Accessibility statement examples, a fill in template, and a free generator

What an accessibility statement is, and who has to publish one

An accessibility statement is a public page that says which standard your site aims for, how well it currently meets it, what does not work yet, and how a person who gets stuck can reach you. The W3C's guidance sets three minimum elements: a commitment to accessibility, the standard applied (for example WCAG 2.2 Level AA), and contact information. Everything else, known limitations, testing method, compatibility notes, the date of the last review, is recommended and is what makes a statement useful rather than decorative.

Whether you are legally required to publish one depends on where you are and what you are:

• EU public sector bodies must publish a statement that follows the model in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1523, under the Web Accessibility Directive. The model has fixed sections: compliance status, non accessible content (split into non compliance, disproportionate burden and content outside the law's scope), preparation of the statement, feedback and contact, and the enforcement procedure.
• Businesses selling to EU consumers under the European Accessibility Act must, per Article 13(2) and Annex V, publish information explaining how the service meets the accessibility requirements, in the terms and conditions or an equivalent place. A statement is the standard way to do it. See the EAA compliance guide.
• US businesses have no statute requiring a statement under ADA Title III. Settlements and consent decrees routinely require one, and a statement with a monitored contact is the cheapest way to turn a complaint into an email instead of a filing. The ADA lawsuit guide has the 2025 and 2026 filing numbers.

What to include

1. Standard and level. Name the version: WCAG 2.2 Level AA is current; WCAG 2.1 AA is what the DOJ rule and EN 301 549 reference.
2. Conformance status, in W3C wording. "Fully conformant" means every page meets every criterion. "Partially conformant" means some content does not fully conform. "Non conformant" means the content does not conform. Most honest statements say partially conformant.
3. Known limitations, each with a workaround and a date. "Product videos added before 2026 have no captions; transcripts are available on request; captioning is scheduled for Q1 2027" is credible. "We strive for accessibility" is not.
4. How you assessed it. Self evaluation with automated and manual testing, or an external audit, and when.
5. Contact and response time. An email address that someone reads, optionally a phone number, and a commitment such as five business days.
6. Enforcement route where the law provides one: the national authority for EU public bodies, the market surveillance authority for EAA services.
7. Date. When the statement was written and when it was last reviewed. Review it at least once a year and after any redesign.

Five accessibility statement examples

These follow the structure of published statements in each category. Replace the details; do not copy the promises unless they are true.

Fill in the blank template

[Organisation] is committed to making [website] accessible to people
with disabilities. We aim to conform to [WCAG 2.2 Level AA].

Conformance status
[Website] is [fully / partially / non] conformant with [standard].
[If partially: list each limitation, the workaround, and the date
you expect to fix it.]

How we assessed it
[Self evaluation with automated and manual testing / external audit]
completed on [date].

Feedback and contact
Email [address], phone [number]. We respond within [N] business days.
[EU/EAA: If you are not satisfied, you may contact [authority].]

This statement was prepared on [date] and last reviewed on [date].

Mistakes that make a statement a liability

• Claiming compliance because of a widget. An overlay does not change your code, and the FTC's 2025 order against accessiBe was about exactly this kind of claim. Never write "compliant" on the strength of a toolbar. See what overlays can and cannot do.
• Claiming "ADA compliant". There is no ADA certification. Say which WCAG level you target and how well you meet it.
• No contact, or an unmonitored one. A statement whose email bounces is worse than none; it is evidence you did not care.
• No date. An undated statement reads as boilerplate.
• Copying the EU model for a US shop. The enforcement procedure section refers to a national authority you do not have. Use the appropriate variant.
• Limitations you never fix. Known limitations with a fix date that keeps slipping are an admission. Track them and update the statement when they close.

Before you publish, verify the two claims people check first: contrast, with the color contrast checker, and alt text, with the alt text checker. Then run the free scan on your main pages so the limitations section describes the site as it actually is.

Frequently asked questions

Is an accessibility statement legally required?

For EU public sector bodies, yes, in the model form set by Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1523. For businesses selling to EU consumers under the European Accessibility Act, Article 13(2) requires published information on how the service meets the requirements, which a statement satisfies. In the US no statute requires one under ADA Title III, but settlements commonly require it and a monitored contact reduces the chance that a complaint becomes a lawsuit.

What must an accessibility statement contain at minimum?

The W3C's guidance names three elements: a commitment to accessibility, the standard applied (for example WCAG 2.2 Level AA), and contact information. Known limitations with workarounds, the assessment method, compatibility notes and a review date are strongly recommended and are what regulators and complainants look for.

Should I say fully or partially conformant?

Use the W3C wording and be honest. Fully conformant means every page meets every success criterion at the stated level, which is rare on a site of any size. Partially conformant, with the specific limitations listed, is what most credible statements say. Non conformant is appropriate if the work has not started.

Can I generate an accessibility statement automatically?

The generator on this page builds the text from your answers in the browser; nothing is uploaded. The W3C also publishes a free generator with more optional sections. What no tool can do is verify the claims: run a scan and a keyboard test before publishing so the limitations you list are the real ones.

Does an accessibility statement protect me from an ADA lawsuit?

Not by itself. It shows intent and gives a complainant a route that is not a law firm, and settlements usually require one, but the complaints are about barriers on the pages. Fixing contrast, alt text, labels, keyboard operation and link text is what changes the outcome.

How often should I update the statement?

Review it at least once a year, after any redesign or platform change, and whenever a known limitation is fixed or a new one is found. Put the review date on the page; an undated statement reads as boilerplate.

Sources

1. W3C WAI, Developing an Accessibility Statement (minimal content: commitment, standard, contact): https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning/statements/
2. W3C WAI, Accessibility Statement Generator Tool: https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning/statements/generator/
3. W3C WAI, Example of Complete Accessibility Statement: https://www.w3.org/WAI/planning/statements/complete-example/
4. Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1523 establishing a model accessibility statement: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2018/1523/oj
5. Directive (EU) 2016/2102 on the accessibility of the websites and mobile applications of public sector bodies: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2016/2102/oj
6. Directive (EU) 2019/882 on the accessibility requirements for products and services (European Accessibility Act), EUR-Lex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/882/oj
7. FTC press release, 3 January 2025: order requires accessiBe to pay $1 million over deceptive WCAG compliance claims: https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/01/ftc-order-requires-online-marketer-pay-1-million-deceptive-claims-its-ai-product-could-make-websites
8. ADA.gov, First Steps Toward Complying with the Title II Web and Mobile Application Accessibility Rule (WCAG 2.1 AA; 26 April 2027 and 2028): https://www.ada.gov/resources/web-rule-first-steps/
9. W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/