What is an accessibility statement?

An accessibility statement is a public document that communicates what an organisation is doing to provide digital products, services, and content that are accessible to disabled people.

Why should organisations have accessibility statements?

Accessibility statements are important for three reasons:

• they demonstrate the organisation’s commmitment to accessibility and equity;
• they provide users with information about how accessible the organisation’s content is and what the current shortfalls are; and
• they demonstrate a commitment to accessibility and corporate social responsibility.

Depending on where your organisation is registered, you may be required to publish an accessibility statement as per the EU Web Accessibility Directive.

Where should accessibility statements be placed?

Accessibility statements should be easy to find and accessible from multiple places, such as within a website’s footer, navigation menu, about page and other areas that are highly visited.

Summary

Ultimately, accessibility is important to ensure all users can navigate an organisation’s content freely and without restriction. By publishing an accessibility statement, an organisation demonstrates its commitment to accessibility, as well as being proactive in recognising how it has ensured accessibility and also acknowledging what needs to be improved.