Accessibility Policy

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Write a website accessibility statement or policy
• Document your WCAG compliance commitments
• Create accommodation request procedures
• Outline your approach to digital accessibility

DO NOT use this skill for technical accessibility audits, WCAG remediation, or ADA compliance consulting. This is for the policy document itself.

Core Principle

AN ACCESSIBILITY POLICY DEMONSTRATES YOUR COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY — IT TELLS USERS WITH DISABILITIES WHAT TO EXPECT AND HOW TO GET HELP WHEN SOMETHING DOES NOT WORK.

Phase 1: Inputs

Required Inputs

GATE: Do not proceed without business name, website, and contact information.

Phase 2: Policy Document

## Accessibility Statement

**[Business Name]** is committed to ensuring digital accessibility
for people with disabilities. We continually work to improve the
user experience for everyone and apply relevant accessibility
standards.

### Conformance Status

We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
2.1 at Level [AA]. These guidelines explain how to make web content
more accessible to people with disabilities, including those with
visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning,
and neurological disabilities.

### Measures We Take

[Business Name] takes the following measures to ensure accessibility:

- Include accessibility as part of our design and development process
- Provide ongoing accessibility awareness training for our team
- Use automated and manual testing tools to evaluate accessibility
- Seek user feedback on accessibility of our digital properties
- Review and update our accessibility practices regularly

### Technical Specifications

This website relies on the following technologies for conformance
with WCAG 2.1:
- HTML
- CSS
- JavaScript
- WAI-ARIA

These technologies are relied upon for accessibility with the
assistive technologies and user agents that our users employ.

### Known Limitations

While we strive for full accessibility, some areas of our website
may not yet be fully accessible:

[List any known limitations, e.g.:]
- [Third-party content (embedded videos, social media feeds) may
  not meet all accessibility standards]
- [Older PDF documents may not be fully accessible — we are working
  to remediate these]
- [Some interactive elements are being updated for improved screen
  reader compatibility]

We are actively working to resolve these issues. If you encounter
a barrier, please contact us.

### Feedback and Accommodation Requests

We welcome your feedback on the accessibility of [website/business].
If you encounter any accessibility barriers or need accommodations,
please contact us:

- **Email:** [accessibility email]
- **Phone:** [phone number]
- **Mailing address:** [address]

We aim to respond to accessibility feedback within [2-5] business days.

### Compatibility

Our website is designed to be compatible with the following assistive
technologies:
- Screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver)
- Screen magnification software
- Speech recognition software
- Keyboard-only navigation

### Assessment and Compliance Review

This website's accessibility was last assessed on [date] using:
- [Automated testing tools used, e.g., axe, WAVE, Lighthouse]
- [Manual testing, e.g., keyboard navigation, screen reader testing]
- [Third-party audit, if applicable]

We review our accessibility practices [annually / semi-annually].

### Enforcement

If you are unsatisfied with our response to your accessibility
concern, you may escalate by contacting [appropriate authority
or alternative dispute resolution].

---

This statement was last updated on [date].

Phase 3: Implementation Checklist

## Accessibility Implementation Checklist

### Content
- [ ] All images have descriptive alt text
- [ ] Videos have captions and/or transcripts
- [ ] Color is not the sole means of conveying information
- [ ] Text has sufficient color contrast (4.5:1 minimum for normal text)
- [ ] Content is readable and functional at 200% zoom
- [ ] Links are descriptive (not "click here")

### Navigation
- [ ] All interactive elements are keyboard accessible
- [ ] Focus indicators are visible
- [ ] Skip navigation link is provided
- [ ] Page structure uses proper heading hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
- [ ] ARIA landmarks are used appropriately

### Forms
- [ ] All form fields have associated labels
- [ ] Error messages are clear and associated with the relevant field
- [ ] Required fields are clearly indicated
- [ ] Form instructions are provided before the form

### General
- [ ] Accessibility statement published and linked from footer
- [ ] Contact information for accessibility feedback is clear
- [ ] Team trained on creating accessible content
- [ ] Regular accessibility audits scheduled

Phase 4: Delivery

Publish the accessibility statement on a dedicated page (e.g., /accessibility) and link from the website footer.

Example: E-commerce Store

Statement excerpt: "ShopBright is committed to WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance. Our checkout process supports keyboard navigation and screen readers. Product images include descriptive alt text. Known limitation: some vendor-provided product videos lack captions — we are working with vendors to add them. Contact accessibility@shopbright.com for accommodation requests."

Anti-Patterns

• Empty promises — stating you are WCAG AA compliant when your site has not been tested is misleading and legally risky
• No contact information — the most important part of an accessibility statement is how users can report issues and get help
• Set and forget — accessibility requires ongoing attention as content and features change
• Policy without action — publishing a statement without actually testing and fixing accessibility issues provides false comfort
• Ignoring third-party content — embedded videos, social feeds, and widgets must also be accessible or disclosed as limitations

Recovery

• No accessibility testing done: Run a free automated scan (WAVE, axe, Lighthouse) to identify major issues. Fix critical items first (keyboard navigation, alt text, color contrast).
• Received an ADA demand letter: Consult an attorney immediately. Begin remediation and document your efforts.
• Third-party tools are not accessible: Contact vendors about accessibility. If they cannot comply, consider alternatives or disclose as a known limitation.
• Limited budget for accessibility: Focus on the highest-impact items: keyboard navigation, alt text, heading structure, and color contrast. These address the most common barriers.