How to Create an Accessibility Statement That Actually Protects Your Business
Learn how to write an accessibility statement that meets EAA requirements, builds user trust, and provides genuine legal protection. Includes copy-paste templates and real-world examples.
An accessibility statement is more than a legal checkbox—it's a public commitment to accessibility, a communication tool with your users, and yes, an important piece of your legal compliance strategy. Under the European Accessibility Act, it's mandatory. Under the ADA, while not required, it demonstrates good faith.
This guide will walk you through creating an accessibility statement that actually serves its purposes: informing users, demonstrating commitment, and providing appropriate legal protection.
Why Your Accessibility Statement Matters
For Users
Sets expectations about accessibility features, known limitations, and how to get help if they encounter barriers.
For Legal Protection
Demonstrates good faith effort, discloses known issues transparently, and provides evidence of ongoing accessibility work.
For Your Business
Builds trust with customers, creates a feedback channel for improvements, and signals commitment to inclusion.
EAA Requirements for Accessibility Statements
Under the European Accessibility Act, businesses must provide an accessibility statement that includes the following elements:
- Declaration of conformance status (full, partial, or non-conformance)
- List of content not accessible and reasons why
- Description of accessible alternatives
- Contact information for accessibility feedback
- Link to enforcement procedure (for EU public sector)
- Date the statement was last updated
Important: The EAA requires the statement to be in an accessible format. That means HTML webpage (not just PDF), with proper heading structure, and keyboard accessible.
Section-by-Section Guide
Here's what to include in each section of your accessibility statement, with example text you can customize:
Commitment Statement
Required[Company Name] is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards to ensure we provide equal access to all users.
Conformance Status
RequiredThis website conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities and more user-friendly for everyone.
Scope of Statement
RequiredThis accessibility statement applies to [website URL]. This includes all pages under this domain, our mobile applications, and digital services accessible through this website.
Accessibility Measures
[Company Name] takes the following measures to ensure accessibility: • Include accessibility as part of our mission statement • Integrate accessibility into our procurement practices • Provide continual accessibility training for our staff • Assign clear accessibility goals and responsibilities • Employ formal accessibility quality assurance methods
Feedback & Contact Information
RequiredWe welcome your feedback on the accessibility of [website]. Please let us know if you encounter any accessibility barriers: Email: accessibility@[company].com Phone: [Phone Number] Postal Address: [Address] We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days.
Known Limitations
Despite our best efforts, some content may not be fully accessible. Below is a description of known limitations: • User-generated content: Some content uploaded by users may not meet accessibility standards. We provide guidance for accessible content creation. • Third-party content: Some embedded content from third-party providers may not be fully accessible. We are working with these providers to improve accessibility.
Technical Specifications
This website is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies: • Screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) • Screen magnification software • Speech recognition software • Keyboard-only navigation The website is not compatible with browsers older than 3 versions.
Assessment Approach
[Company Name] assessed the accessibility of this website using: • Self-evaluation using automated testing tools • External evaluation by accessibility consultants • User testing with assistive technology users
Statement Date
RequiredThis statement was created on [Date] and was last reviewed on [Date].
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Vague commitment statements
Statements like "we are committed to accessibility" without specifics provide no legal protection and no useful information to users.
Specify the exact standards you're following (e.g., WCAG 2.1 Level AA) and your actual conformance status.
No contact mechanism
Without a way to report issues, users have no recourse and you lose valuable feedback about real accessibility barriers.
Provide multiple contact methods (email, phone, form) and commit to response times.
Claiming full compliance falsely
Overclaiming compliance can backfire legally. If someone finds violations after you claimed full compliance, it looks like deception.
Be honest about your status. "Partially conformant" with a remediation plan is better than a false "fully conformant."
Never updating the statement
An outdated statement suggests you're not actively maintaining accessibility. It also may not reflect your current status.
Review and update at least annually, or whenever you make significant changes to your website.
Hiding it in the footer
If users can't find your accessibility statement, it's not serving its purpose. It should be easily discoverable.
