Accessibility statement generator: free options, what to enter and what they miss

An accessibility statement generator is a form that asks about your website and its accessibility, then writes a statement you can paste into a page. The best known free one is the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative's Accessibility Statement Generator, which needs no account. It writes the structure for you, but it cannot know whether your site meets the standard it names. A statement is only as honest as the tests behind it. This guide compares the kinds of generator, shows what to type in each field, and lists what a generated statement leaves out.

Want a statement built from real test results instead of a form? Site Record includes a statement page made from your own scan, ready to link from your footer: $499 once, with monthly rechecks for a year.

The accessibility statement generators compared

Kind	Example	What it does	Watch for
Standards-body generator	W3C WAI Accessibility Statement Generator	Walks you through fields (scope, standard, known issues, contact, date) and outputs HTML	You supply every fact; it will not check your site
Template you edit	See our accessibility statement template	Ready text with blanks and two filled examples	Easy to leave placeholders in place
Overlay vendor generator	Offered by some widget companies	Writes a statement that often describes the vendor's widget	May claim features and conformance your own code does not have
Legal-site generators	Policy generators from privacy and terms sites	Fill-in text with legal-sounding wording	Generic promises; no link to your tests
Written from your scan	A statement built from your dated test results	Names what was tested and found	Needs a real test first

What an accessibility statement should say

The W3C's guidance and common practice agree on a short list. Whichever accessibility statement generator you use, make sure the output covers:

Your commitment. One or two plain sentences that you want the site usable by everyone.
The standard you aim for. WCAG 2.1 level AA (or 2.2 AA) is typical. Say "aim for" unless a person has tested and confirmed conformance.
What you tested and when. The pages or sections, the tools, the date.
Known gaps. Parts that are not yet accessible and when you plan to fix them. Honest gaps are more credible than a claim of perfection.
A way to reach you. An email address or phone number that someone reads, and what happens when someone writes: say you reply within a set number of business days that you can really meet.
Alternatives. How a visitor can order, book or get information if a page fails them, such as by phone.
The date of the statement. And when it was last reviewed.

How to use a generator step by step

Test first. Run a scan on four pages and the keyboard test. See the free checkers. Write down counts, tools and the date.
Open the generator and enter your organisation's name and website address.
Choose the standard you aim for. If nobody has run a full manual test, pick wording like "we aim to meet", not "we conform".
Describe scope. List the sections you tested. If your booking tool or menu is run by a third party, say so.
List known issues from your scan, in plain words: "some images lack descriptions; we are adding them".
Add contact details that work and a fallback way to do the main task.
Generate, read it aloud and cut anything untrue. Remove placeholders.
Publish it as a page, link it from your footer on every page, and put a review date in your calendar.

What the fields mean: a worked example

Suppose you run a bakery with a WordPress site. After a scan you found low-contrast text on the menu page and three icon links with no names, and the ordering tool is run by another company. Your entries might read:

Standard: "We aim to meet WCAG 2.1 level AA."
Tested: "Home, menu, contact and order pages, with the axe browser extension and keyboard testing, on 15 November 2026."
Known issues: "Some text on the menu page is lighter than it should be; we are fixing it. Our online ordering is provided by a third party and we have asked them about its accessibility. You can also order by phone at the number below."
Contact: "Write to the address below and we will reply within two business days."

Notice what is missing: any claim of full conformance, any badge, and any promise about legal outcomes. Dates and specifics are what make it believable.

What a generated statement cannot do

It cannot test your site. A generator writes what you tell it.
It does not make your site accessible. A statement is a communication, not a fix.
It is not legal protection. No court treats a statement as a defence on its own, and we are not lawyers. It is a good-faith record that sits beside your scans and fix log.
It can overclaim. A generator that offers "fully compliant" as a choice invites a claim you cannot back up.
It goes stale. A statement dated two years ago about a redesigned site is a liability.

