Reviewed by Misha Gavura, founder of Inclusely. Last reviewed . Written by the Inclusely team at EVDEV, Toronto. Not legal advice.
The short answer
Write a short, honest statement, then create a page for it under Online Store > Pages in your Shopify admin. Link that page from your footer menu under Content > Menus, so shoppers can reach it from every page. Say the standard you work toward, what you have done, what still needs work and how to reach you.
To have the text written for you, use the free accessibility statement generator. It writes one in English and Canadian French, ready to paste into Shopify.
Does a Shopify store need an accessibility statement?
For most small stores, no law says “publish a statement”. But several rules ask for things a statement does well, and shoppers who run into a problem look for one. Here is where each law stands.
For the details by place, see the AODA guide for Ontario stores and the European Accessibility Act guide. Even where no law asks, a statement gives a blocked shopper a way to reach you before they give up.
What to include in a Shopify accessibility statement
The W3C (the group that writes WCAG) says a statement should include at least three things: a commitment, the standard you apply and a way to contact you. It also suggests known limitations, the steps you have taken and the laws that apply. For an online store we add two more: another way to order, and a review date.
| Part | What to write | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Commitment | One or two plain sentences. No marketing. | Tells shoppers you want to hear from them. |
| Standard | We are working toward WCAG 2.2 level AA. | A goal you can state honestly from day one. |
| What you have done | Only real work: alt text added, colours checked, checkout tested with a keyboard. | Shows the goal is backed by action. |
| Known problems | Name each gap and what to do instead, with a date if you have one. | Saves a shopper from finding out halfway through checkout. |
| Other ways to order | Phone or email ordering, and information in other formats on request. | Turns a blocked shopper into an order. Covers the Ontario notice. |
| Contact and reply time | An email address that a person reads, and how fast you reply. | Feedback has to reach someone. |
| Review date | Last reviewed: month, day, year. | Shows the page is kept up to date. |
Leave out what you cannot back up
An example statement for a small store
Here is the kind of statement we would publish for a small store. The store, email and phone number are made up. Notice that it names real problems and gives a way around each one. That is what makes it believable.
<h2>Our commitment</h2>
<p>We want everyone to be able to shop at Northwind Supply,
including people who use a screen reader, a keyboard or zoom.</p>
<h2>The standard we work toward</h2>
<p>We are working toward WCAG 2.2 level AA. We have not met
every part of it yet. The list below says where we are.</p>
<h2>What we have done</h2>
<ul>
<li>Added alt text to our product photos</li>
<li>Checked our colours for contrast</li>
<li>Tested checkout with a keyboard</li>
</ul>
<h2>Known problems</h2>
<ul>
<li>Some older product videos have no captions.
We plan to add them by March 2027.</li>
<li>The size quiz does not work with a keyboard yet.
Email us and we will help you find your size.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Other ways to order</h2>
<p>If something on this site gets in your way, email
[email protected] or call 1-555-0100, Monday to
Friday, 9 to 5 Eastern. We can take your order by phone
or email and send information in another format.</p>
<h2>Feedback</h2>
<p>Tell us about any problem at [email protected].
We reply within 2 business days.</p>
<p>Last reviewed: October 17, 2026.</p>For a real, longer example, read our own accessibility statement for this website. It follows the same pattern.
How to create the statement page in Shopify
A statement is an ordinary Shopify page. You do not need an app or a developer. These steps use the desktop admin. In the Shopify mobile app, the same options are under Sales channels > Online Store > Pages.
Write the text first
Use the free statement generator, or write it yourself with the parts in the table above. Only include what is true for your store today.Add a new page
In your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Pages and click Add page. Give it the title Accessibility statement.Paste the content as HTML
In the Content editor, click the Edit code button and paste the HTML from the generator. This keeps the headings and lists as real headings and lists.Keep it visible
In the Visibility box, leave Visible selected. A hidden page cannot be found by shoppers or search engines.Set a clear address
Click Save. Then, under Search engine listing preview, click the pencil icon and set the URL handle to accessibility or accessibility-statement. Save again.Open the live page and read it
View the page on your store, on a phone and on a computer. Check that every link and email address works and that the headings are in order.
Your theme uses its normal page template, so the statement gets your store's fonts and colours. If you paste plain text instead of HTML, make the section names real headings with the Heading menu in the editor, not just bold text. Screen reader users jump between headings to find what they need.