Link to it from your main footer, and consider adding it to your main navigation or help section.
Using inaccessible PDF format
Ironic as it sounds, many accessibility statements are published as inaccessible PDFs.
Publish as HTML webpage. If you need a PDF version, ensure it's fully accessible.
Complete Template
Here's a complete accessibility statement template that meets EAA requirements and follows best practices. Copy it and customize for your business:
# Accessibility Statement for [Company Name] ## Our Commitment [Company Name] is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We continually improve the user experience for everyone and apply the relevant accessibility standards to ensure we provide equal access to all users. ## Conformance Status This website conforms to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content more accessible for people with disabilities and more user-friendly for everyone. **Current Status:** [Fully conformant / Partially conformant / Non-conformant] ## Scope This accessibility statement applies to: - Website: [your-website.com] - Mobile applications: [App names if applicable] - Digital services: [List any specific services] ## Accessibility Features We have implemented the following accessibility features: **Navigation:** - Skip navigation links to bypass repetitive content - Consistent navigation structure across all pages - Keyboard-accessible menus and interactive elements **Content:** - Text alternatives for all meaningful images - Sufficient color contrast (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text) - Resizable text up to 200% without loss of functionality - Clear heading hierarchy for screen reader navigation **Forms:** - Clearly labeled form fields - Error identification and suggestions - Focus indicators for keyboard users **Multimedia:** - Captions for video content - Transcripts for audio content - No auto-playing media ## Known Limitations Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility, there may be some limitations. Below is a description of known limitations and potential solutions: 1. **[Specific content or feature]** - Description: [What the limitation is] - Why: [Reason for the limitation] - Alternative: [How users can access this content/feature alternatively] - Timeline: [When you expect to fix this] 2. **User-Generated Content** - Some content uploaded by users may not meet accessibility standards - We provide guidelines for accessible content creation - Contact us if you encounter inaccessible user content 3. **Third-Party Content** - Some embedded content from third-party providers may have accessibility limitations - We are actively working with providers to improve accessibility ## Feedback and Contact Information We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of [website name]. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers: **Email:** accessibility@[company].com **Phone:** [Phone number] **Address:** [Physical address] **Response Time:** We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 5 business days. **Accessibility Feedback Form:** [Link to dedicated form if available] ## Enforcement Procedure (EU/EEA Users) If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, and you are not satisfied with our response to your accessibility concern, you have the right to submit a complaint to your national enforcement body. [Link to relevant national body or process] ## Technical Specifications This website is designed to be compatible with: - Screen readers: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack - Screen magnification software - Speech recognition software - Keyboard-only navigation **Technologies Used:** - HTML5 - WAI-ARIA - CSS - JavaScript **Browser Compatibility:** This website works best with current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. It may not function optimally in older browsers. ## Assessment Methods We assess the accessibility of [website] through: - Self-evaluation using automated testing tools (axe-core) - Expert manual evaluation - [External audit by accessibility consultants if applicable] - User testing with assistive technology users ## Statement Information - **Date Created:** [Date] - **Last Reviewed:** [Date] - **Review Frequency:** [Monthly/Quarterly/Annually] --- This statement was created using guidelines from the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and European Accessibility Act requirements.
Implementation Best Practices
Make it easy to find
Link to your accessibility statement from your website footer on every page. Consider also linking from your help section and contact page.
Use plain language
Write in clear, simple language. Avoid jargon. Remember that people with cognitive disabilities may be reading this.
Keep it current
Set a reminder to review quarterly. Update immediately when you fix issues or discover new ones.
Test the page itself
Your accessibility statement page must be accessible. Run it through your accessibility scanner.
Monitor feedback channels
Actually respond to accessibility feedback. This is valuable user research and demonstrates good faith.
Connect it to your remediation process
When you list known limitations, include realistic timelines for fixes. Then follow through.
Know What to Put in Your Statement
Scan your site first to identify your actual accessibility status and known issues. This makes writing an accurate statement much easier.
Scan Your Site Free