Template

Website accessibility statement: a template and examples

An accessibility statement is a page on your site that tells visitors with disabilities how well the site works for them, and how to reach you when something does not work. It is often linked from the footer. Below is a template you can copy, two filled-in examples, and notes on what each part should say. The part people read most closely is the status line, and you can only write it honestly after you have tested the site.

What a statement is for

A visitor who uses a screen reader, zooms in a long way or cannot use a mouse reads it to learn what will work and who to call. A business customer or a lawyer reads it to see whether you have looked at accessibility at all. The W3C, which writes WCAG, says a statement should at least contain three things: a commitment to accessibility for people with disabilities, the standard you apply, and contact details for people who run into a problem. It also suggests listing known problems and the browsers and assistive technology you support. The W3C guide to developing an accessibility statement has the full list.

Before you write it, test the site

Start with the free one-page check on your home page, a product or service page, and your contact form. A machine can check only part of WCAG, so go through the ADA compliance checklist as well. If you want a dated record to point to, an audit gives you one. The automated audit costs $149 for 10 pages. The signed audit costs $490 for 10 pages, reviewed and signed by a certified accessibility specialist. You can read a sample report first.

The template

Copy the text below and replace everything in square brackets. You can delete a section that does not apply, but keep the contact details and the date.

What to write in each part

• The status line. W3C's statement generator offers four levels: fully conforms, partially conforms, does not conform, and not assessed. Fully means no exceptions at all, and few sites with outside tools on them get there. For most sites, "partially conforms" with a list of problems is the honest choice. Do not write "ADA compliant". There is no official ADA certification for websites, so nobody can check the claim.
• Known problems. Describe them the way a visitor would notice them. W3C's own example: write "videos do not have captions", not the number of a WCAG criterion. Add what a visitor can do in the meantime, such as ordering by phone. A date for the fix tells people more than a promise.
• Tools from other companies. Booking, chat, payment and review tools are made by someone else, but to a visitor they are part of your site. Name them and say what you have done about them.
• Contact. Give at least two ways to reach you, such as email and phone. If your contact form has a barrier, a visitor cannot use that form to report it. Say how fast you reply, and then reply that fast.
• Testing, browsers and assistive technology. List only what you have actually tested.
• The date. Review the statement after a big change, such as a redesign or a new checkout, and at least once a year. W3C notes that a statement more than a year old may look unmaintained.
• Where it goes. Link to it from the footer of every page. The EU model statement and the rules for US federal agencies both ask for a link that is easy to find, such as one in the footer.

Example 1: a bakery with an online order form

Example 2: an online store with outside tools

Both businesses are made up. For a real one, read our own accessibility statement. The UK government publishes a sample accessibility statement for public sector sites, and W3C has a free statement generator.

If you sell to consumers in the EU

Since June 28, 2025, the European Accessibility Act has covered many services sold to consumers in the EU, online shops among them. Article 13 and Annex V ask the business to publish information on how the service meets the accessibility requirements, in its terms and conditions or a similar document, in a form people with disabilities can use. The template above covers most of it. Add a short description of the service, what a person needs to know to use it, and how it meets the requirements, for example by naming EN 301 549, the European standard that uses WCAG 2.1 AA for web content. Microenterprises that provide services are exempt: fewer than 10 staff, and turnover or balance sheet of no more than 2 million euros. Our EAA compliance audit page covers the rest.

Common questions

Is an accessibility statement required by law?

In the US, no law requires a private business to post one. Some organizations must: federal agencies under OMB memo M-24-08, and public sector bodies in the EU under the Web Accessibility Directive. California state agencies must post a signed certification that their site meets WCAG (Government Code section 11546.7). Businesses that sell covered services to consumers in the EU must publish similar information under the European Accessibility Act.

Does an accessibility statement protect me from an ADA lawsuit?

No. A lawsuit is about barriers on the site, and a statement removes none of them. What helps is fixing the barriers and keeping a dated record of the testing and the fixes. If you have received a demand letter, read our 72-hour guide and talk to a lawyer.

Can I write that my site is ADA compliant?

Better not. There is no official ADA certification for websites, so the claim cannot be checked. A visitor who hits a barrier on a site that calls itself fully compliant has a reason to doubt everything else on the page. Name the standard, WCAG 2.1 AA, and say plainly how close the site is.

Should I use WCAG 2.1 or 2.2?

Either, as long as you say which one. The DOJ's 2024 rule for state and local governments and the EU standard EN 301 549 both use WCAG 2.1 AA. WCAG 2.2, published in 2023, adds a few criteria. If you test against 2.2, write 2.2.

My site uses an accessibility widget. What do I write?

Describe the site, not the widget. An overlay leaves the code underneath as it was, so base the status line on a test of the site itself. More on this in accessibility widgets and lawsuits.

How often should I update it?

After any big change to the site, and at least once a year. Change the date each time you review it, even when nothing else changes.