Accessibility Statement Guide: Templates and Best Practices

Accessibility statements communicate your organization's commitment to digital accessibility, document compliance efforts, and provide contact information for users who encounter barriers. While not explicitly required by WCAG, accessibility statements are considered best practice and may be legally required in certain jurisdictions. A well-crafted statement demonstrates good faith effort and provides essential information for users with disabilities.

This guide covers creating effective accessibility statements: required elements, template structure, legal considerations, and ongoing maintenance.

Q: Are accessibility statements legally required?

A: Requirements vary by jurisdiction. The European Accessibility Act requires public sector accessibility statements. U.S. ADA doesn't explicitly mandate statements, but they demonstrate good faith compliance effort. Regardless of legal requirement, accessibility statements are considered best practice for all organizations.

Why Accessibility Statements Matter

User Benefits

Finding help: Users encountering barriers need to know how to get assistance. The statement provides contact information and alternative access methods.

Understanding limitations: Honest disclosure of known limitations helps users decide whether they can accomplish their goals or need alternative approaches.

Demonstrating commitment: A published statement signals that accessibility is a priority, building trust with users who depend on accessible experiences.

Legal Benefits

Good faith evidence: In ADA litigation, accessibility statements can demonstrate commitment to compliance—evidence of good faith effort, not negligence.

Complaint resolution: Providing contact information and feedback mechanisms may resolve issues before they escalate to formal complaints or lawsuits.

Regulatory compliance: Some regulations explicitly require accessibility statements (EU Directive 2016/2102, EAA for certain entities).

Essential Statement Elements

Commitment Statement

Express your commitment to accessibility:

## Our Commitment to Accessibility

[Organization 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.

Standards Applied

Specify which standards you follow:

## Accessibility Standards

This website strives to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make web content
accessible to people with a wide array of disabilities.

Current Status

Be honest about your compliance status:

Full conformance (rare):

## Conformance Status

This website fully conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

Partial conformance (most common):

## Conformance Status

This website partially conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We are actively
working to address any known barriers.

Working toward conformance:

## Conformance Status

We are actively working toward WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance. Some
content may not yet fully conform to all success criteria.

Known Limitations

Document known accessibility issues:

## Known Limitations

We are aware of the following accessibility limitations:

1. **Some older PDF documents** may not be fully accessible. We are
   remediating priority documents and provide accessible alternatives
   upon request.

2. **Third-party embedded content** (videos, maps) may have accessibility
   limitations outside our control. We provide text alternatives where
   possible.

3. **User-generated content** (comments, reviews) may not meet accessibility
   standards. We moderate for basic accessibility and are implementing
   improved guidance for contributors.

Contact Information

Provide clear contact for accessibility issues:

## Feedback and Contact

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of [Site Name]. Please
contact us if you encounter accessibility barriers:

**Email:** accessibility@example.com
**Phone:** (555) 123-4567
**Mailing address:**
Accessibility Team
123 Main Street
Anytown, ST 12345

We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within 3 business days.

Feedback Process

Explain how you handle accessibility feedback:

## Feedback Process

When you contact us about an accessibility issue:

1. We acknowledge your feedback within 3 business days
2. We investigate the reported barrier
3. We provide a timeline for resolution or an alternative accommodation
4. We follow up when the issue is resolved

For urgent access needs, please call us directly at (555) 123-4567.

Template: Basic Accessibility Statement

# Accessibility Statement for [Organization Name]

## Our Commitment

[Organization Name] is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for
people with disabilities. We continually improve the user experience
and apply relevant accessibility standards.

## Standards

This website strives to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.1 Level AA.

## Conformance Status

This website partially conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. We are working
to address known barriers.

## Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our website. Please
contact us if you encounter accessibility barriers:

- **Email:** accessibility@[domain].com
- **Phone:** [phone number]

We try to respond within 3 business days.

## Continuous Improvement

We are committed to ongoing accessibility improvements. This statement
was last updated on [Date].

Template: Comprehensive Accessibility Statement

# Accessibility Statement

Last updated: [Date]

## Our Commitment to Accessibility

[Organization Name] is committed to ensuring that our website is
accessible to people with disabilities. We believe that every user
deserves a first-class experience, and we invest significantly in
meeting WCAG standards.

