A website accessibility statement is a public page that says which accessibility standard your site follows, how well it currently meets it, what you know does not work yet, and how someone who hits a barrier can reach you. It is not a legal shield and it does not make a site accessible. What it does is tell visitors with disabilities what to expect, give them a way to get help instead of giving up, and show regulators, buyers and plaintiffs’ firms that accessibility is a managed commitment rather than an afterthought. The ADA Title II rule and the HHS Section 504 rule expect public entities and healthcare organizations to have one, procurement reviewers look for one, and the W3C recommends one for every site. This guide covers what to include, what to leave out, where to put it, and a template you can adapt in an afternoon.
What an accessibility statement is for
- For visitors: a clear statement of the standard, the known gaps, and a contact route that actually works. A person using a screen reader who cannot complete your form needs an email address or a phone number, not a promise.
- For buyers and partners: the page where they look for your commitment, your conformance level and, if you sell a product, your VPAT or ACR.
- For regulators and courts: evidence of good faith. Title II and Section 504 both expect a statement with a feedback mechanism, and in a Title III dispute a dated statement with a remediation history is the kind of document that changes the conversation.
- For your own team: a written commitment that new pages and features have to live up to.
What to include
- A commitment in plain words: who you are and that you want everyone to be able to use the site.
- The standard and the level. Name it exactly: “WCAG 2.2 Level AA.” Do not write “we follow accessibility best practices.” Link the standard.
- Your current conformance status, using the W3C’s terms: fully conformant (every criterion met, which is rare and should only be claimed after an audit), partially conformant (most content conforms, with listed exceptions), or non-conformant. Partially conformant with an honest exceptions list is the normal, credible answer.
- Known limitations. The specific things that do not yet work, why, and when you expect to fix them. “Some older PDF documents are not tagged; we are remediating them and will provide any document in an accessible format on request.” Vague is worse than specific here.
- How you tested. Automated tools, manual keyboard and screen reader testing, third-party audit if you had one, and the date. If a third party audited the site, say so.
- Feedback and contact. An email address, a phone number, and ideally a short form, plus how quickly you respond. This is the single most important element and the one the Title II rule specifically expects.
- Compatibility. Which browsers and assistive technologies the site was tested with, and anything it does not support.
- Third-party content. Note that embedded tools (maps, booking, chat, payment) are provided by others and how to get help if one is a barrier.
- Enforcement or escalation, where applicable: for a public entity, how to file a formal grievance; for a healthcare organization, the Section 504 coordinator.
- The date the statement was last reviewed, and a commitment to review it on a schedule.
What to leave out
- Claims you cannot back. “This site is fully ADA compliant” on a site that has never been audited is a liability, not a reassurance. A statement is read most carefully by the people best placed to test it.
- An overlay badge. Do not present an accessibility widget as your conformance. Overlays do not fix code, and the FTC’s 2025 order against accessiBe barred it from claiming its widget makes sites WCAG compliant. A statement that points to a widget invites exactly the scrutiny it is trying to avoid.
- Legal boilerplate that reads as a disclaimer. A paragraph of “we make no representations” undercuts the commitment on the same page.
- Jargon without explanation. The reader may not know what WCAG is. One sentence of explanation and a link is enough.
Where to put it
Link it from the footer of every page with the anchor text “Accessibility” or “Accessibility statement,” the way privacy and terms are linked. Give it a predictable URL (/accessibility/ or /accessibility-statement/). Make sure the page itself is accessible: it is the one page a visitor with a disability is guaranteed to read. If you publish a VPAT or ACR for a product, link it from here.
Accessibility statement template
Adapt the bracketed parts. Keep the structure.
Accessibility statement for [Organization name]
[Organization name] is committed to making [website URL] usable by everyone, including people who use assistive technologies. We want every visitor to be able to find information, complete forms and contact us without barriers.
Standard
We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA, the standard referenced by the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and by Section 508. WCAG explains how to make web content accessible to people with visual, hearing, motor and cognitive disabilities.
Current status
[Website URL] is partially conformant with WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Partially conformant means that most of the site meets the standard and that we are aware of the exceptions listed below.
Known limitations
- [Example: Some PDF documents published before [date] are not tagged for screen readers. We are remediating them and will provide any document in an accessible format on request.]
- [Example: The [booking / chat / map] tool is provided by [vendor] and may not fully support keyboard navigation. Contact us by phone or email and we will complete the task with you.]
- [Example: Captions on videos published before [date] are auto-generated and may contain errors. We are correcting them.]
How we test
We test [website URL] with automated tools ([e.g. axe, WAVE]) and manually with a keyboard and screen readers ([e.g. VoiceOver on macOS and iOS, NVDA on Windows]) in [browsers]. [If applicable: The site was audited by [third party] on [date].] We review accessibility as part of publishing new pages and after every significant change to the site.
Feedback and help
If you experience any difficulty using this site, or need content in a different format, please tell us:
- Email: [accessibility@yourdomain.com]
- Phone: [number]
- [Postal address, if you want to offer it]
We aim to respond within [two business days] and to resolve barriers as quickly as we can. Please include the page address and a description of the problem.
Compatibility
This site is designed to work with current versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge, and with the screen readers listed above. It may not display correctly in browsers that are no longer supported by their makers.
[Public entities and healthcare organizations: formal complaints]
[If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a formal grievance with [ADA coordinator / Section 504 coordinator], [contact details]. You also have the right to file a complaint with [the U.S. Department of Justice / the HHS Office for Civil Rights].]
About this statement
This statement was last reviewed on [date]. We review it [annually / after every major update] and whenever we change the site substantially.
Keeping it true
The statement is only useful while it is accurate. Put three things on a calendar: re-run the quick self-test quarterly, update the known-limitations list whenever something is fixed or something new is added, and review the whole page at least once a year and after any redesign. Make sure the feedback inbox is monitored; an unanswered accessibility email is worse than no address at all. And treat every message that arrives as a free audit finding.
Frequently asked questions
Is an accessibility statement legally required?
For private businesses under ADA Title III, no. For state and local governments under the Title II web rule and for federally funded healthcare providers under HHS Section 504, a statement with a feedback mechanism is expected, and the European Accessibility Act and EN 301 549 require one in Europe. Regardless of requirement, it is the cheapest piece of accessibility work with the best return.
Should the statement say “ADA compliant”?
No. State the standard (WCAG 2.2 AA) and your conformance status (usually partially conformant). “ADA compliant” is a conclusion a court reaches, not a status you declare, and claiming it without an audit creates risk rather than reducing it.
Can I use a generator to write it?
The W3C offers a free generator that produces a solid skeleton, and the template above covers the same ground. What matters is the honesty of the known-limitations section and the reliability of the contact route, and no generator can supply those.
Where should the link go?
In the footer on every page, labeled “Accessibility,” alongside privacy and terms. Also link it from your contact page and, if you have one, your VPAT or ACR.
Want the statement to be true?
The statement is the last step. Our ADA compliance services handle the audit, the fixes and the re-test that give you a status you can publish, and our ADA compliance website checklist keeps it that way afterward.
or call 919-200-0201