How to Write an Accessibility Statement (With a Free Template)

If you want to know how to write an accessibility statement, start with what it is for: a short, honest page that tells visitors how accessible your website is and what to do if something doesn't work for them. It is a public commitment and a contact point, not a legal certificate.

A good statement covers seven things: your commitment, the standard you are working to (such as WCAG 2.2 Level AA), your current conformance status, known limitations, how to give feedback and how quickly you respond, how to request content in an alternative format, and the date it was last reviewed. Write it in plain language, link to it from every page, and update it whenever the site or your test results change.

Below we go through each element, show the claims that get organizations into trouble, explain how a statement relates to your obligations in Ontario and under the Accessible Canada Act, and finish with a fill-in template.

What an accessibility statement is, and what it isn't

The W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative puts it clearly in its guidance on developing an accessibility statement: statements "are not technical assessments or declarations of conformity". They should explain, in plain language, what works and what doesn't. "Videos on our events page do not have captions yet" is more useful to a visitor than "we fail success criterion 1.2.2".

It also helps to separate the statement from three documents people confuse it with:

• An audit report is the technical evidence: every issue found, where, and how to fix it. Your statement can mention that an audit took place and summarize what it found.
• An Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) is a criterion-by-criterion report on a product, usually written for procurement. We explain those on our ACR and VPAT reports page.
• An AODA accessibility policy or multi-year plan covers your whole organization, not just your website. See our guide to the AODA accessibility policy and multi-year plan.

Do you need an accessibility statement in Canada?

In Ontario, under the AODA

The AODA's Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (O. Reg. 191/11) doesn't use the words "accessibility statement". But several of its rules require you to tell the public things that naturally belong on one:

• Every obligated organization must notify the public that accessible formats and communication supports are available on request (s. 12(3)), and provide them in a timely manner at no more than the regular cost (s. 12(1)).
• If you have a feedback process, it must be accessible, and you must let the public know accessible formats and communication supports are available for it (s. 11).
• Every provider of goods, services or facilities must have a process for receiving and responding to feedback about how it serves people with disabilities, and must make information about that process readily available to the public (s. 80.50).

An accessibility statement linked from your website footer is a practical way to meet those notice requirements in one place. It doesn't replace the website rule itself: designated public sector organizations and businesses with 50 or more employees in Ontario must make their public websites conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA (with exceptions for live captions and pre-recorded audio description). Our page on AODA requirements, deadlines and penalties covers who that applies to.

For federally regulated organizations, under the Accessible Canada Act

Organizations covered by the Accessible Canada Act, such as federal departments and federally regulated industries like banking, telecommunications and interprovincial transportation, have more specific publishing rules. Under the Accessible Canada Regulations, a regulated entity must publish a description of its feedback process on its main digital platform, either on the homepage or through a direct link from it, in a format that meets WCAG Level AA. The process must name the position title of the person designated to receive feedback, accept feedback by mail, phone, email and any other channel the entity uses with the public, allow anonymous feedback, and acknowledge feedback received (unless it was anonymous).

Those organizations also have to publish accessibility plans and progress reports. An accessibility statement can host or link to the feedback process description, but it doesn't replace any of those documents.

How to write an accessibility statement: what to include

W3C's minimum is a commitment, the standard applied, and contact information. For a Canadian organization, we recommend seven parts.

1. Your commitment

One or two sentences on why accessibility matters to you and who it's for. Keep it concrete. "We want everyone, including people who use screen readers, magnification or keyboard-only navigation, to be able to book an appointment on this site" says more than a paragraph of values.

2. The standard you are targeting

Name the standard and level: for example, WCAG 2.2 Level AA. If you operate in Ontario, you can mention that the legal baseline is WCAG 2.0 Level AA and that you aim higher, but only if you actually test against 2.2. Say what the statement covers: the main website, a customer portal, a mobile app.

3. Your conformance status

W3C's statement generator uses four terms: fully conformant (meets the standard with no exceptions), partially conformant (some parts don't fully meet it), non-conformant, and not assessed. Most real websites are partially conformant, and saying so is fine. Say how you know: an internal review, automated scanning, or an external manual audit, and when it was done.

4. Known limitations

List the barriers you know about, in plain words, with what you're doing about each one and what people can do in the meantime. For example: "Some PDF reports published before 2024 are not tagged for screen readers. We are replacing them with accessible versions by June. Until then, contact us and we'll send the information in a format that works for you."

Include third-party content you don't control, such as an embedded booking widget or map, and say which supplier it comes from.

5. A feedback mechanism and response time

Give at least two ways to reach a real person: an email address and a phone number, plus a contact form if you have one (make sure the form itself is accessible). State how quickly you will respond. W3C's generator uses "2 business days" as its example; whatever you choose, pick a number you can meet consistently.

6. Alternative formats and communication supports

Tell people they can ask for information in another format, such as large print, an accessible electronic document or plain-language text, or with a communication support, and that there is no extra charge. This is the line that covers your AODA notice duty under section 12.

7. The date and a review commitment

Write out the date the statement was last reviewed, and say how often you review it. W3C's generator advises that the date should ideally be no more than a year old. A statement dated three years ago tells visitors nobody is looking.

What not to claim in an accessibility statement

The statement is a public claim, so it should be one you can stand behind. These are the phrases we most often recommend removing.

Accessibility statement template

Copy this template, replace everything in square brackets, and delete any section that doesn't apply. Keep the headings; they help screen reader users jump to the part they need.

If you prefer a guided form, the W3C's free accessibility statement generator walks through the same sections and adds optional ones, such as compatibility with browsers and assistive technology, the technologies the site relies on, and a formal complaints process. It runs in your browser and doesn't store what you enter. Use its output as a draft, then add the Canadian specifics above: the alternative-formats notice and, for federally regulated organizations, the feedback process details.

A website accessibility statement example

Our own accessibility statement is a working example. It names WCAG 2.2 Level AA as the target, explains that "conformant" there means we believe the content meets the standard based on automated checks and manual testing rather than a completed third-party audit, lists what we test (keyboard operability, focus indicators, contrast, reduced motion), and tells people how to report a barrier. That kind of plain explanation of how a status was reached is what makes a statement credible.

How to keep your statement accurate

A statement goes stale faster than any other page on the site, because it describes the rest of the site. Build these review points into your process:

• After any audit, update the status and the known limitations to match the findings.
• After a redesign, a new section, or a new third-party widget.
• When a known limitation is fixed: remove it, so the list stays believable.
• When feedback reveals a barrier you didn't know about: add it, with a plan.
• At least once a year, even if nothing seems to have changed.

If you don't yet know your conformance status, that's the first thing to fix. A website accessibility audit gives you the evidence a statement needs, and the list of limitations practically writes itself from the findings.

Frequently asked questions