Is an accessibility statement legally required for a Shopify store?

It is required under the European Accessibility Act for ecommerce services sold to EU consumers since 28 June 2025, under France's RGAA, under the UK Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations for public bodies, and as a strongly recommended good-faith remediation signal under US ADA Title III. Even where not strictly required, publishing a statement is a recognized legal defense.

What must a complete accessibility statement contain?

A complete statement names the standard the site targets (typically WCAG 2.1 + 2.2 Level AA), declares the conformance level achieved (full / partial / non-conformant), lists known accessibility limitations with remediation timelines, and provides a contact mechanism (email or form) for users to report new accessibility issues. EU member states have additional format requirements.

Where on my Shopify store should the accessibility statement live?

Publish it at /pages/accessibility-statement and link it from the homepage footer so it is reachable from every page on the storefront. France's RGAA explicitly requires the link to be on the homepage; other jurisdictions accept any persistent footer placement.

How often does the accessibility statement need updating?

Update the statement whenever your conformance level changes, whenever you remediate a previously listed limitation, and at minimum every 12 months. AccessComply's Citadel and Fortress plans regenerate the statement automatically after every scan.

Free Shopify Accessibility Statement Template (2026)

Copy-paste-customize-publish. WCAG 2.1 + 2.2 AA aligned, ADA + EAA aware. Drop the 8 sections below into a Shopify Page at /pages/accessibility-statement.

Accessibility Statement

For [Store name] — last reviewed [date]

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.

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 [fully | 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.]

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.

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.

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. Please contact us if you observe an issue not listed below. Known limitations: [list specific known issues with each limitation, the WCAG criterion it relates to, and the remediation timeline].

6. Assessment approach

[Store name] assesses the accessibility of its storefront through automated scanning powered by AccessComply (Playwright + axe-core), running against WCAG 2.1 + 2.2 Level AA on every commerce-facing page at desktop and mobile viewports. Manual evaluation is performed periodically by [team / external auditor].

7. Feedback

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 5 business days.

8. Date

This statement was prepared on [date]. It was last reviewed on [date]. The statement was created using AccessComply's template, aligned with the W3C's Accessibility Statement Generator and EN 301 549 v3.2.1 requirements.

Use this template freely — attribution not required, but appreciated.

Shopify accessibility statement — free template