It is challenging to see an Accessibility Statement that is invisible!
Do You Need a Statement?
One of the first things I check when conducting a website audit is whether or not the website has an accessibility statement. If it does, then that is a start at least! If not, it is an immediate red flag.
For organisations in the public sector, having a statement is not optional – it is required by law. Under UK Government legislation, the statement must be structured in a specific way, detailing how the site adheres to accessibility guidelines.
For those in the private or charity sectors, a statement is not currently a legal requirement. However, failing to provide one leaves your organisation vulnerable to legal action under the Equality Act if your website is not accessible to disabled users.
It’s worth noting that, according to recent statistics, 95% of the top 1 million websites tested this year failed basic accessibility checks. With these figures in mind, it’s highly likely that your website may not be fully accessible. Not having a statement at all suggests that you may either have no interest in accessibility for disabled people or have simply overlooked the issue. Ironically, this can contradict your stated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion—values that many organisations promote!
What Types of Statements Exist?
In my experience, accessibility statements typically fall into one of three categories:
- Compliant: These websites have undergone an web audit, and their statement is an honest reflection of any shortcomings, as well as a timeline for addressing them.
- Hopeful: These organisations may not have had a formal audit, and they might not fully understand the specific accessibility challenges their site faces. However, they acknowledge that these issues exist and adopt an apologetic and friendly tone in their statement.
- Untrue: These websites claim to be fully compliant but do not understand what compliance truly entails. This type of statement often lacks any genuine commitment or understanding of accessibility.
Given that a fully accessible website is often more of a rare ideal than a reality, option 3 is risky and should be avoided!
A New Category: Invisible
Following a recent audit, I must add a fourth category: the Invisible Statement!
The website I audited was for a well-established non-profit organisation in the UK. Despite the importance of accessibility, there was no visible statement on the homepage, nor could I find one in the Privacy Policy or any other section.
Curious, I decided to inspect the page’s code, stripping away the styling to examine it more closely. To my surprise, I discovered a link to the statement – but it was the same colour as the background, effectively rendering it invisible to users.
While screen readers would pick up the link and read it aloud to visually impaired users, this does not mean it is fully accessible. Not all people with disabilities are visually impaired, and this invisible link poses a significant barrier for many.
For example, Iona, who has a hand disability and cannot use a mouse, also has ADHD. Similarly, Sara, who has dyspraxia and ADHD, struggled to access the statement. Both of them are valuable members of my team and, while they can see a computer screen, they were unable to access the link in question.
Thankfully, this issue is easily fixed. The link is now visible on the website, and a fully compliant statement, based on an action plan, is soon to be implemented.
Take Action
If you’d like to discuss your website’s statement—or the absence of one—please feel free to book a time for a chat using the link above.
Caption: A cartoon ghost holding up a sign that reads, "Now you see me, now you don't."
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