceivable principle by ensuring that users who rely on screen readers can understand the function of visual elements, not just their appearance.

Image-Based Promotional Content and Missing Alt Text: Several promotional banners on the homepage contain important marketing information embedded directly within images. For example, a “Barrel Jeans” promotional banner includes sale messaging visually displayed on the image, but the alt text only describes “Women’s Jeans.” As a result, screen reader users do not receive the full promotional message, including limited-time offers and product-specific details. This violates WCAG 2.1 Perceivable requirements, as essential information is not fully conveyed in an accessible text alternative.

High Colour Contrast: The homepage uses strong colour contrast between text and background (e.g., black or bright red text on white backgrounds), which improves readability. This supports the WCAG 2.1 Perceivable principle, specifically the requirement for sufficient contrast between foreground and background content. High contrast helps users with low vision, colour vision deficiencies, or those viewing the site in bright lighting conditions to more easily read and interpret information.

Keyboard Accessibility and Hover Interaction: The homepage navigation relies on hover interactions to reveal drop-down menus for key categories such as Women, Men, Kids, and Baby. While hover functionality alone can present accessibility barriers, keyboard testing indicates partial compliance, as arrow keys allow movement across primary menu items and the Tab key enables access to submenu links. This suggests the navigation is operable without a mouse; however, the dual interaction model may reduce usability and discoverability for keyboard-only users, particularly if interaction patterns are not clearly signposted. The variety of categories also makes it more tedious to use the keyboard to select categories further down the drop-down menu.

Language Selection and Discoverability: The homepage includes an English/French language toggle located in the footer, allowing users to switch between languages. This supports WCAG 2.1 Understandable principles by providing content in multiple languages for users with different language preferences. However, placing the language selector only in the footer reduces its discoverability, as users must scroll to the bottom of the page before accessing it. This may limit usability for first-time visitors or users who expect language options in the header.