Taking Strides Toward Inclusivity: Confluence Running’s Accessibility Journey

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment at Confluence Running. Running can create community, confidence, health, and independence, and we want our stores and online experience to welcome as many people as possible.

That means looking beyond footwear and training advice. We continue to review how customers move through our stores, how they find and understand products online, and how our content works with keyboards, screen readers, magnification, and other assistive technologies.

Accessibility in Our Stores

Clearer, More Navigable Spaces

We work to keep aisles and customer areas as open and navigable as possible for people using wheelchairs, mobility devices, strollers, or other equipment. Store layouts can vary by location, so we continue to review physical access and make practical improvements where needed.

Individualized Footwear Fittings

No two customers move exactly the same way. Our fitting process is designed to be individualized, including for customers who use orthotics or prosthetics, are returning from injury, have mobility limitations, or simply need more time to find a comfortable solution. Our goal is to listen first and adapt the fitting experience to the person in front of us.

Support for Different Abilities and Goals

You do not need to fit a particular definition of a runner to receive help at Confluence Running. We work with competitive athletes, recreational runners, walkers, people returning to activity, and customers navigating injuries or mobility challenges. Questions are welcome, and our staff can adjust the fitting process when additional assistance is helpful.

Accessibility on ConfluenceRunning.com

We use WCAG 2.2 Level AA as our working accessibility target for website content and ongoing improvements. We do not view accessibility as a certification that is completed once; it is a continuing process of testing, learning, and remediation.

Our accessibility work includes:

• Meaningful image descriptions: product and content images should include useful alternative text when the image communicates information.
• Clear page structure: headings, paragraphs, lists, and links should be organized so customers can understand and navigate content without relying only on visual presentation.
• Descriptive links and controls: link and button wording should make the destination or action understandable.
• Readable visual presentation: text, controls, and important information should not depend on color alone and should maintain appropriate contrast.
• Keyboard and assistive-technology review: we continue to evaluate important customer journeys such as navigation, search, product selection, cart use, and checkout initiation.
• Accessible product information: important fit, sizing, feature, and purchasing information should be available as text rather than only inside an image.

Automated accessibility tools can help identify technical issues, but they do not replace real-world testing. We are working to combine automated checks with keyboard, screen-reader, mobile, and human review.

Learning From People Who Use Assistive Technology

Over the years, Confluence Running has connected with members of Binghamton University’s Services for Students with Disabilities community to better understand real-world accessibility. Those conversations have included how people who are blind navigate digital information with screen readers such as JAWS, why heading structure matters, how excessive links or visual clutter can create barriers, and why meaningful alternative text is important.

That perspective continues to influence how we think about our website. Standards are useful, but our bigger question is whether a customer using assistive technology can independently find a product, understand it, choose the appropriate options, add it to a cart, and complete the shopping process.

Accessibility Is Ongoing

Technology, products, apps, and website content change constantly. We therefore expect accessibility work to continue as our business evolves. We are incorporating accessibility into product creation, product cleanup, images, SEO, blog content, links, headings, tables, and other website updates while separately identifying issues that require changes to our Shopify theme or third-party apps.

We also continue to learn from customers and community members with disabilities. Real feedback helps us identify barriers that automated testing may miss and helps us prioritize the improvements that make the greatest difference.

Our goal is simple: make it easier for more people to participate, shop, learn, and feel welcome in the running community.