Publishing your statement in English and French
If your business is in Quebec and sells to shoppers there, your store needs to be in French. Quebec's Charter of the French language (section 52) requires catalogues, brochures and similar commercial documents to be in French. The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) says a website a Quebec business uses to sell in Quebec must be in French too. A business based elsewhere can also be covered if it has a real link with Quebec. Your accessibility statement is part of the site, so give it a French version.
- Go to Settings > Languages, click Add language and choose French. Then open the menu next to French and click Publish.
- Open Shopify's free Translate & Adapt app, choose French and find your accessibility page. Paste the French text into the page content. Shopify treats page content and menu link names as translatable, so also translate the footer label (for example, Accessibilité).
- Check that your theme shows a language selector, then switch to French on the live store and read the page there.
Read the French version with a fluent speaker before you publish it. An automatic translation of “working toward” can turn into “meets”, which changes what you are promising. The statement generator has a fixed French template written in Canadian French, so only the parts you type need checking. More on Quebec in Canadian accessibility laws.
Extra steps for stores that sell into the EU
The European Accessibility Act (Directive (EU) 2019/882) asks covered service providers to explain how their service meets its accessibility rules. Annex V says this information goes in the general terms and conditions “or equivalent document”, and Article 13 says it must be public in written and oral format. Microenterprises (fewer than 10 staff and no more than €2 million in turnover or balance sheet) providing services are exempt.
If your store is covered, three small changes help:
- Describe which parts of the store you checked and which standard you used, such as WCAG 2.1 AA, which the EU standard EN 301 549 refers to.
- Add a short paragraph to your terms of service under Settings > Policies that links to the statement page.
- Check the national law of each EU country you sell into. Some ask for more detail than the directive.
For the rest of the EAA work on a Shopify store, see how to prepare your Shopify store for the European Accessibility Act.
Common accessibility statement mistakes
Keeping the statement current
A statement goes out of date the day you install a new app or switch themes. Put a reminder in your calendar to read it at least once a year. Update it sooner when:
- you fix a problem listed under known problems (move it to what you have done)
- you change or update your theme, or add an app that shows on the storefront
- a shopper reports a problem you did not know about
- your phone number, email or reply time changes
To find new problems, run the free accessibility checker on your home page, a collection, a product page and the cart. Then check the items it cannot test, using the steps in our Shopify ADA compliance guide.
How Inclusely will help
Questions about Shopify accessibility statements
What is an accessibility statement?
A public page that says how your store works for people with disabilities. It names the standard you aim for, what you have done, the problems you know about, other ways to shop and how to reach you. The W3C, which writes WCAG, lists a commitment, the standard applied and contact details as the minimum.
Does my Shopify store need an accessibility statement?
Most small stores are not required to publish one. The ADA does not mention them. In Ontario, every business must tell the public that accessible formats are available on request, and a statement is an easy place to do that. Stores covered by the European Accessibility Act must publish information on how their service meets its accessibility rules. This is not legal advice.
How do I add an accessibility statement to Shopify?
Create a page under Online Store > Pages, paste the statement into the editor's code view, and keep the page visible. Then go to Content > Menus, open your footer menu, add a menu item that links to the page, and save the menu.
Where should an accessibility statement be placed?
On its own page, linked from the footer so it is one click away from every page. The W3C also suggests linking it from your help menu, sitemap and about page. Do not publish it only as a PDF.
Does Shopify provide an accessibility statement for my store?
No. Shopify publishes a statement about its own products, such as the admin, checkout and the Dawn theme. It does not cover your theme, your content or your apps. Your store needs its own statement, written by you.
Can I say my store is ADA compliant or WCAG compliant?
Only if you can prove it, and almost no store can. Automated tests find part of the problems, and every new product, app or theme update can add more. Say the standard you work toward and list known problems instead. In April 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its tool could make any website WCAG compliant.
Should my statement be in French?
If your business is in Quebec and sells to shoppers there, yes. Quebec's language office says a website that a Quebec business uses to sell in Quebec must be in French. Stores based elsewhere can be covered too if they have a real link with Quebec. A French statement is good practice for any store with French-speaking customers.
What to do next
This page explains the law in general terms. It is not legal advice. For advice about your business, speak with a lawyer.