Do you need an accessibility statement?
If you provide a service covered by the European Accessibility Act, establish what public information you must prepare for it. Do not start with somebody else’s template. The text needs to describe the actual service and how it meets applicable requirements, without promising more than the work supports.
Check the applicable duty first
Directive (EU) 2019/882 does not impose the same requirement on every website. Service type, provision to consumers and relevant exemptions matter, including the service microenterprise exemption. Check that scope before deciding which document you need.
Do not confuse service information under this Act with the public-sector website statement model. Calling a document an “accessibility statement” does not make one template sufficient for every regime. If the service falls outside this Act, other applicable duties remain a separate question.
What information does the Act require?
Start with Article 13 and Annex V: the provider explains how the service meets applicable requirements. Information must be publicly available in written and oral form, including accessible ways, and the written information retained while the service operates.
Build the content around the service itself:
- A general description in accessible formats.
- Explanations needed to understand how to use the service.
- A description of how applicable accessibility requirements are met.
Do not replace this with “the website is accessible”. Connect the account to actual functions and evidence. If using technical test results, state their scope rather than presenting them as a certificate for the entire service.
How to make the text useful
As practical additions, describe known limitations, available help and a contact for reporting problems. Record which pages and processes were tested, against which criteria version and when. This helps readers understand what was evaluated and what remains.
These useful elements are not automatically a universal statutory checklist. Check the particular national requirement and how information must be provided. Do not declare full conformity if evidence covers only selected pages or an automated scan.
Agree who maintains the text after website changes. A new form, external payment step or changed document is a reason to check whether the description still matches the service. Do not let an old statement claim something that has not been checked in its current form.
The document does not replace the work
A contrast widget, badge or purchased template is not evidence of conformity. Separate repairs and checks from the description of them. Useful information shows completed work and limitations, rather than serving as a general accessibility promise.
For a legal conclusion, check the applicable requirements and current references to standards. Publication of a new standard version and its legal application are separate questions. A WCAG 2.2 check does not itself settle every statutory duty.
Questions
If we have no online shop, do we need no such text?
That fact alone does not decide it. Check service categories, exemptions and other applicable rules. Assume neither that every website is covered nor that having no shopping cart removes all duties.
Who should prepare the information?
The service provider is responsible for its obligations. A contractor can supply findings from the work and tests so the text is accurate. Agree who drafts, approves and updates it; do not assume it is included in every quote.
Is a technical report sufficient?
Not necessarily. It supplies evidence within its stated scope. It does not automatically replace public information, required procedures or assessment of legal conformity. Distinguish what was tested from what you declare.
Sources
Related reading
Next step
The WCAG 2.2 check is part of acceptance
The acceptance test includes a WCAG 2.2 check. A website build with us checks the new site against those criteria as part of acceptance. The content of accessibility information, if needed, starts from the same check.
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