Many organizations place a prominent link to an accessibility statement in their footer and believe they have met their obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act. In reality that statement remains empty if the underlying site still presents barriers. A statement alone does not guarantee that screen reader users can navigate forms, that keyboard only visitors can complete purchases or that low vision users can read the text. Courts have made clear that declarations without remediation offer no shield against ADA Title Three claims.
The Promise and the Problem
An accessibility statement typically outlines a commitment to inclusive design, references WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines, and provides contact details for reporting issues. While this transparency is commendable, judicial rulings confirm that policy without practice falls short. In a 2018 letter the Department of Justice reaffirmed that public accommodations have flexibility in how they comply with the ADA but that absence of a specific regulation does not excuse non compliance Ogletree. In one high-profile case the National Federation of the Blind lawsuit against Target resulted in a class action settlement because the retailer’s website remained inaccessible despite having a generic statement of intent Wikipedia. The court held that blind customers could not independently access product information or complete purchases, rendering the statement moot.
Raising User Expectations Only to Disappoint
When a user with a disability clicks your accessibility statement hoping for guidance or alternative solutions but finds only boilerplate legal language, frustration ensues. They soon discover the report issue link leads to an email form that seldom receives a timely response. Meanwhile critical tasks such as form submission or video playback remain broken. Each broken interaction undermines trust and damages reputation, sometimes more severely than if no statement had existed at all.
Creating a Living Statement
Effective accessibility statements evolve alongside your site. Rather than linking to a static PDF, host your statement on a dynamic page that lists recent audit findings, remediation milestones, and planned fixes. When you resolve a barrier, note the date of resolution. When new issues arise, add them to the log with an estimated remediation timeline. This living document demonstrates accountability and invites constructive feedback, turning your statement into a tool for continuous improvement rather than a one-time declaration.
Pairing Policy with Technical Action
A robust statement must be underpinned by a clear technical roadmap. Start with an audit that combines automated tools and manual testing to identify barriers. Document each issue with plain-language descriptions of its impact on users. Assign remediation responsibilities, deadlines, and publish high level status updates. Embed automated accessibility scans in your development pipeline and train content authors to write clear headings and alt text as part of their workflow. Only by coupling the statement with transparent action plans and visible results do you fulfill both user expectations and legal requirements.
Conclusión
An accessibility statement link alone offers no real protection to users or site owners. Without concrete remediation efforts it amounts to empty words. To serve all visitors and comply with ADA Title Three, you must integrate a living statement with ongoing audits, published progress reports, and dedicated technical updates. That combination transforms your statement from marketing collateral into a genuine commitment to inclusion.
¿Está preparado para hacer que su sitio web WordPress sea compatible con la ADA?
Tanto si está empezando como si está listo para actuar, le ayudaremos a crear un sitio web accesible, legalmente seguro y fácil de navegar para todos los usuarios.
- Totalmente compatible con ADA y WCAG 2.1
- Implementado por expertos en accesibilidad de WordPress
- Sin conjeturas jurídicas: sólo resultados claros y seguros