Overlay vendors' statement generators

Some widget companies include a statement generator with their subscription. The risk is that the text describes the widget ("our site uses an accessibility tool that adjusts the page for each visitor") rather than your own code, and may state a level of conformance that the widget supplier asserts but nobody tested on your pages. The Overlay Fact Sheet, signed by accessibility professionals, explains why many disagree with such claims; and in January 2025 the FTC ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims about its tool. If you use a widget at all, say so plainly in the statement and still list the errors you know about. See accessiBe alternatives and UserWay alternatives.

Is an accessibility statement required?

For private US businesses, no federal rule requires a statement on your website that we are aware of. Some other countries and some public bodies do require one, and some customers and procurement forms ask for it. Many owners publish one because it gives people a way to report a barrier and shows they act on it. Ask a lawyer if you have a contractual or legal duty.

Where to put the statement

A page named plainly, such as "Accessibility" at /accessibility.
A link in the footer of every page, so it is reachable from anywhere.
The statement page itself must be accessible: real headings, good contrast, a contact link with a name.
If you have a contact form, make sure it works with a keyboard, or provide an email address too.

Keeping the statement true

Rescan after every redesign, new plugin, banner or booking tool, and update the date and the known-issues list. When an issue is fixed, remove it. When someone writes to say a page failed them, reply, fix it, and note the change. The ADA compliant website checklist gives 25 checks to repeat each quarter. If you pay for a professional test, see website accessibility audit cost for what to expect.

Generator, template or written from tests: which to pick

If you have done a scan and want a quick, free statement, the W3C generator or a template is fine. If you want something that reads as specific to your site, use your real results in whichever you pick. If you have no time for tests, a service that writes the statement from its own scan of your pages, with the fixes listed, closes the gap between what you say and what is true. That is what Site Record does: statement page, issue list and monthly rechecks, $499 once.

Statement wording to avoid

"Our website is fully accessible." Almost no site is, and you cannot prove it.
"ADA certified" or "compliance guaranteed." There is no such certificate for a website.
"We use an AI that fixes every issue." It is a claim you would have to defend.
"Contact us for accommodation" with no contact details.
A date from years ago or a placeholder such as [Your Company].

A short statement you can adapt

If you only need a starting point, adapt this and replace every bracket with a fact: "[Business name] wants everyone to be able to use this website. We aim to meet WCAG 2.1 level AA. On [date] we tested [pages] with [tools] and by keyboard. Known gaps: [list]. We are working on them and expect to finish by [date]. If you have trouble with any page, write to [email] or call [phone], and we will help you directly and reply within [number] business days." Our full template has two filled examples. Keep it short; a statement that is easy to read shows that you meant it.

Translating or adding to a statement

If a large part of your customers read another language, add a statement in that language too, and make sure the page is marked with the right language attribute so screen readers pronounce it properly. Keep each version in step with the English one when you update it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best free accessibility statement generator?

The W3C WAI Accessibility Statement Generator is the best known: free, no account, written by the standards body. Fill it in from real test results.

Can I just copy another site's accessibility statement?

Do not. It describes their site and tests, not yours, and may promise things you cannot deliver. Use it only as an outline.

Does an accessibility statement protect me from a lawsuit?

Not by itself. It is one part of a record that shows you tested, fixed and listened. Ask a lawyer about your case.

What should I say if my site is not fully accessible?

Say so, list the known gaps, say when you plan to fix them and give a way to get the information another way.

How often should I update the statement?

After every significant change to the site and at least once a year. Date it.

Where should the link go?

In the footer of every page, with the words "Accessibility" so it is easy to find.

Need a statement that matches real tests? Get a Site Record. More: all accessibility guides.

Sources

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, Accessibility Statement Generator and "Developing an Accessibility Statement".
W3C, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 and 2.2.
Overlay Fact Sheet (overlayfactsheet.com); U.S. Federal Trade Commission, order against accessiBe (January 2025).