How to write a website accessibility statement (with a template)

Why publish one

A statement tells visitors what to expect and how to get help, shows good faith and gives you one place to keep the facts straight. It is not a legal shield, and it does not replace fixing problems. In the EU, public-sector sites must publish one, and several countries expect one from other businesses under the European Accessibility Act; see the EAA guide. In the U.S., no federal law requires a statement for private businesses, but it is a sound practice.

What to include

1. Your commitment, in one or two plain sentences.
2. The standard you aim for, for example "WCAG 2.2 Level AA". Say aim, not claim, unless a qualified evaluator has confirmed conformance.
3. Scope: which sites, pages or apps the statement covers.
4. What you have done: for example, "We test key pages with automated tools and by keyboard".
5. Known limitations: be specific about what is not yet accessible and when you plan to fix it. Honest limits build trust.
6. How to reach a person: an email address and, if you can, a phone number. Say how fast you reply.
7. Last reviewed date. Update it when you retest.

What to avoid

• Claiming the site is "fully accessible" or "ADA compliant": a scan cannot establish either.
• Burying the contact route or making people fill a long form to report a barrier.
• Copying another company's statement without checking that it is true for your site.
• Leaving an old date on the page.

A simple template

Accessibility at [Business name]

We want everyone to be able to use [site address]. We aim to meet
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA.

What we do
We test our key pages with automated tools and by keyboard, and
we recheck after changes to the site.

Known limitations
- [Example: some older PDF documents are not yet accessible. We are
  replacing them by [month, year].]
- [Example: the video on [page] does not have captions yet.]

Tell us about a problem
If something on our site is hard to use, email [address] or call
[phone]. Tell us the page and what happened. We reply within
[number] business days.

This statement was last reviewed on [date].

The W3C offers an accessibility statement generator if you want a longer form. On a site builder, check the platform's own guidance first: Wix accessibility guide, Shopify and Squarespace accessibility guide each have their own features and limits.

Keep it true

Pair the statement with real work: scan, fix, recheck and keep dated records. The ADA website compliance checklist shows the routine.

An honest known-limitations section

Specific beats vague. "Our product videos do not have captions yet; we are adding them by March" tells visitors something useful and shows you know your site. "We are always improving accessibility" tells them nothing. If you cannot give a date, say what you are working on and how to ask for an alternative.

How to write a statement people can read

An accessibility statement is read by customers, journalists, lawyers, procurement staff and regulators, but the person it matters most to is someone who ran into a barrier on your site and wants to know whether anybody cares. Write for that person.

• Use plain, short sentences. Avoid legal language and avoid jargon like "POUR".
• Say what you did. For instance, "We test our main pages with a keyboard and a screen reader and run automated scans each month."
• Say what you did not do yet. Honesty about gaps builds trust.
• Give a real contact: an email address a person reads, and a phone number if you have one. State how long you take to reply.
• Put the date of the last review on the page.

A worked example for a small online store

Use your own facts. Do not copy sample text without checking each statement is true for your site, because a statement that overstates what you have done can create more risk than none.

What regulators and buyers look for

Where to put the statement and how to keep it findable

• Link to it from the footer of every page, using the words "Accessibility" or "Accessibility statement".
• Use a stable address such as /accessibility so links do not break.
• Make sure the page itself meets the standard you describe.
• Mention it in your terms or help page if your national law expects that.

Keeping it up to date

Put a reminder in your calendar to review the statement every six months, and after any big change such as a redesign, platform switch or new checkout. Check that the contact address still works by sending a test message. Update the date only when you have really reviewed it.

Platform notes

On Wix, Shopify, Squarespace and WordPress you can create a normal page for the statement and add a footer link. Do not rely on a generator or widget to write the content for you, since it cannot know what you have tested. See the guides for Wix accessibility guide, accessibility on Shopify, Squarespace accessibility guide and WooCommerce and WordPress.

Common statement mistakes

Handling feedback you receive

A statement invites people to contact you, so prepare for it. Decide who reads the mailbox, and agree on a reply time. Respond kindly, even when the report is brief or frustrated. Ask what page they were on and what they were trying to do, then thank them. Record the issue, fix it where you can and tell the person when it is done. Where you cannot fix it quickly, offer another way to help, such as taking an order by phone.

Keeping a simple log of feedback and responses is useful for your own improvement, and it shows good faith if questions are asked later.

Statements for different kinds of organization

• Small online store: one page, plain language, contact details, known issues and a date.
• Software company: the same, plus a link to the conformance report and a named accessibility contact.
• Public body: additional content may be required by law, such as a feedback mechanism and a link to an enforcement body. Check your jurisdiction.
• Agency: a statement for the agency site, and a template that clients can adapt for their own sites.

Translations and alternative formats

If your site is available in more than one language, publish the statement in each of them. Offer another way to get information, for example a phone number, an email address, or a large-print or audio version of key documents if they are available. People often prefer a quick call to a lengthy online process, and offering this is simple and kind.

How the statement relates to the rest of your site

A statement is a promise to be honest, and visitors will compare it with their experience. If you say you test with a screen reader, someone may try it. If you say you fixed the size guide, they may open the size guide. This is why the best statements are modest and specific. They say what is true today and what you are working on, and they are updated when things change.

Link the statement to a place where people can report problems. Add a short message on your contact page saying you welcome accessibility feedback. In your support team's training, include a note on how to respond to an accessibility report, and how to pass it to the person who can fix it.

A checklist before you publish

1. Every sentence about testing is true, and you could show the evidence.
2. The page names the standard you aim for, including version and level.
3. Known problems are listed, with an honest date to fix them.
4. There is a working contact route and a reply time you can meet.
5. The page has a date and an owner.
6. The page itself passes a scan and a keyboard test.
7. The footer link is on every page.

Where to learn more

The W3C Web Accessibility Initiative publishes a generator and guidance for accessibility statements, and the European Commission and individual Member States publish model statements for public bodies. These are useful as outlines. Whatever template you start from, adapt it to your own site and review every claim.

Frequently asked questions from site owners

• Should the statement mention the law? You may mention the standard you follow, such as WCAG 2.2 AA, without discussing the law. If a particular law applies to you, such as ADA Title II or the EAA, name it only if you have confirmed that it does.
• Can I use a generator? A generator can give you an outline, but you must check every statement against reality and delete anything that is not true.
• What if I have no accessibility team? Name the person who is responsible, even if it is the owner. A named person is better than no one.
• Should I list every known issue? List the ones that would matter to a visitor, and say how to get help with each. You do not need to list every minor point.
• Do I need to translate it? If your site serves visitors in more than one language, yes, it is kind and often expected.

A statement that answers these questions in a short, calm tone does its job: it tells visitors that someone is paying attention.

Accessibility statement for a service business

Notice what the example does: it names a standard, says what is tested and how often, admits a real problem with a date to fix it, and gives a human alternative. That is more persuasive than any badge.

Statement, policy and feedback form

A statement describes where your site stands today. A policy sets how you will handle accessibility in future. A feedback route lets people tell you about a barrier. You need the first and the last; the second helps larger teams. Whatever you publish, make sure the contact route works and someone is responsible for answering it.