Accessibility Statement Template for Irish Businesses

Your privacy policy tells visitors how you handle their data. Your cookie banner explains what you track. An accessibility statement does something similar: it tells people what you've done to make your website usable for everyone, and what to do if something does not work.

If your business falls under the European Accessibility Act as transposed by S.I. No. 636 of 2023, you must publish an accessibility statement. Even if you are exempt, publishing one is still a smart move. It shows good faith, and it gives disabled customers a clear way to reach you when they hit a barrier.

What an accessibility statement actually does

An accessibility statement is a page on your website. It describes your accessibility efforts, names the standard you are working to, and gives visitors a way to report problems.

Think of it as a commitment in writing. You are saying: "We have done this work. We know about these gaps. Here is how to tell us if something is not working for you."

It is not a legal shield. Publishing one does not protect you from complaints if your site is full of barriers. But it does show good faith, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), Ireland's market-surveillance authority for the EAA, takes that into account.

Who needs one in Ireland

Under S.I. No. 636 of 2023, the European Accessibility Act applies to traders providing in-scope products and services in Ireland from 28 June 2025. The most relevant categories for SMB websites are:

• E-commerce services (online shops, booking flows, payment screens)
• Banking and payment services
• Passenger transport ticketing and information
• E-readers and electronic communications services

Microenterprise exemption. A trader with fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total not exceeding €2 million is exempt from the EAA obligations on services. The exemption does not cover products. Even when you are exempt, publishing an accessibility statement is still a low-cost good-faith signal.

Public sector bodies are covered by a separate framework: S.I. No. 358/2020, which transposed the EU Web Accessibility Directive. Compliance there is monitored by the National Disability Authority (NDA).

What to include

A good accessibility statement covers six things. Quick checklist before detail.

1. Conformance status

State which accessibility standard you are following and how well you meet it. The standard for most websites is WCAG 2.1 Level AA. For services in scope of the EAA, the harmonised standard EN 301 549 maps to WCAG 2.1 Level AA plus a handful of additional clauses for native applications and authoring tools. Be honest about where you stand.

• Fully conformant: your site meets the standard with no known issues
• Partially conformant: your site meets most of the standard but has some gaps
• Non-conformant: your site does not yet meet the standard (but you are working on it)

Most small-business websites land at "partially conformant" and that is fine. What matters is honesty. Claiming full conformance when your site has known issues will backfire if someone files a complaint with the CCPC.

2. Known limitations

List the parts of your site that are not fully accessible yet. Be specific. "Some images lack alt text" is more useful than "we are working on improvements." If you know which pages have issues, name them.

This section shows you have actually tested your site rather than just copied a template and called it done.

3. Feedback mechanism

Give visitors a clear way to report accessibility problems. An email address works. A contact form works too, as long as the form itself is accessible. Include:

• An email address or link to a contact form
• Expected response time (for example "we will respond within 5 business days")
• What happens after someone reports a problem

This is the most important part. Without a feedback channel, the statement is just decoration.

4. Enforcement procedure

If you fall under the EAA, point complainants to the CCPC as the Irish market-surveillance authority. For service refusals or discrimination, the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) hears complaints under the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018. For broader equality issues, the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) can advise and in some cases take a case. Telecoms-service complaints go to ComReg. The right escalation ladder for an SMB website is usually CCPC first, WRC second if discrimination is alleged.

5. Technical information

Mention which technologies your site relies on (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PDF) and which browsers and assistive technologies you have tested with. You do not need to list every screen reader on the market. Just be transparent about what you have checked. NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS / iOS cover most of the testing surface.

6. Date

Include the date the statement was written or last updated. A statement dated 2021 on a site redesigned in 2025 is not credible. Review and update yours at least once a year.

Template you can adapt

Here is a starting point. Replace the bracketed text with your own details.

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Accessibility Statement for [Your Company Name]

[Your Company Name] is committed to making [website URL] accessible to all visitors, including people with disabilities. This statement is published in line with our obligations under the European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023 (S.I. No. 636 of 2023).

Conformance status

This website aims to conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the technical standard referenced in EN 301 549. We are currently [fully conformant / partially conformant / non-conformant] with this standard.

