Accessibility statement template for UK websites

An accessibility statement is a page on your website that tells visitors how accessible it is, what does not work yet, and how to get help or complain. In the UK, the duty to publish one comes from regulation 8 of the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018. It says a public sector body must provide a statement in accordance with the model accessibility statement and keep it under regular review.

For private businesses, the position is different. GOV.UK guidance says all public sector bodies have to meet the regulations unless they are exempt, and lists central and local government organisations and some charities and other non-government organisations as public sector bodies. In our reading, a privately owned business that is not publicly funded falls outside those regulations, so it has no statement duty under them. Many publish one anyway because it documents how they handle access requests.

The same guidance adds that all UK service providers have a legal obligation to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act 2010, or the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 in Northern Ireland. A Taylor Wessing briefing notes that section 20 of the Equality Act requires service providers to make reasonable adjustments both online and offline, and that the duty is anticipatory. This article is practical guidance on writing a statement. It is not legal advice.

One more case: if you sell to customers in the EU, the European Accessibility Act may apply to you. eBay's seller guidance says business sellers who offer to sell to EU consumers count as providers of e-commerce services and have to add an accessibility statement. It also says microenterprises, meaning fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total not exceeding €2 million, are exempt from the service requirements. These are secondary sources, so check the Directive and the national law of the country you sell into.

The GOV.UK sample statement, last updated on 30 September 2024, is written for a fictional public sector website. It is based on the model accessibility statement, which GOV.UK describes as the minimum legal wording. Some passages are marked as legally required and must not be changed by public bodies; the rest is example text to adapt.

Regulation 8 lists what the statement must include: the parts of the content that are not accessible and why, accessible alternatives where appropriate, a contact form for reporting failures and requesting excluded information, and a link to the enforcement procedure. The statement must be in an accessible format and published on the body's website.

The sample uses this order of headings:

1. How accessible this website is
2. Feedback and contact information
3. Enforcement procedure
4. Technical information about this website’s accessibility
5. Compliance status
6. Non-accessible content, split into non-compliance, disproportionate burden and content outside the scope of the regulations
7. What we’re doing to improve accessibility
8. Preparation of this accessibility statement

The sample tests against the WCAG 2.2 AA standard. The Ministry of Justice form template adds a separate heading for reporting accessibility problems, which is a useful addition for a business site. If you adapt either template, state the version and level you actually tested against, not the one you hope to meet.

Replace everything in square brackets and delete any section that does not apply. Do not publish text you cannot stand behind.

Accessibility statement for [website address]

This statement applies to [website address]. [Business name] wants as many people as possible to be able to use this website. You should be able to [change colours, contrast levels and fonts using browser or device settings; zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen; navigate most of the website using a keyboard or speech recognition software; listen to most of the website using a screen reader]. Only list what you have tested. The GOV.UK sample uses 400% zoom; the MoJ and Scottish Government templates use 300%, so write the figure you checked.

How accessible this website is

We know some parts of this website are not fully accessible: [describe the main problems in plain English, for example: some older PDF documents are not accessible to screen readers; some images do not have text descriptions; our booking calendar cannot be used with a keyboard alone].

Feedback and contact information

If you need information on this website in a different format, such as accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact us:

• Email: [address]
• Phone: [number], [days and hours]
• Post: [address]

We will consider your request and aim to get back to you within [number] working days.

Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page, or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, contact [name or role] at [email].

Enforcement procedure

[Public sector bodies: use the GOV.UK wording. It names the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) as responsible for enforcing the accessibility regulations and points unhappy complainants to the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS); bodies in Northern Ireland refer to the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland instead.] [Private businesses: describe how complaints are handled, including who reviews them and how quickly you respond. Do not copy the public-sector paragraph.]

Technical information about this website’s accessibility

[Business name] is committed to making its website accessible. This website is [fully / partially / not] compliant with the [WCAG 2.2 AA] standard, due to the non-compliances and exemptions listed below.

Non-accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons. [Issue, which WCAG success criterion it fails, when you expect to fix it.]

What we’re doing to improve accessibility

[Planned fixes with dates, for example: we will replace the booking calendar by (date).]

Preparation of this accessibility statement

This statement was prepared on [date]. It was last reviewed on [date]. This website was last tested on [date]. The test was carried out by [name of organisation or person]. We tested [how the sample of pages was chosen].

Test before you write

The Scottish Government example describes an automated test across the site with Axe, followed by a manual review of a representative sample of pages using assistive technology. GOV.UK's testing guidance also says you check a sample that shows the variation in content and functionality, not every page. Do not rely on an automated scan alone: add a keyboard-only walk-through of your main journeys, such as reading a page, finding contact details, filling a form, and completing a purchase or booking if you offer one. Also try a screen reader on at least the home page and one form.

Pick the compliance status you can defend

The GOV.UK sample says to call a site fully compliant only if it meets WCAG 2.2 AA in full, partially compliant if it meets most requirements, and not compliant if it does not meet most of them. If you have not tested, say so. A statement that claims full compliance without evidence is worse than none.

Write problems in plain English

Visitors do not need WCAG numbers, but they do need to know what will not work for them and what the alternative is. Put the technical reference in a short line after the plain description. The sample's own advice for the opening summary is blunt: if you are not confident that something is accurate, leave it out.

Give a real way to reach you

The Ministry of Justice template offers fields for email, phone and opening hours with a response-time commitment. Whatever you promise, make sure someone is responsible for answering.

The GOV.UK sample says to publish the statement as a normal HTML page, linked from a prominent place on the homepage or from every page in a consistent place such as the footer. Make the page itself accessible: use real headings, descriptive link text, sufficient contrast and no text embedded in images.

Update it when something changes. A new booking system, a redesign, a batch of uploaded PDFs or a new checkout all alter what you can truthfully say. GOV.UK tells public bodies to review and update the statement when there are major changes and at least once a year, and the sample recommends a fresh audit after a substantial revision. For a private business, the same yearly rhythm is sensible. Record the review date in the statement.

If you are rebuilding a site and want accessibility built in rather than patched on, our services page describes what we build, and you can see examples on the references page.

• Every square bracket has been replaced or removed.
• The WCAG version and level match what you tested.
• The compliance status is supported by test notes you have kept.
• Each non-accessible item has a plain-English description and an alternative route.
• The contact details are monitored, and a response time is stated.
• The enforcement paragraph fits your type of organisation.
• The date prepared, last reviewed and last tested are all filled in.
• The statement is linked from the footer of every page.

If you would like help testing a site or fixing the issues a statement lists, get in touch or request a quote.

• Sample accessibility statement (for a fictional public sector website) – GOV.UK
• Understanding accessibility requirements for public sector bodies – GOV.UK
• Make your website or app accessible and publish an accessibility statement – GOV.UK
• Regulation 8, Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 – legislation.gov.uk
• Accessibility statement template – MoJ Forms
• Accessibility statement example and template – Scottish Government Service Manual
• European Accessibility Act: information for sellers – eBay
• The UK's regulatory approach to accessibility – Taylor Wessing