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Where to Put an Accessibility Statement So People Can Find and Use It

Use clear, consistent links in your footer and help pages. Check statement placement, language, keyboard access, and the route to getting help before publishing.

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Summary

  • Help someone reach the statement from the page where they encounter a barrier, without knowing its URL first.
  • Use clear, consistent link names and make the statement language clear on multilingual sites.
  • Before publishing, follow the route from finding the statement to understanding a limitation and getting help.

Start where people look for help

A persistent footer link is a useful starting point. Help, about, and contact pages can link to the same statement. W3C WAI recommends several findable entry points with consistent link names.

You do not need a different statement for each link. Pointing to the same applicable content helps avoid conflicting scope, contact details, or update dates.

Make the link explain its purpose

Use a recognizable name such as “Accessibility statement,” rather than “Click here.” An icon link also needs an understandable accessible name; its appearance alone is not enough.

Keep the name consistent within each language. Translate it for other locales while retaining its purpose. If the destination is available only in another language, say so next to the link.

Make the statement readable at the destination

Prefer directly readable web content so people do not have to download a file or complete an extra interaction to get contact details. If you also provide a PDF, identify the format and check that the document is usable.

Explain which services are covered, known limitations, and how to get help. A document update date is not a test date, and naming a standards target is not the same as completing a conformance evaluation.

Walk through the route before publishing

These are checks to perform on your own site, not tests that Accesserty has performed for you. Try a general page, a main task page, and an authenticated page where applicable.

  • Find the link using only the keyboard, check visible focus, and open it with Enter.
  • At a narrow viewport and with zoom, check that the link is not covered or trapped in an unusable menu.
  • Switch languages and find it again; check the destination language and scope.
  • Locate known limitations and contact options. For a form, check errors, correction, and retry.
  • Ask a screen-reader user to check the link name and content. A scan or code check is not an actual announcement test.

Findability still needs context

A findable statement reduces the effort of seeking help, but does not prove whole-site conformance. A statement covering one service cannot automatically be applied to another product or subdomain.

Signal can help surface supported public references. If no statement appears, check the footer, help center, and contact page yourself. No displayed statement does not mean none exists.

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