Reviewed October 28, 2026

Accessibility Statements for Small Stores: What to Include

An accessibility statement is the page where a store speaks plainly about access: what standard it aims for, what it has checked, where known limits remain, and how a shopper who hits a barrier can get help fast. Small stores often skip it, copy a legal template full of promises they have not kept, or bury a vague commitment on an about page. A short, honest statement is better than all three. It also has practical value: support teams use it, and shoppers with disabilities read it to decide whether to trust a store with their order.

The core sections every statement needs

Open with a plain commitment: the store aims to make its site usable for everyone and names the standard it targets, commonly WCAG 2.2 level AA. Follow with the measures actually taken, such as an audit, fixes made, and staff or vendor practices, described at the level of truth you can support. Then list known limitations honestly, for example a third party widget that is not yet fully accessible and what you offer instead. Finish with a feedback and help section: a real email address and phone option, an invitation to report barriers, and a promise about response time that your team can actually meet. Date the statement and note when it was last reviewed.

Related reading

If this topic is useful, these earlier guides go deeper on connected questions: Keyboard Traps: How to Audit Your Site for Focus That Cannot Escape, Accessible Email Marketing: What Stores Get Wrong in Campaigns, and Color Contrast Failures: The Store Pages That Fail Most Often.

Write it in language a shopper can use

Keep the statement itself accessible: real headings, plain sentences, no scanned documents or PDF only versions, and language a tired shopper can understand without a law degree. Avoid claiming full compliance unless a thorough audit supports it; saying we are working toward a standard, with named progress, is both safer and more credible. If you offer an alternative route for a known barrier, such as ordering by phone while a checkout widget is being fixed, describe it concretely, including hours. Shoppers do not need your sincerity; they need a working path to buy the product.

Connect the statement to your real process

A statement that nobody maintains becomes fiction within a year. Tie it to your routines: when the quarterly access review happens, update the known limitations and the review date. When a shopper reports a barrier, log it, fix what you can, and note the improvement in the statement history. Make sure the support address in the statement is monitored by someone who knows what to do with an accessibility report, including how to complete an order another way. Link the statement from the footer with clear text, such as Accessibility, on every page, not hidden inside a general policies list under a vague name.

What to leave out, and common mistakes to avoid

Do not paste a template that promises conformance you have never tested, lists technologies your store does not use, or names an accessibility officer who does not exist. Avoid overlays and toolbar widgets presented as your accessibility program; a statement should describe the accessibility of the site itself. Do not let the statement become a shield against feedback: phrases that sound like legal deflection convince shoppers their report will go nowhere. The mistakes share one root, writing for imagined lawyers instead of real shoppers. Write for the person who could not finish checkout last night, and the statement will be the right length and the right tone.

Frequently asked questions

Is an accessibility statement legally required for a small store?

Requirements vary by country and sector, and this guide is not legal advice. Some regulations and public sector rules do require statements, and large retailers increasingly need them under laws such as the European Accessibility Act for covered services. For many small private stores it is not strictly mandated, but it is strongly recommended practice: it documents your efforts, gives shoppers a contact route, and is often requested by partners and marketplaces. Check the rules that apply to where you sell, and treat the statement as useful regardless.

Where should the accessibility statement live on my site?

As its own page, linked from the footer of every page with plain link text such as Accessibility or Accessibility statement. Footer placement is where shoppers and auditors expect it, alongside privacy and terms. Do not bury it inside a PDF, a help center search result, or halfway down an about page. The page itself must be accessible, with proper headings and readable text, since it will be read by exactly the audience most affected by accessibility failures.

What if my store still has known accessibility problems?

Say so, specifically, and say what you are doing and what shoppers can do meanwhile. A statement that lists a real limitation, gives a workaround such as phone ordering, and shows a review date builds more trust than silence or a false claim of full compliance. Known limitations are normal; every honest audit finds some. What damages trust is pretending otherwise and then leaving a shopper with no route to help when they hit the problem you already knew about.

How often should I update the accessibility statement?

Review it at least once or twice a year, and whenever something material changes: a theme redesign, a new checkout or reviews widget, an audit, or a barrier report that leads to a fix. Update the last reviewed date each time, and keep the known limitations section current, removing fixed issues and adding new ones you have found. An out of date statement that claims an old standard and lists a dead contact email is worse than a short current one.