Publishing an accessibility conformance statement demonstrates that the organization has audited its product against WCAG and is accountable for the result. Without one, users with disabilities have no way to know what level of accessibility to expect, what workarounds are documented, or who to contact when they hit a barrier. For products serving government, healthcare, or education markets, a published conformance statement is often a procurement requirement under Section 508, EN 301 549, or the EU Web Accessibility Directive.
Info because the absence of a conformance statement is a transparency and procurement gap rather than a functional WCAG failure — no single criterion is violated by the missing document, but the organization cannot credibly claim compliance without it.
Publish an accessibility statement at /accessibility and link to it from the footer. Include the WCAG conformance level, scope, known exceptions, and a contact method.
# Accessibility Statement
**Conformance status:** Partially conforms to WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
**Scope:** All pages under https://yoursite.com
**Last evaluated:** April 2026
## Known limitations
- PDF documents linked from /docs have not been audited for accessibility.
- Third-party embedded maps may not be fully keyboard accessible.
## Feedback
If you encounter an accessibility barrier, email accessibility@yoursite.com
or call +1 (555) 000-0000. We aim to respond within 2 business days.
For organizations seeking formal VPAT documentation, use the ITI VPAT template to produce a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template against Section 508 or EN 301 549.
ID: accessibility-wcag.robust.conformance-statement
Severity: info
What to look for: Look for a published accessibility statement or conformance declaration on the website. Check for language indicating WCAG 2.1 AA compliance level and any known exceptions or limitations.
Pass criteria: A public accessibility statement exists noting WCAG 2.1 AA compliance level (or intended level) and any known exceptions.
Fail criteria: No accessibility statement is published.
Skip (N/A) when: Never — a statement is recommended for all public-facing sites.
Detail on fail: Example: "No accessibility statement published on the website"
Remediation: Create and publish an accessibility statement. Example:
# Accessibility Statement
We are committed to making our website accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
## Conformance Status
Our website aims to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.
## Feedback
If you encounter accessibility barriers, please contact us at [email] or [phone].
Place the statement at /accessibility or link from the footer.