How to Write an Accessibility Statement for Your Website

If you've been working on making your website accessible, you're probably focused on the technical side: fixing color contrast, adding alt text, labeling form fields. All of that matters. But there's one piece most people forget, and it only takes 20 minutes to create. It's an accessibility statement.

An accessibility statement is a public page on your site that tells visitors what you've done to make your site accessible, what standards you follow, and how to contact you if something isn't working. Think of it as your accessibility policy, written in plain language for real people.

I've seen firsthand how much of a difference this small page can make. It builds trust with disabled visitors, shows regulators you're acting in good faith, and gives you a place to be honest about known issues while you work on fixing them. In this guide, I'll walk you through exactly what to include, give you a template you can copy and customize today, and share patterns I've seen from companies that do this well.

What Is an Accessibility Statement?

An accessibility statement is a dedicated page on your website that explains your commitment to accessibility. It typically describes the standard you're following (usually WCAG 2.2 AA), the steps you've taken to meet that standard, any known limitations, and how users can reach you if they encounter barriers.

It's similar to a privacy policy or terms of service, but focused entirely on accessibility. The difference is that while those legal pages are often full of legalese nobody reads, an accessibility statement should be written in clear, plain language. The people reading it are the ones who need accessibility most, so making the statement itself inaccessible would defeat the purpose.

The W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) recommends that every website publish an accessibility statement. Some jurisdictions, particularly in the EU under the European Accessibility Act, actually require one. In the US, it's not strictly mandated by the ADA, but it's strongly encouraged and can help demonstrate good faith if questions ever arise about your site's accessibility.

Why You Should Have One

It Builds Trust with Your Visitors

When a visitor who uses a screen reader or keyboard navigation lands on your site, they want to know you've thought about them. An accessibility statement signals that you take this seriously. It tells visitors: "We know accessibility matters, and we're working on it." That small gesture of acknowledgment goes a long way, even if your site isn't perfect yet.

It Shows Good Faith

Nobody's site is 100% accessible all the time. New content gets published, third-party widgets get updated, things break. An accessibility statement shows that you're aware of accessibility, you're actively working on it, and you've created a path for people to report problems. That good faith effort matters, both to your visitors and to anyone reviewing your accessibility compliance.

If you've ever worried about ADA website lawsuits, having a published accessibility statement with a clear feedback mechanism is one of the strongest signals you can send that you're making genuine efforts.

It Creates a Feedback Loop

Automated tools catch a lot of issues. Our scanner, for example, can flag missing alt text, color contrast failures, missing form labels, and dozens of other problems. But automated tools can't catch everything. Real users with real disabilities will find issues that no tool can detect. Your accessibility statement gives them a way to tell you about those issues so you can fix them.

It May Help Legally

While an accessibility statement alone doesn't make you ADA compliant, courts and regulators look favorably on organizations that have published policies, established feedback channels, and documented their remediation efforts. It's not a shield, but it's evidence that you're not ignoring the issue.

What to Include in Your Statement

A good accessibility statement covers several key areas. You don't need to write a novel. A page that's 300 to 500 words is usually plenty. Here's what to include.

The Standard You Follow

State which accessibility standard you're targeting. For most websites, this is WCAG 2.2 Level AA. If you're aiming for a different version or level, say so. Be specific. "We strive for WCAG 2.2 Level AA conformance" is much better than "We care about accessibility."

Your Conformance Level

Be honest about where you stand. The W3C defines three conformance levels:

• Fully conformant: The content fully meets the standard with no exceptions.
• Partially conformant: Some parts of the content don't fully meet the standard.
• Non-conformant: The content does not meet the standard.

Most sites fall into "partially conformant," and that's fine. Being honest about it is far better than claiming full conformance when your site still has issues. If you're not sure where you stand, run a free scan to get a baseline.

Known Limitations

If you're aware of specific accessibility barriers, list them. This might include third-party content you can't control (like embedded maps or social media widgets), older PDF documents that haven't been remediated yet, or specific pages that are still being updated. For each limitation, briefly explain what you're doing about it and, if possible, offer an alternative way for users to access the information.

Contact Information

This is the most important part. Give visitors a clear way to reach you if they encounter an accessibility barrier. Include at least an email address. A phone number is even better, because some users with disabilities may not be able to use email easily. Commit to a response timeframe, like "We will respond within 2 business days."

The Date

Include the date the statement was last reviewed or updated. An accessibility statement from 2019 doesn't inspire confidence in 2026. A recent date shows you're actively maintaining it.

