How to write an accessibility statement for your online store (with template)

Updated 2026-10-18

An accessibility statement is a short page that tells customers how accessible your store is, what you're doing about known problems, and how to contact you if something doesn't work for them. It takes about 30 minutes to write and is one of the most useful pages you can add.

Why online stores publish one

The European Accessibility Act requires service providers in scope to provide information on how their service meets the accessibility requirements (Annex V). A statement page is a common way to do that. See EAA requirements for Shopify stores.
Customers get a way to tell you about a barrier before they give up, or before a complaint escalates.
It keeps you honest and organised: writing down what you've tested and what's still broken gives you a to-do list.

The W3C (the body behind WCAG) recommends statements for all organisations and offers a free generator.

What to include

Your commitment in one or two sentences.
The standard you aim for (for example WCAG 2.2 Level AA).
Your honest status: "we aim to meet" or "partially conforms". Only say "fully conforms" if a thorough evaluation, including manual testing, supports it.
Known limitations: parts you know have problems, and when you expect to fix them.
How you checked: for example, automated scans plus keyboard testing, and the date.
Feedback and contact: an email address (and phone if you have one), plus how quickly you aim to reply.
Alternative ways to order if someone can't use the website.
The date the statement was last reviewed.

Template

Copy this, replace everything in [brackets], and delete anything that isn't true for your store.

Accessibility statement for [Store name]

[Store name] wants everyone to be able to browse and buy from our online store, including people with disabilities.

Our goal. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at Level AA. Our store is [partially conformant] with this standard, which means some parts do not fully meet it yet.

What we've done. [We use the (theme name) theme and keep it updated. We've checked text contrast, added descriptions (alt text) to product images, and tested the path from the home page to checkout using only a keyboard.]

Known limitations. [Some older product photos do not yet have descriptions; we expect to finish these by (month year). Our (app name) reviews widget has keyboard issues that we've reported to its developer.]

How we checked. [Automated scans of our main pages and manual keyboard testing, last done on (date).]

Feedback. If you have trouble using any part of our store, please tell us and we'll help you complete your order another way. Email [address] or call [number]. We aim to reply within [2 business days].

Last reviewed: [date].

Where to add it

Shopify

Go to Online Store > Pages > Add page, title it "Accessibility", paste your statement and save.
Go to Online Store > Navigation, open your footer menu, and add a link to the new page.

WooCommerce / WordPress

Go to Pages > Add New, title it "Accessibility", paste your statement and publish.
Add it to your footer through Appearance > Menus or, in block themes, Appearance > Editor > footer navigation.

Mistakes to avoid

Claiming full compliance you haven't verified. Automated tools catch only part of WCAG, so "fully compliant" based on a scan alone is not accurate.
Using the statement to advertise a widget as your accessibility solution. See what widgets do and don't do.
No working contact. Use an inbox someone actually reads.
Never updating it. Review it when you change themes or at least once a year.

To fill in the "What we've done" and "Known limitations" sections, run the free check or order the full report for a list of automated findings on five key pages. You can see our own statement on our accessibility page. This guide is general information, not legal advice.

Check your store in 2 minutes

Run our free in-browser check on any page of your store, or get the full $39 report: every automated issue on 5 key pages, with step-by-step fixes for Shopify and WooCommerce.

Free check See the full report

FAQ

Is an accessibility statement legally required for online stores?

It depends where you sell. The EAA requires in-scope service providers to provide information on how they meet the accessibility requirements, which a statement can do. Elsewhere it's recommended rather than required; check local rules.

What should an accessibility statement include?

Your commitment, the standard you aim for (such as WCAG 2.2 AA), your honest conformance status, known limitations, how you tested, a contact for feedback, and the date it was last reviewed.

Can I say my store is fully compliant?

Only if a thorough evaluation, including manual testing, supports it. An automated scan alone can't verify full conformance, so most small stores should say they aim to meet the standard.

Where do I put the accessibility statement on Shopify?

Create it under Online Store > Pages, then add a link to your footer menu in Online Store > Navigation.

Sources

General information, not legal advice. ClearAisle provides automated audits only; a report is not a compliance guarantee or certification. Sources checked 2026-10-18.