How to Fix: Accessibility statement

Accessibility statement is a lower-priority check in the Accessibility (WCAG) category. Address it after the accessibility work that actually affects users — but do not skip it, because it is the public commitment that anchors all of that work.

What this check is really about

An accessibility statement is a dedicated page where you state your commitment to accessibility, name the standard you are working toward (typically WCAG 2.1 or 2.2, Level AA), disclose any known limitations honestly, and give people a way to report a barrier they hit. This check confirms that page exists and is reachable. It fails when a site has no such page — which, in practice, usually means accessibility has never been thought about at all.

Let me be clear about one thing, because it is where sites go wrong: the statement is not the accessibility work. It is the honest label on the work. A statement on an inaccessible site is not a shield — in some jurisdictions it is evidence you knew and did nothing.

Why it matters

Three reasons, in order of how much they will actually move you. Legally, accessibility statements are expected under frameworks like the ADA in the US and the EAA in Europe, and a genuine one demonstrates good-faith effort. Practically, the contact channel matters: a real user who hits a barrier can tell you instead of leaving silently, and that feedback is the cheapest accessibility audit you will ever get. And for trust — including how search engines and users read a site’s overall quality — a serious accessibility statement is a signal that you build for everyone, which is exactly the direction the whole web is being pushed.

How to fix this in WordPress

Difficulty Level: EASY – This fix is straightforward and can typically be completed by anyone with basic WordPress knowledge.

Estimated Time: 30 min

1. Create a new WordPress page titled “Accessibility Statement” at a clean URL like /accessibility/.
2. State the standard you are targeting — WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the common benchmark — and be honest about whether you have fully met it or are working toward it.
3. Disclose known limitations plainly. “Some older PDF documents are not yet fully accessible” is worth more than a vague promise of perfection, and it is far more defensible.
4. Give a real contact method for accessibility issues — an email or form monitored by someone who can act — and commit to a response timeframe.
5. Link the page from your footer so it is reachable from every page, which is where users and auditors expect to find it.

Do not template this and forget it. Revisit the statement whenever you redesign or add major functionality, so it keeps describing the site you actually have. Then clear your cache and re-run the SEO Roadmap audit to confirm the check passes.

Recommended Tools & Plugins

These tools can help you fix and prevent this issue:

• Yoast SEO – Comprehensive SEO plugin with built-in checks
• Rank Math – Feature-rich SEO plugin with detailed analysis
• Google Search Console – Free tool to monitor your site’s search presence
• SEO Roadmap – Complete SEO audit and action plan tool

What I would not do

• Do not publish a statement claiming full WCAG compliance you have not verified. An overclaim is a liability, not a badge.
• Do not treat the statement as a substitute for real accessibility work. Fix the barriers, then describe them honestly.
• Do not list a contact method nobody monitors. An unanswered accessibility report is worse than no channel at all.

This guide is part of the SEO Roadmap knowledge base – your complete resource for WordPress SEO optimization.