Measures You've Taken

Briefly describe what you've done to make your site accessible. This could include: training your content team, using automated scanning tools, conducting manual accessibility audits, including accessibility in your design process, or working with accessibility consultants. Keep it factual and specific.

A Template You Can Copy and Customize

Here's a full accessibility statement template. Copy it, replace the bracketed sections with your own information, and publish it. I've written it in plain, conversational language on purpose. Your visitors will appreciate it.

Accessibility Statement

[Company Name] is committed to making our website accessible
to everyone, including people with disabilities. We believe
the web should work for all people, regardless of their
abilities or the technology they use.

Standard We Follow
We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.2, Level AA. These guidelines explain how to make
web content more accessible for people with disabilities and
more user-friendly for everyone.

Current Status
We have conducted an accessibility review of our website and
are actively working to fix any issues that were identified.
Our site is partially conformant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA.

What We've Done
- Conducted automated accessibility scans of all pages
- Reviewed and improved color contrast across the site
- Added descriptive alt text to images
- Ensured all forms have proper labels
- Tested keyboard navigation on all pages
- Structured content with proper headings
- [Add any other specific steps you've taken]

Known Limitations
While we work toward full conformance, some areas of our
site may not yet be fully accessible:

- [Describe limitation 1, e.g., "Some older PDF documents
  may not be fully accessible to screen readers. We are
  working to remediate these files."]
- [Describe limitation 2, e.g., "Third-party embedded
  content (maps, social media feeds) may not meet all
  accessibility standards."]
- [Add or remove items as needed]

Feedback and Contact
We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of our website.
If you encounter any barriers or have suggestions for
improvement, please contact us:

Email: [[email protected]]
Phone: [your-phone-number]

We will do our best to respond within [2 business days] and
work with you to resolve any accessibility issues.

This statement was last updated on [date].

You can use this as plain text on a simple page, or you can format it with headings and paragraphs in your site's design. Either works. The content matters more than the formatting.

One thing I'd recommend: don't use overly formal or legal-sounding language. You're talking to people who need this information. Write it like you're explaining it to a friend.

Where to Put It on Your Site

Your accessibility statement should be easy to find. Here are the most common placements, and I'd suggest using more than one.

Footer Link

The most standard placement is a link in your website footer, right alongside your Privacy Policy and Terms of Service links. Label it "Accessibility" or "Accessibility Statement." Most visitors (and auditors) will look here first. Since your footer appears on every page, the statement is always one click away.

About Page

You can also add a section about accessibility on your About page, or link to the full statement from there. This makes sense because your About page is where you talk about your values and how you operate. Accessibility fits naturally into that conversation.

Dedicated URL

Give it a clean, predictable URL. Something like /accessibility or /accessibility-statement works well. Avoid burying it under multiple subfolders or giving it a cryptic URL. People need to be able to find it, and some users will try typing a URL directly.

Contact Page

Consider adding a brief note on your contact page that mentions your accessibility feedback channel. Something like: "Having trouble accessing our site? See our accessibility statement or email us directly at [email]." This catches visitors who go to the contact page first when they encounter a problem.

Examples from Real Companies

Looking at how established companies handle their accessibility statements can give you a sense of what works. Here are some patterns I've noticed from reviewing dozens of them.

The Government Pattern

Government websites tend to have the most thorough accessibility statements. They typically list every WCAG success criterion, note their conformance status for each one, describe their testing methodology, and include detailed contact information with multiple channels (email, phone, mailing address). The US government's Section 508 requirements drive this level of detail. You don't need to go this far for a private website, but it's a solid model if you want to be thorough.

The Corporate Pattern

Large companies like banks, retailers, and tech companies usually publish mid-length statements. They name the standard they follow (WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA), describe their testing process (often a combination of automated tools and manual testing), acknowledge known limitations, and provide a dedicated accessibility email address. Many also mention that they've engaged third-party accessibility consultants. This is a good model for most businesses.

The Startup Pattern

Smaller companies and startups tend to keep it short: a few paragraphs stating their commitment, the standard they're targeting, and a contact email. This is the minimum viable accessibility statement, and honestly, it's enough to get started. You can always expand it later. The key is having something published rather than waiting until you have the perfect statement.

What They All Have in Common

Across all of these patterns, the best statements share a few traits. They're written in plain language. They're honest about limitations. They provide a clear way to report problems. And they include a date so visitors know the information is current.

Keeping Your Statement Updated

An accessibility statement isn't a "set it and forget it" page. Your site changes over time, and your statement should reflect that. Here's a practical review schedule.

