You have probably heard of most of the technical requirements that large e-commerce players must follow under the European Accessibility Act (EAA). You have likely already taken steps to fix accessibility issues and make your site more inclusive. But did you know that you, in fact, also need to have an accessibility statement in place?
For e-commerce businesses covered by the European Accessibility Act, the directive requires you to document your compliance status and all your work towards creating an inclusive site. This information needs to be publicly available to your users. The most practical solution is to provide this information on a separate page on your website, naming it "accessibility statement." Monitoring agencies in certain EU countries, in fact, require companies to publish an accessibility statement on their site.
What is an accessibility statement?
An accessibility statement is a public document that outlines an organization's commitment to digital accessibility, detailing how its website or app is designed to be usable by people with disabilities. It also serves as a communication channel for users to report accessibility issues.
What should be included in an accessibility statement?
There is no fixed outline of exactly how an accessibility statement should be laid out. But here are some key points that you should consider:
- Accessibility of your online store: Describe all known accessibility issues that you have on your website or app. How are you working on fixing them?
- Accessibility of your physical stores: Are there any accessibility issues at your physical stores? Can a user get assistance?
- Ways to contact you with feedback and issues: Ensure that your contact methods are accessible. Being transparent and open to feedback is important.
- Describe how you work with accessibility: How do you test, and how do you continuously work on becoming better?
- Status of reported issues and their fixes: By showing that you take reported issues seriously, users are more likely to feel positive and return to your site.
- Details on your compliance with the EAA, EN 301 549, and WCAG
- Contact details to report issues to regulators in your market.
- Date the statement was last updated.
An accessibility statement is both there to document your accessibility work and to be of assistance to your users. Write it in clear, simple language so it’s helpful and easy to understand for as many people as possible.
The benefits of having an accessibility statement
Other than fulfilling the requirements of having documentation available to the public, there are some other clear benefits of having an accessibility statement.
An accessibility statement...
- Shows users you take accessibility seriously.
- Builds credibility by being open about what works well and what you’re still improving.
- Provides a clear channel for users to report accessibility issues.
- Creates accountability and helps track progress over time.
- Establishes a way of working and defines responsibilities in your organization.
Need guidance?
Do you want guidance on writing an accessibility statement or making your site more user-friendly? Reach out to us! We’ve got a team of dedicated accessibility experts ready to support you and answer all your questions.
