Shopify Accessibility Statement: Template + 8-Section Guide (Free)

A published accessibility statement is one of the most useful pieces of accessibility documentation a Shopify merchant can ship. The EAA requires covered service providers to make accessibility information available in an accessible form; a public statement can help present it, while exact obligations come from the Directive and national law. France's RGAA and the UK's public-sector rules have their own statement requirements. For private US ecommerce, it is not a standalone ADA requirement, but it helps document scope, known limitations, contact channels, and remediation work. The template below is open and free to use.

Why publish a statement — three reasons

1. Remediation documentation

Active remediation records matter when a merchant needs to respond to a complaint, regulator, marketplace, or demand letter. The published statement is the public-facing summary: it names the standard the storefront targets, declares the current conformance level, lists known limitations with timelines, and provides a feedback mechanism for users to report issues.

In a complaint or demand-letter response, counsel may ask what the storefront's accessibility documentation and remediation record show. A truthful statement plus scan, fix, and manual-review records gives them concrete evidence to assess.

2. EAA-related service information

The European Accessibility Act requires covered service providers to explain in an accessible form how the service meets applicable accessibility requirements. A public statement is one practical way to organize that information, but member-state implementation determines the exact content, authority, and format.

EAA enforcement is delegated to member-state authorities. Clear service information, known limitations, feedback handling, assessments, and remediation records can all matter during a complaint review.

3. User experience

The feedback mechanism in the statement (typically accessibility@<domain>.com) lets users with disabilities report issues directly. That feedback loop catches issues automation misses — content authoring problems, third-party app regressions, screen-reader-specific quirks — and feeds the merchant's remediation backlog.

The 8-section template

The full template, ready to paste into a Shopify Page at /pages/accessibility-statement, lives at /templates/accessibility-statement. The structure:

1. Commitment statement

[Store name] is committed to ensuring digital accessibility for people with disabilities. We are continually improving the user experience for everyone and applying the relevant accessibility standards.

One sentence establishes the commitment. Treat it as clear program communication, not proof of conformance.

2. Conformance status

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define requirements for designers and developers to improve accessibility for people with disabilities. They define three levels of conformance: Level A, Level AA, and Level AAA. [Store name] is partially conformant with WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2 Level AA. Partially conformant means that some parts of the content do not fully conform to the standard.

Use only a status supported by the stated assessment scope. Automated scanning alone cannot establish full conformance. "Partially conformant" with documented limitations is more accurate than a full-conformance claim unsupported by manual evaluation.

3. Compatibility with browsers and assistive technology

[Store name] is designed to be compatible with the following assistive technologies: the latest versions of JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver (macOS and iOS), and TalkBack (Android). The website is compatible with the latest versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge.

Names the assistive technology + browser combinations the merchant has tested. If you have not tested with a particular AT, do not list it — listing untested AT is a misrepresentation.

4. Technical specifications

Accessibility of [Store name] relies on the following technologies to work with the particular combination of web browser and any assistive technologies or plugins installed on your computer: HTML, WAI-ARIA, CSS, JavaScript. These technologies are relied upon for conformance with the accessibility standards used.

Documents the underlying tech stack so users with non-standard browsers / AT understand the compatibility scope.

5. Limitations and alternatives

Despite our best efforts to ensure accessibility of [Store name], there may be some limitations. Below is a description of known limitations and potential solutions.

This is the section that converts the statement from boilerplate into useful documentation. List specific known limitations:

• "Some product images do not yet have descriptive alt text. We are addressing this on a rolling basis. In the meantime, customers can email [email protected] with the product URL to receive a description."
• "Our accessibility statement is currently available in English only. Translations to French and German are scheduled for [date]."
• "Some third-party app embeds (reviews widget, chat widget) have not been independently audited. We are working with vendors to verify their accessibility."

Specific limitations + remediation timelines + workarounds is exactly what an accessibility-firm audit produces. AccessComply's scan output feeds this section directly.

6. Assessment approach

[Store name] assesses selected storefront pages through automated scanning powered by AccessComply (Playwright + axe-core), targeting WCAG 2.1 Level AA and applicable WCAG 2.2 Level AA criteria at desktop and mobile viewports. Automated scanning cannot evaluate every success criterion. Manual evaluation is performed periodically by [team / external auditor].

Documents the methodology so users + regulators understand the rigor of the conformance claim.

7. Feedback mechanism

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of [Store name]. Please let us know if you encounter accessibility barriers:

• Email: accessibility@[your-domain].com
• Phone: [phone number]
• Visitor address: [postal address]

We try to respond to feedback within [number] business days.

A monitored feedback channel is a strong accessibility-program practice and may be required in some frameworks. Set up forwarding so the address reaches the merchant's actual ticket queue, not a black hole.

8. Date prepared and last reviewed

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

The "last reviewed" date helps users and reviewers understand how current the statement is. Update it after every meaningful assessment or remediation pass.

How to publish on Shopify

1. Shopify admin → Online Store → Pages → Add page.
2. Title: Accessibility Statement.
3. Page handle: accessibility-statement (so the URL becomes /pages/accessibility-statement).
4. Paste the 8-section template (full text at /templates/accessibility-statement).
5. Customize the placeholders: [Store name], [date], [email], [team].
6. Set Visibility: Visible.
7. Online Store → Themes → Customize → Footer. Add a navigation link to /pages/accessibility-statement so the statement is reachable from every page.
8. Save and publish.

For multilingual stores using Shopify Markets, provide the information in the languages needed by the storefront and applicable law. Use the W3C guidance at w3.org/WAI/planning/statements as a starting point, then have native speakers and counsel review jurisdiction-specific versions.

App-generated statements — keep the merchant in control

AccessComply includes a merchant-reviewed statement workflow on the Free plan. It helps structure organization name, scope, known limitations, feedback contacts, and an optional jurisdiction-specific accessibility contact, then publishes the approved text through the Shopify Admin API. It deliberately makes no WCAG conformance claim from automated scanning alone and explains the measured scope; it does not turn a numerical scan score into a legal conformance status or silently rewrite a live statement after each scan.

What NOT to put in the statement

• Do not claim full conformance you cannot verify. Listing assistive technology you have not tested or claiming "100% WCAG AA conformance" without a real audit is a misrepresentation that backfires in litigation.
• Do not omit known limitations. A statement that says "fully conformant" while the storefront has a documented violation is worse than no statement — it documents bad faith.
• Do not over-claim auto-fix coverage. Say what was fixed, what still needs review, and what requires a third-party vendor or human decision.
• Do not promise unrealistic remediation timelines. A 30-day timeline that slips becomes evidence of inactivity.

Quick checklist

• Statement published at /pages/accessibility-statement.
• Linked from a persistent, easy-to-find location; verify any jurisdiction-specific placement rule.
• All 8 sections completed with merchant-specific content.
• Conformance status is honest (partially conformant with limitations is fine).
• Feedback mechanism (email + at least one other channel) is monitored.
• "Last reviewed" date is current.
• Multilingual versions exist for Markets serving non-English EAA countries.

Further reading

• Free Shopify accessibility statement template (full 8-section text)
• W3C Accessibility Statement Generator (multilingual)
• EAA pillar guide for Shopify merchants
• RGAA / France EAA implementation
• BFSG / Germany EAA implementation
• Glossary — accessibility statement
• Glossary — RGAA
• Glossary — BFSG
• Glossary — Equality Act 2010 (UK)
• AccessComply — Shopify accessibility complete guide