Quarterly Reviews

Set a calendar reminder to review your statement every three months. During each review, run a fresh scan of your site to see if new issues have appeared. Update the "Known Limitations" section if anything has changed. Update the date at the bottom of the statement.

After Major Site Changes

Whenever you redesign your site, launch a new section, add a major feature, or switch themes or platforms, review your accessibility statement. A redesign can introduce new barriers or fix old ones, so your statement needs to match reality.

When You Receive Feedback

If someone reports an accessibility issue through your feedback channel, fix the issue (or add it to your known limitations), and update the statement accordingly. This shows that your feedback loop actually works, and it builds credibility over time.

Annual Audit

Once a year, do a more thorough review. Check that all the claims in your statement are still accurate. Test the contact information to make sure it works. Review your conformance level against the latest version of WCAG. If you've made significant progress, celebrate that in your statement.

Does an Accessibility Statement Protect You Legally?

Let me be straightforward about this: an accessibility statement does not make you ADA compliant, and it won't single-handedly protect you from a lawsuit. Compliance comes from actually making your site accessible, not from writing a page about it.

That said, an accessibility statement can work in your favor in several ways.

First, it demonstrates good faith. If you're ever faced with an ADA demand letter or lawsuit, having a published accessibility statement shows that you were aware of your obligations and actively working to meet them. Courts tend to look more favorably on organizations that can demonstrate ongoing effort compared to those that have done nothing.

Second, it provides a structured remediation path. Many ADA lawsuits are settled with consent decrees that require the defendant to publish an accessibility statement and establish a feedback mechanism. If you already have these in place, you're ahead of the curve.

Third, it can prevent issues from escalating. If a visitor encounters a barrier on your site and finds a clear way to contact you about it, they're more likely to reach out to you directly than to contact a lawyer. Your accessibility statement is, in effect, a pressure valve that lets people get help before frustration builds.

But none of this replaces the actual work of making your site accessible. Your statement should describe real efforts and real progress. A beautifully written accessibility statement on a site that's full of WCAG violations won't fool anyone, and it could actually look worse in court because it shows you knew about the issue but didn't act on it.

The bottom line: write the statement, but also do the work. Start with a compliance checklist and address your biggest issues first.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I've reviewed hundreds of accessibility statements over the years, and the same mistakes keep showing up. Here's what to avoid.

Claiming Full Conformance When You're Not There

This is the biggest one. Don't claim your site "fully conforms to WCAG 2.2 AA" unless you've had a professional audit and genuinely meet every success criterion. If a plaintiff's attorney runs a scan on your site and finds issues after you've claimed full conformance, that claim can be used against you. Be honest. "Partially conformant" is a perfectly acceptable status.

Using Vague, Empty Language

"We are committed to accessibility" means nothing without specifics. What have you actually done? What standard are you following? What's your current status? Vague statements read as performative rather than genuine. Be concrete. "We have tested all pages against WCAG 2.2 AA using automated scanning and manual keyboard testing" is far more meaningful.

Forgetting the Contact Information

An accessibility statement without a way to report issues is incomplete. The entire point is to create a feedback loop. If someone can't use your checkout flow because of an accessibility barrier, they need a way to tell you. Always include at least an email address, and respond to messages you receive.

Letting It Go Stale

A statement dated 2021 tells visitors you haven't thought about accessibility in years. Even if your site is in great shape, an old date erodes trust. Review and update the date at least quarterly. If nothing has changed, you can still update the "last reviewed" date to show you checked.

Making the Statement Itself Inaccessible

This sounds obvious, but I've seen it happen. Don't put your accessibility statement in a PDF. Don't use low-contrast text. Don't hide it behind a login wall. The people most likely to need this page are the same people who rely on accessibility features. Make sure the page itself is fully accessible: proper headings, sufficient contrast, readable font size, keyboard navigable.

Copying Someone Else's Statement Word for Word

Templates are a starting point, not a final product. If you copy another company's statement without customizing it, you'll end up with claims that don't match your actual situation. You might also accidentally claim conformance with a standard you've never tested against, or list measures you've never actually taken. Use the template above as a foundation, but make it yours.

Ignoring Third-Party Content

If your site includes embedded maps, social media feeds, chat widgets, or other third-party content, address it in your statement. You can't always control the accessibility of external tools, but you can acknowledge the limitation and offer alternatives. For example: "Our embedded Google Maps widget may not be fully accessible. For directions to our office, please call us at [phone number]."