What is an Accessibility Policy?
An accessibility policy is a clear, internal framework that spells out your organization’s commitment to building accessible digital products. It defines the standards your organization follows, the responsibilities of your teams, and the actions required to meet legal and usability expectations, as well as long-term accessibility improvements.
In short, it keeps everyone aligned on what accessibility means for your company and how you’ll deliver it consistently.
We already have a statement, so why do we need a policy?
Simply put, your accessibility statement is a public declaration of your organization’s intent and commitment to accessibility and the current status of your work to fulfill that commitment. A well-crafted accessibility statement demonstrates to your website visitors that your organization has made a genuine commitment to accessibility and inclusivity and provides a status check on the commitment.
Your accessibility policy is the internal document that drives that commitment.
Ok, so what do we include in this policy?
An effective accessibility policy is built from several core components:
Commitment Statement
A commitment statement outlines the organization’s promise to comply with applicable accessibility laws and standards and foster an environment where people of all abilities can access and engage with the organization's digital products. This statement serves as the foundation for accountability.
Example:
ACME University is committed to ensuring equal access and full participation for people with disabilities. We strive to treat everyone with dignity and independence by providing a seamless experience across all our digital products. This includes removing and preventing barriers by aligning our digital experiences with the current relevant accessibility laws and guidelines to support a consistent, inclusive standard across all our digital platforms.
Policy Scope
Define the specific products, services, and digital assets to which the policy applies. This should cover core areas such as websites, mobile apps, and digital documents, but can also extend to tools and other technologies your organization uses to deliver information or services.
Accessibility Standards
Identify which guidelines, regulations, or benchmarks your teams must use when designing, building, and maintaining digital products. Most organizations center their work around WCAG 2.1 Level AA or WCAG 2.2 Level AA, but you may need to include any additional standards relevant to your industry or region. Spell this out clearly so compliance is not left up to interpretation. This will establish consistency across teams and provide a stable reference point as your accessibility program matures.
Roles and Responsibilities
Clearly assign accountability for implementing, monitoring, and maintaining accessibility across different departments.
No matter if you work in higher ed or at an agency, accessibility is not and should not be the sole responsibility of any one person or department. Accessibility is the responsibility of many functional areas, such as IT, application development teams, content creation and management, social media teams, marketing and communications, procurement, human resources, and internal audit teams, to name a few. Remember: Accessibility is a shared responsibility. All departments must work together to plan, build, and maintain a strong accessibility framework.
Feedback and Contact Information
Provide a clear, accessible way for users to report barriers. For example, an email address and a phone number, or an accessible web form.
Feedback mechanisms should be incorporated into all of the specific products outlined in the Project Scope section of your policy.
Prioritizing feedback and incorporating it into your accessibility work will allow you to identify and address accessibility issues sooner and actively help prevent unintentional discrimination.
Testing and Remediation
Clearly outline your testing and remediation processes. For automated testing, specify the required tools, the frequency of scheduled testing, and the format and content of the expected reports. For manual testing, outline the structured approach and documentation required, types of assistive technologies to be used for testing, and the schedule for routine evaluations and reporting requirements.
Be sure to list all circumstances that would trigger testing outside the regular schedule, such as website redesigns or the addition or removal of major content sections.
For remediation, define how issues are prioritized, including peer review procedures, required verification testing to confirm fixes, and the documentation needed to track and implement accessibility improvements effectively.
Limitations and Exceptions
Sometimes, the product needed to perform a specific function or solve a particular issue is not fully accessible. This situation most commonly arises in the procurement process, where a specific product is identified as being the best solution yet does not meet the designated accessibility standards. If your organization allows exemptions, detail your exemption process, including required documentation, the rationale for the exemption, required signatures, and the functional areas to report the exemption to.
The primary goal of a well-crafted accessibility policy is to signal to your users that your organization values accessibility and inclusion, and that it prioritizes accessibility across all its digital products.
An accessibility policy also serves several other very essential functions. It sets clear expectations for digital content, referencing recognized frameworks such as WCAG to ensure that websites, apps, documents, and other platforms meet consistent standards. It guides internal teams by outlining responsibilities, workflows, and procedures for handling exceptions, turning accessibility into a concrete part of daily operations. Ultimately, a well-defined policy promotes consistency, accountability, and ongoing improvement, making accessibility a reliable and trackable part of the organization’s culture.
Resources
- What an Accessibility Policy Should Contain
- Accessibility Policy: Why It Matters and What to Include
- Developing Organizational Policies on Web Accessibility
- Web Accessibility Policy vs. Statement: What’s the Difference?
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