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Glossary

Accessibility statement

An accessibility statement is a public-facing page declaring a website's conformance with accessibility standards, known limitations, and a contact mechanism for users to report issues.

Also: accessibility policyAlso: a11y statementAlso: declaration of accessibilityAlso: compliance statement

Detailed explanation

An accessibility statement is required by law in many jurisdictions — explicitly under the EAA, RGAA (France), Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (UK), and as a strong best-practice signal under ADA Title III. Even where not strictly required, publishing one is a recognized good-faith remediation signal.

A complete statement names the standard the site targets (typically WCAG 2.1 + 2.2 AA), describes the conformance level achieved, lists known accessibility issues with remediation timelines, and provides a contact mechanism (email or form) for users to report new issues.

The statement should be linked from the homepage footer so it is reachable from every page. EU member states have specific format requirements for the statement (déclaration d'accessibilité in France, Erklärung zur Barrierefreiheit in Germany).

How this applies to Shopify stores

AccessComply's Citadel and Fortress plans generate an accessibility statement from your latest scan and publish it directly to your Shopify theme as a footer link. The statement updates automatically whenever your compliance score changes.

Primary source: w3.org