Most websites that have an accessibility statement wrote it once, years ago, and never looked at it again. That's a missed chance. Writing a good one takes an afternoon, it shows visitors you care whether your site works for them, and if you sell to customers in the EU you're now expected to have one anyway.
Below we walk through how to write an accessibility statement people will actually read: what goes in it, a template you can copy, some examples, and how to find the issues you should mention. If you have not tested your site yet, a free accessibility check is a good place to start.
This is general information, not legal advice. What you need depends on where you operate and what you sell.
What is an accessibility statement?
An accessibility statement is a page on your website that explains how accessible the site is. It says which standard you are working towards, how close you are, what still needs fixing, and how someone can get in touch if they run into a problem.
It's a note to your visitors, not a certificate. Nobody expects a perfect website. People want to know if you're aware of the problems, if you're working on them, and what they can do until then. A statement that owns up to a few known issues is easier to trust than one that says everything is fine.
Do you need an accessibility statement?
It depends on where your customers are.
If you provide services to consumers in the EU, such as an online shop, banking or travel booking, the European Accessibility Act asks you to explain how your service meets its accessibility requirements. In practice, an EAA accessibility statement on your website is how most businesses do this. Our EAA compliance guide covers who the law applies to.
Public sector websites in the EU and the UK have had to publish a statement for several years, under the Web Accessibility Directive and the UK Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations.
In the United States, the ADA does not require one. Many businesses publish a statement anyway, because it gives visitors a simple way to report a problem before it turns into a complaint. If you sell to the federal government, buyers will usually ask for an Accessibility Conformance Report based on the VPAT template instead, but a public statement is still worth having.
What to include in an accessibility statement
There is no single required format, but the W3C and the EU model statement agree on the basics. This is what we'd cover, more or less in this order.
Start with your commitment. A sentence or two is enough. Say that you want everyone to be able to use your site, including people with disabilities.
Name the standard. A WCAG accessibility statement should say which version and level you are aiming for. For most sites today that is WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Businesses in the EU can also mention EN 301 549, the European standard behind the EAA.
Be clear about where you are. The usual terms are fully conformant, partially conformant or non-conformant. Most websites are partially conformant. Saying so is fine.
List the known issues. This is the part visitors care about most. For each problem, say what it is, roughly when you expect to fix it, and what people can do in the meantime.
Explain how you tested. Mention the browsers and assistive technology you check with, and whether you used automated scans, manual testing or an outside audit.
Make it easy to get in touch. Give an email address and phone number, and say how quickly you aim to reply. If you operate in the EU or UK, also say where people can complain if they are not happy with your answer.
Add a date. Say when the statement was written and when it was last reviewed.
Free accessibility statement template
Copy the template below, replace everything in [square brackets] and remove anything that does not apply to you.
Accessibility statement for [Company name]
[Company name] wants everyone to be able to use [website address], including people with disabilities. We are working to make our website accessible and easy to use.
Standard we follow
We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA.How accessible this website is
This website is [fully / partially / not] conformant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA. [Partially conformant means some parts of the content do not fully meet the standard yet.]Known issues
- [For example: some product images are missing text descriptions.] We plan to fix this by [month year].
- [For example: some older PDF documents are not fully accessible.] Get in touch and we will send you an accessible version.
How we tested
We last tested this website on [date] using [automated scans / manual keyboard and screen reader testing / an external audit by (company)]. We check it with [for example Chrome, Safari, NVDA and VoiceOver].Contact us
If something on this website does not work for you, or you need information in a different format, please let us know.
- Email: [email address]
- Phone: [phone number]
We aim to reply within [5] working days.
If you are not happy with our response
[EU and UK only: you can contact (name of the national enforcement body).]Last updated
This statement was written on [date] and last reviewed on [date].
Accessibility statement examples
The known issues section is where most people get stuck, so here's how it can sound in practice.
An online shop might write: "The size guide on our product pages opens in a pop-up that cannot be used with a keyboard. We are replacing it in [month]. Until then, the same information is on our Sizes page."
A software company might write: "Charts in the reporting dashboard do not have text descriptions yet. You can download the same data as a CSV file from each chart."
A council or public body might write: "Some PDF forms published before 2023 are not accessible. They are not needed to use our services, and we can send you the form in another format if you contact us."
Each one names the problem, says when it will be fixed or what to do instead, and skips vague lines like "we are committed to improving accessibility". If you want to see a full page, our own Inclusense accessibility statement follows the same approach.
How to find the known issues for your statement
You can't write an honest statement without knowing what's broken, so test first and write second.
An automated WCAG scanner is the quickest first step. It picks up common problems like missing alt text, low colour contrast and form fields without labels. It won't catch everything, though, so do a few checks by hand as well. Try using your menu, forms and checkout with only a keyboard, and listen to your key pages with a screen reader such as NVDA or VoiceOver. And don't forget the PDFs and other documents on your site. They're easy to overlook.
Write each problem down in plain language, the way a visitor would describe it, and add a rough date for the fix.
While you work through the fixes, an accessibility widget can help visitors adjust contrast, text size and reading settings. It makes the site easier to use today, but it does not fix the underlying code, so it should not be listed as the reason your site meets a standard.
Where to put your accessibility statement
Give it its own page, with a simple address like /accessibility-statement or /accessibility, and link to it from the footer so it is one click away on every page. Keep the page itself easy to use: real headings, plain text, and no PDF downloads.
How often to update it
Look at your statement at least once a year, and again after any big change, such as a redesign, a new checkout or a new app. Remove issues as you fix them and update the date each time. A statement dated three years ago tells visitors nobody's looking after it.
Frequently asked questions
Is an accessibility statement required by law?
In the EU, businesses covered by the European Accessibility Act need to explain how their services meet the accessibility requirements, and public sector websites in the EU and UK must publish a statement. In the US it is not required by the ADA, but it is good practice.
Can I use an accessibility statement generator?
Yes, and the template above works the same way. A generator saves time on the wording. What matters is what you put in it: your real conformance status and the issues you found when you tested.
What does "partially conformant" mean?
It means some parts of your website do not fully meet the standard yet. Most websites are in this position, and saying so, along with a list of known issues, is better than claiming full conformance.
Should my statement mention WCAG 2.1 or 2.2?
We suggest WCAG 2.2 Level AA. It includes everything in WCAG 2.1 AA, which is still the level most laws refer to, so aiming for 2.2 covers both. Our WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2 page explains what changed.
Does an accessibility widget make my site compliant?
No. A widget helps visitors, but compliance depends on your code and content meeting WCAG. Your statement should describe the real state of the site and the fixes you are making.
If you'd like to see where your site stands before you start writing, run a free accessibility check, or see how our EAA compliance software and widget can help you track fixes over time.