## Accessibility Standards

We aim to meet or exceed the requirements of:

- **WCAG 2.1 Level AA** - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
- **ADA Title III** - Americans with Disabilities Act
- **Section 508** - Where applicable to our services

## Measures Taken

To ensure accessibility, we have:

- Included accessibility in our company policies and procurement
- Appointed accessibility specialists to our development team
- Provided accessibility training to staff
- Engaged external consultants for accessibility audits
- Used automated testing tools for continuous monitoring
- Implemented a user feedback mechanism for accessibility issues

## Conformance Status

As of [Date], this website substantially conforms to WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
We use TestParty for continuous accessibility monitoring and remediation.

### Known Limitations

Despite our best efforts, some content may have accessibility
limitations:

1. **PDF Documents:** Some legacy PDFs pre-dating [year] may not be
   fully tagged. Contact us for accessible alternatives.

2. **Video Content:** Videos published before [date] may lack captions.
   We are retroactively adding captions. Transcripts available upon
   request.

3. **Interactive Maps:** Our embedded maps rely on third-party services
   with limited accessibility. Text-based directions available as
   alternative.

4. **Third-Party Content:** Some embedded content from third-party
   providers may not meet our accessibility standards.

## Compatibility

Our website is designed to be compatible with:

- Recent versions of major browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
- Screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
- Screen magnification software
- Voice recognition software
- Keyboard-only navigation

## Technical Specifications

Accessibility of this website relies on:

- HTML
- WAI-ARIA
- CSS
- JavaScript

These technologies are used in combination with accessibility features
in browsers and assistive technologies.

## Limitations and Alternatives

We recognize that some parts of our website may not yet fully conform.
Where barriers exist, we offer:

- Alternative formats upon request
- Phone support for completing transactions
- In-person assistance at our locations
- Email support for accessibility-related questions

## Feedback

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of [Site Name]:

**Email:** accessibility@[domain].com
**Phone:** [number]
**Address:**
Accessibility Coordinator
[Organization Name]
[Street Address]
[City, State ZIP]

**Response time:** We respond to accessibility feedback within 3
business days.

## Complaint Process

If you are not satisfied with our response:

1. Contact our Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@[domain].com
2. Request escalation to [Title/Department]
3. We will investigate and respond within 10 business days

For formal complaints outside our organization:
- U.S. users may file complaints with the Department of Justice
- Relevant regulatory bodies in your jurisdiction

## Assessment Approach

We assess accessibility through:

- **Self-evaluation** using automated tools
- **External audits** by accessibility consultants
- **User testing** with people with disabilities
- **Continuous monitoring** with TestParty

## Ongoing Efforts

We are committed to maintaining and improving accessibility:

- Quarterly accessibility audits
- Developer accessibility training
- Accessibility included in new feature development
- Regular review and update of this statement

---

This statement was created on [Date] and last reviewed on [Date].

Template: E-Commerce Accessibility Statement

# Accessibility Statement - [Store Name]

## Our Commitment

[Store Name] is committed to providing an accessible online shopping
experience for all customers, including those with disabilities.

## Standards Applied

We work to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards and ADA Title III
requirements for digital accessibility.

## Shopping Experience

We strive to ensure all customers can:

- Browse our product catalog
- Read product descriptions and view product images with alt text
- Add items to cart and adjust quantities
- Complete checkout and payment
- Create and manage accounts
- Contact customer service

## Accessibility Features

Our website includes:

- Text alternatives for product images
- Keyboard-accessible navigation and checkout
- Compatible design for screen readers
- Adjustable text size without loss of functionality
- Sufficient color contrast
- Clear form labels and error messages

## Known Limitations

We are aware of the following limitations we're working to address:

- Some product videos may lack captions (available upon request)
- Some third-party payment widgets may have limited accessibility
- User-submitted product reviews may not meet accessibility standards

## Need Help?

If you have difficulty accessing any part of our website or need
assistance completing a purchase:

**Customer Service:**
- Email: accessibility@[domain].com
- Phone: [number] (accessibility-trained agents available)
- Live Chat: [if available]

**Alternative Ordering:**
- Phone orders: [number]
- Email orders: orders@[domain].com

We're happy to assist with product information, placing orders, or
any accessibility-related questions.

