Update accessibility statements
Accessibility statements are concise declarations that highlight your commitment to inclusion, and ensure that there is a clear feedback loop for users who find barriers.
Accessibility statements should be clearly identified in the footer of every page of the website, and at a minimum they should include:
- why the department cares about people with disabilities;
- a reference to the standards followed;
- examples of accessible implementations;
- contact information, should there be a problem or question.
As leaders in the field, the European Union and the UK now require accessibility statements on all of their government sites. In an effort to grow the practice, the UK published a useful guide on writing accessibility statements that meet their requirements, and there are more approaches available in this repository. All USA Federal agencies must also include an accessibility statement, but the regulations are not as well defined.
As the final piece of the feedback loop, accessibility statements ultimately determine how well your organization is meeting its accessibility goals. They can help people who simply have their systems configured differently than the testing infrastructure or those who have more unique requirements, and they make it clear that there is always more to do. Ultimately, the goal is improving the site for all users and encouraging visitors to be a part of that process.
Checklist Anchor link
- Appears in the footer of every page of the website.
- Highlights information that will help the user navigate the site more easily.
- Includes a feedback loop and encouragement for users to report barriers.
- Is there anything about PDFs or other digital content which is generally inaccessible?
Key questions Anchor link
- What happens with messages (phone calls or emails) with errors that are submitted via the accessibility statement?
- Is it being reviewed regularly to see that it is still relevant for the site and it's users?
- Are extra efforts made to ensure that the accessibility page is accessible?
- Are there regulations about accessibility statements that apply to you?