The EAA accessibility statement: what it is and what the law asks for

Publishing this information is one of the four areas of EAA compliance work. It is not optional, it is not a best practice, and it is not the same as a privacy policy or cookie notice. If the information is not published anywhere, in a statement or in your terms, that is a gap before any audit has been run.

What an accessibility statement is

The Act asks for information that describes the accessibility requirements that apply and how your service meets them, with a description of the service and how it works. A statement that people can actually use goes further and covers:

• Your current accessibility compliance position: what standard you are meeting and to what extent
• What is not yet fully accessible and why
• Your remediation plan: what you are doing to address the gaps and when
• How users can report accessibility issues or request accessible alternatives
• Contact details for accessibility queries

Why it matters beyond compliance

The statement also gives you a dated record of where you stood, which helps show that you were managing your obligations rather than ignoring them.

What makes it credible

If you already have a statement published, the more useful question is whether it would survive being read closely. Our guide to what a credible accessibility statement contains sets out the six items WCAG-EM 2.0 defines, and how to check yours against them.

The information has to stay available for as long as the service runs. In practice that means keeping it accurate, specific and up to date. Generic statements that claim full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance without evidence, or that copy boilerplate from another organisation, do not do this job, and can create additional legal exposure if the claims are inaccurate.

It should describe your service as it actually is. If there are known barriers, and there almost always are, they should be documented along with a realistic timeline for remediation.

How frequently it needs updating

The accessibility statement should be reviewed and updated whenever significant changes are made to the product or service, and at least annually. If your compliance position improves, the statement should reflect that. If new issues are identified, they should be added.

Where to publish it

The law requires the information to be available to the public, in written and oral format, and accessible to disabled people. Make it easy to find. For websites, it should be accessible from the footer on every page, or at minimum from the main accessibility or legal information page. For apps, it should be accessible from within the app and from the app store listing.

Who needs an accessibility statement

Any organisation providing covered digital products or services to consumers in the EU. This includes organisations headquartered outside the EU. If you provide an in-scope service to consumers in the EU and are not a microenterprise, the EAA's obligations apply to you, including the duty to publish this information.

Microenterprises providing services are exempt from the accessibility requirements and the obligations that go with them (Article 4(5)). The exemption covers services, not products.