Contents
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Copy the statementThe accessibility statement template
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The accessibility statement template
[Organization name] is committed to making our website usable by people with disabilities. [One sentence on what you do about it.]
We work to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Our website is [fully / partially / not yet] conformant.
- [Page or document]: [what does not work]. Alternative: [phone or email].
- [Page or document]: [what does not work]. Alternative: [phone or email].
- [Measure taken, with date]
- [Browser and version]
- [Assistive technology and version]
[Organization name] receives HHS federal financial assistance. Section 504 and the HHS rule at 45 CFR 84 apply to our web content.
[Role title], [monitored email], [phone]. We reply within [time you commit to].
[Your complaint instructions.]
[Month day, year]
Items 1, 2 and 7, shaded green, are W3C’s minimum. Items 3 to 6 are what W3C calls “also advisable.” Items 8 and 9 are borrowed from the Section508.gov list as good practice, and that federal list is not required of nonprofits.
Every bracket is replaced, and no line claims more than testing found.
How to fill each section of the statement
Seven steps build the statement. The table shows where each template item comes from.
| Template item | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Commitment | W3C | Minimum |
| 2. Standard and conformance status | W3C | Minimum |
| 3. Known limitations | W3C | Advisable |
| 4. What we have done | W3C | Advisable |
| 5. Browsers and assistive technology tested | W3C | Advisable |
| 6. Laws and policies | W3C | Advisable |
| 7. How to report a problem | W3C | Minimum |
| 8. How to file a complaint | Section508.gov | Borrowed good practice |
| 9. Last reviewed | Section508.gov | Borrowed good practice |
01. Run a WCAG 2.1 AA check first
The statement can only describe what testing found. W3C says statements “ideally refer to such background to provide verification.” Check key pages against what WCAG 2.1 AA asks of a site: home, donate, contact, forms and key PDFs.
You have a list of what failed, page by page.
02. Commitment
Write one or two plain sentences, with no adjectives doing the persuading.
Nothing in them promises more than your testing showed.
03. Standard and conformance status
Name “WCAG 2.1 Level AA” exactly. The HHS rule names 2.1, while W3C’s own example reads “such as WCAG 2.2”, so name the one your obligation names. Say fully, partly or not yet, and never “fully accessible.” See how the WCAG guidelines are organized.
The status matches your list of failures.
04. Known limitations
This is the hardest line to write. W3C asks for “Any known limitations, to avoid frustration of your users.” List them specifically: the donation form, older PDFs, third-party embeds. Name each by the page title or document title a visitor sees, so they can recognize it. Pair each with an alternative route, such as a phone number or an email address that a person answers. When a limitation is fixed, remove the line and change the review date.
Each limitation names a page or a document a visitor can recognize.
05. Measures taken, tested environments and browsers
List what you did, and which browsers and assistive technology you tested with. W3C lists these as advisable. Include only what was done.
Every browser and tool listed was used on the pages you tested.
06. Contact and complaint route
Give a named role, a monitored inbox and the reply time you commit to. Section508.gov, a federal rule that is good practice here, says: “Do not use a general inbox or associated group inbox.” Add complaint instructions, also borrowed from the federal list.
Send a test message and confirm someone answers.
07. Review date and placement
Add a “last updated or reviewed” date, another Section508.gov item. Link the page from the sitewide footer, labeled “Accessibility” or “Accessibility Statement.” Section508.gov says: “Agencies should not link to digital accessibility statements from a sub-page.” That is a federal convention and a sensible one for a nonprofit. No source gives a review interval, so review after any significant site change.
The footer link appears on every page, including the donate page.
What reviewers and complainants actually check
The statement is read against the site. A line that says “conformant” invites a visitor to test that claim, and a working contact, a real date and limitations that match what a visitor hits leave nothing to catch.
The HHS dates:
An interim final rule effective May 7, 2026 moved both (Federal Register). Pages still citing May 2026 are out of date. The rule also says “Regardless of the compliance dates, recipients have an ongoing obligation.” Read what Section 504 asks of HHS recipients now.
What this template does not cover
A website accessibility statement is not conformance and not a safe harbor. W3C: “Accessibility statements are not technical assessments or declarations of conformity.”
- No primary source we found requires an HHS-funded nonprofit to publish a statement. It is good practice, not a stated HHS requirement.
- It does not fix the site. The obligation sits on the web content and apps.
- DOJ Title II covers state and local governments, not private nonprofits.
- NoDrama’s plans do not include accessibility work of any kind. See the three NoDrama plans and what each covers.
Where nonprofits get the accessibility statement wrong
- Pasting a “we are fully accessible” statement with nothing behind it.
- Treating the page as the finish line.
- Linking it from a sub-page, or listing a shared inbox nobody reads.
- Leaving the date untouched. A site changes with every plugin, theme, form and content update, so last year’s statement may describe a site that no longer exists.
Read why WCAG conformance lapses after a fix.
Get the statement template.
Copy NoDrama’s accessibility statement template and fill each line with what your testing found.
The short version: what a WCAG accessibility statement should contain
Three items are W3C’s minimum: a commitment, the standard, and a contact. Five more are advisable: known limitations, measures taken, technical prerequisites, tested environments, and applicable laws and policies. Add a real contact, a review date, and no claim your testing does not support.