## Response Time

We respond to accessibility inquiries within 24-48 hours.

## Continuous Improvement

We partner with TestParty to continuously monitor and improve our
website's accessibility. This statement was last updated [Date].

Statement Placement

Where to Publish

Footer link (recommended): Most common placement—accessible from every page.

<footer>
  <nav aria-label="Footer">
    <a href="/accessibility">Accessibility</a>
    <a href="/privacy">Privacy Policy</a>
    <a href="/terms">Terms of Service</a>
  </nav>
</footer>

Dedicated page: Create a standalone accessibility page (e.g., /accessibility).

Multiple locations: Consider linking from:

• Site footer
• Help/support section
• Contact page
• About page

Page Accessibility

Ensure the accessibility statement page itself is accessible:

• Proper heading structure
• Keyboard navigable
• Screen reader compatible
• Adequate color contrast
• Working contact links

Maintaining Your Statement

Regular Updates

Review frequency:

• Quarterly at minimum
• After major site updates
• When accessibility improvements are made
• When new issues are discovered

Update checklist:

• [ ] Conformance status still accurate
• [ ] Known limitations still relevant
• [ ] Contact information current
• [ ] Links working
• [ ] Date updated

Version History

Consider maintaining version history:

## Statement History

| Date | Version | Changes |
|------|---------|---------|
| 2025-01-15 | 2.1 | Updated conformance status following audit |
| 2024-10-01 | 2.0 | Major revision; added known limitations section |
| 2024-07-01 | 1.1 | Updated contact information |
| 2024-01-15 | 1.0 | Initial publication |

FAQ Section

Q: How detailed should known limitations be?

A: Be specific enough that users understand the barrier and can seek alternatives, but don't exhaustively list every minor issue. Focus on barriers that significantly impact user experience.

Q: Should I list every WCAG success criterion we meet?

A: No. Reference the standard level you target (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA). Detailed compliance reports (VPATs) are separate documents for procurement contexts.

Q: Can an accessibility statement protect against lawsuits?

A: A statement alone doesn't prevent lawsuits, but demonstrating ongoing good-faith efforts, providing contact information, and promptly addressing reported barriers can support your legal position and potentially resolve issues before litigation.

Q: Should I include specific compliance percentages?

A: Optional. Some organizations include audit results ("95% WCAG AA conformance"), but this creates pressure to maintain that number. General status ("substantially conforms") is often sufficient.

Q: How do I handle third-party content limitations?

A: Acknowledge that third-party embedded content may have limitations outside your control, and state that you provide alternatives where possible. Consider your responsibility when selecting third-party tools.

Key Takeaways

• Accessibility statements are best practice for all organizations regardless of legal requirement.

• Be honest about conformance status. Claiming full compliance when barriers exist creates legal risk and erodes trust.

• Provide clear contact information. Users need to know how to get help when they encounter barriers.

• Document known limitations and what you're doing to address them.

• Update regularly. Outdated statements undermine credibility and may misrepresent current status.

• Make the statement page accessible. The accessibility statement itself must be accessible.

Conclusion

An accessibility statement is more than a compliance checkbox—it's a communication tool that helps users, demonstrates commitment, and documents your accessibility program. A well-maintained statement builds trust with users who depend on accessible experiences and provides evidence of good-faith effort.

TestParty helps organizations maintain accurate accessibility statements by providing continuous monitoring and documentation of compliance status. When your remediation efforts improve accessibility, your statement can reflect those improvements with confidence.

Ready to build your accessibility program? Get a free accessibility scan to understand your current status—the foundation for an accurate accessibility statement.

Related Articles:

• VPAT and ACR Guide: Accessibility Conformance Documentation
• ADA Website Compliance 2025: Complete Legal Requirements
• Accessibility Program Development: Building Internal Capability

A note on how we create content: TestParty uses AI tools to help research and write articles like this one, with our accessibility team reviewing for accuracy. While we work hard to provide useful information about digital accessibility and ADA compliance, nothing here constitutes legal advice.