Known limitations

We are aware of the following accessibility issues:

• [Describe issue 1, for example "some product images do not have descriptive alt text"]
• [Describe issue 2, for example "the booking calendar is difficult to use with keyboard navigation"]
• [Describe issue 3, if applicable]

We are actively working to fix these issues by [target date or "on an ongoing basis"].

Feedback

If you encounter an accessibility barrier on this website, please contact us:

• Email: [your email]
• Phone: [your phone number]
• Postal address: [your address]

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

Enforcement

If you are not satisfied with our response you can contact the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, the Irish market-surveillance authority for the European Accessibility Act, at www.ccpc.ie. If you believe the issue amounts to discrimination in the provision of a service, you may also bring a complaint to the Workplace Relations Commission under the Equal Status Acts 2000-2018 at www.workplacerelations.ie.

Technical specifications

This website relies on HTML, CSS and JavaScript. It has been tested with [browser names, for example "Chrome, Safari and Firefox"] and [assistive technology names, for example "NVDA screen reader on Windows and VoiceOver on macOS"].

Date

This statement was last updated on [date].

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Where to put it

Add a link to your accessibility statement in your website footer, right next to your privacy policy and terms of service. Label the link "Accessibility" or "Accessibility Statement." Do not bury it in a submenu.

The footer is where visitors expect to find this kind of page. If someone using a screen reader needs to find your accessibility contact info, the footer is the first place they will look.

Common mistakes to avoid

Claiming full compliance when you are not. This is the biggest one. If the CCPC checks your site and finds issues you claimed did not exist, it looks far worse than admitting you have gaps. Be honest about your conformance status. "Partially conformant" with a plan to improve is perfectly acceptable.

No contact information for feedback. A statement without a way to report problems is pointless. The whole purpose is to give people a channel. Include at least an email address.

Using a generic template without customising it. A statement that says "[insert company name]" or includes placeholder text hurts your credibility. Take ten minutes to fill in the details properly.

Never updating it. Your website changes over time. New pages, new features, new plugins. Review your statement at least once a year and update the date.

Making the statement page itself inaccessible. This happens more often than you might think. If your accessibility statement cannot be read by a screen reader, you have a problem. Keep the page simple: plain text, proper headings, no decorative clutter.

What to do next

Writing an accessibility statement is a good start, but it works best alongside actual accessibility improvements. If you have not tested your site yet, run a free scan to see where you stand. For the broader EAA rules that decide whether you are in scope at all, read our Irish EAA small-business guide. If you run a restaurant or hotel website, the sector-specific notes in restaurant accessibility for Ireland and hotel website accessibility for Ireland translate the general WCAG checks into category-specific patterns.

The statement will not fix your site's issues. But it shows you are paying attention, and it gives real people a way to tell you what is broken. That is worth thirty minutes of your time.

FAQ

Is an accessibility statement legally required for my Irish business?

Yes, if you are a trader providing in-scope products or services under the EAA (S.I. 636/2023). The clearest SMB triggers are e-commerce checkouts and banking or payment services. Microenterprises providing services (fewer than 10 employees and turnover or balance sheet up to €2 million) are exempt from the service obligations but still benefit from publishing one. Product traders do not get the microenterprise exemption.

Can I just copy a template from the internet?

You can use a template as a starting point, but you must customise it. Fill in your actual company details, your real conformance status and your known issues. A generic copy-paste job with placeholder text will hurt your credibility and will not satisfy the CCPC if they review your site.

How often should I update my accessibility statement?

At least once a year. Also update it after major website changes such as a redesign, a new e-commerce platform or new functionality. The date on the statement should reflect when you last reviewed it.

Does publishing a statement protect me from CCPC enforcement?

Not on its own. A statement does not replace actual compliance work. But it does show good faith. Market-surveillance authorities typically consider whether a business has acknowledged its obligations and is making genuine efforts to improve. A well-maintained statement with a working feedback channel helps your case.

What is the difference between an accessibility statement and a VPAT?

A VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) is a detailed technical document used mainly in procurement, especially in the US. An accessibility statement is a simpler public-facing page for website visitors. Most Irish SMBs need an accessibility statement, not a VPAT.