How-to
How to Write an Accessibility Statement
What goes in it, how to word conformance claims without overclaiming, and where to publish it — with a free generator to start from.
An accessibility statement is a short public page where you state your commitment to accessibility, how conformant your site currently is, and how people can reach you about barriers. It’s required by the European Accessibility Act for covered services, expected by procurement teams, and — done honestly — a genuine signal of due diligence. You can generate one free here; this guide explains what goes in it and how to word it safely.
What an accessibility statement is
It’s not a legal disclaimer and not a compliance badge. It’s a transparent note to users (and regulators) that says: we care about access, here’s where we stand, here’s how to tell us when something’s broken.
Why publish one
- The EAA expects it for in-scope services, with a working feedback channel.
- It demonstrates due diligence — useful if you ever face a complaint.
- It gives users a path to report problems instead of leaving (or filing a complaint first).
- Buyers look for it during vendor and procurement review.
What to include
- Your commitment — a sentence on why accessibility matters to you.
- Conformance status — which standard you target (usually WCAG 2.1 AA) and whether you’re fully or partially conformant.
- Known limitations — honest notes on areas you know aren’t there yet.
- Feedback channel — an email (and ideally phone) plus a response-time commitment.
- Assessment approach — how you evaluated (self-assessment, automated + manual testing, third-party audit).
- Date — when the statement was prepared or last reviewed.
Skip the boilerplate generator trap
A statement copied verbatim from a template, with placeholder text left in, is worse than none — it reads as box-ticking. Use our generator as a starting structure, then make every line true for your site.
Wording: conformance vs. commitment
The single most important choice is how strongly you claim conformance. WCAG language gives you three honest options:
| Phrase | Use when |
|---|---|
| Fully conformant | You meet every applicable criterion at your target level — and keep testing. Rare; claim with care. |
| Partially conformant | Most content conforms; some doesn’t yet. The honest default for most sites. |
| Non-conformant | The standard isn’t substantially met yet. Pair with a remediation timeline. |
Mistakes to avoid
- Overclaiming. “Fully compliant” when you’re not is a misrepresentation that can be used against you.
- A dead contact. An unmonitored feedback address defeats the purpose and frustrates users.
- No date. An undated statement looks abandoned; review it at least annually.
- Treating it as the fix. A statement documents your posture — it doesn’t make an inaccessible site accessible.
- Mentioning an overlay as your “solution.” See why overlays don’t count.
Where to put it
Link it from your footer (alongside Privacy and Terms) at a stable URL like /accessibility. That’s where users, auditors, and regulators look first.