An accessibility statement is a public declaration of your commitment to inclusive design, a transparent overview of your website or service’s accessibility features, and a key component in aligning with major regulations such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and other global frameworks.
In this article, we’ll explore what an accessibility statement is, how it differs from tools like accessibility widgets, and why your website likely needs both. We’ll also walk through the legal requirements across different jurisdictions and offer a breakdown of the EAA’s Annex V.
An accessibility statement is a formal, public document explaining how a website, product, or service complies with accessibility standards. It serves as a communication tool for users with disabilities and as evidence of legal compliance with accessibility laws such as the European Accessibility Act (EAA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Web Accessibility Directive (WAD), and, for the UK, the Accessibility Regulations and the Equality Act.
While accessibility statements are a critical part of compliance in multiple regions, the exact requirements vary depending on the legal framework under which the service operates.
Requires service providers in the EU to issue an accessibility statement that complies with Annex V of the EAA.
Key Requirement: A detailed statement must describe how the service meets accessibility criteria, including a description of accessible features and an explanation of how the service ensures ongoing compliance.
While the ADA mandates accessibility for services, including websites, it does not require a specific, detailed accessibility statement.
The ADA focuses on eliminating barriers to access, but the documentation requirements are less prescriptive compared to the EAA.
Aimed at public sector websites and mobile applications in the EU, this directive mandates the publication of accessibility statements for digital services.
The requirements are closely aligned with those of the EAA.
The Accessibility Regulations primarily apply to public service bodies, while the Equality Act extends to all service providers, ensuring a broad interpretation that includes most entities offering services to the public, whether for payment or not.
Key requirements: In general, services must be made accessible. Specifically, the public sector must provide an Accessibility Statement that includes:
Our widget is designed to help make services more accessible to all users, offering real-time accessibility improvements for website visitors. However, it is important to understand that the accessibility statement and the widget serve different purposes and should both be part of your overall accessibility strategy.
An accessibility statement is a legally required document in certain circumstances, such as when a website is publicly accessible and falls under specific regulations like the Web Accessibility Directive (WAD) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA). This statement communicates your company’s commitment to accessibility and outlines how your website meets or will meet accessibility standards.
It’s important to note that while we refer to this document as an “accessibility statement,” it may be known by different names in various legal contexts. For instance, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) does not explicitly refer to it as an “accessibility statement,” but states that <<The service provider shall include the information assessing how the service meets the accessibility requirements… in the general terms and conditions, or equivalent document>>.
This statement not only ensures compliance with laws but also builds trust by demonstrating your company’s commitment to accessibility.
The iubenda Accessibility Solution, on the other hand, is a technical tool designed to enhance the usability of your website in real time. While the accessibility statement might be required by law, the widget is not, it’s simply a tool that helps make your website more accessible by providing features such as:
In short, the widget is a tool that helps users customize the website to meet their specific needs, improving accessibility on the fly.
While the accessibility statement informs users of your commitment to digital inclusivity and ensures compliance with legal requirements, the widget offers a practical solution for enhancing accessibility in real-time. Both are used to address different needs and requirements, Without a statement, your website may not meet legal requirements, and without a widget, users might not have an optimal experience.
⚠️ Important: While tools like the iubenda Accessibility Widget enhance usability, they do not replace the need for a legally compliant accessibility statement, they serve different purposes. To ensure compliance, it’s essential to consult certified accessibility auditors, such as our partner AccessiWay, for crafting a legally sound statement.
Annex V of the European Accessibility Act outlines specific requirements that service providers must include in their accessibility statements. These requirements help ensure consistency and clarity in how services communicate their accessibility efforts. Here’s a summary of the key points:
Service Description:
Accessibility Features:
Compliance with Relevant Accessibility Requirements:
Monitoring and Compliance:
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) mandates the adoption of accessibility requirements for products and services within the EU. Below is a summary of how different countries have transposed the provisions of Article 13(2) and Annex V of the EAA into national law.
Law: Barrierefreiheitsgesetz (BaFG), BGBl. I Nr. 76/2023
Responsible Authority:
Sozialministeriumservice (Market Surveillance) — Visit the Website
Bundesministerium für Soziales, Gesundheit, Pflege und Konsumentenschutz (BMSGPK) — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Loi du 5 novembre 2023 modifiant divers livres du Code de droit économique et la loi du 2 août 2002 / Wet van 5 november 2023 tot wijziging van diverse boeken van het Wetboek van economisch recht en van de wet van 2 augustus 2002
Responsible Authority:
Service Public Fédéral Economie, P.M.E., Classes moyennes et Energie (SPF Economie) — Visit the Website
Federale Overheidsdienst (FOD) Economie, K.M.O., Middenstand en Energie (Directorate-General Economic Inspection) — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Law on Accessibility Requirements for Products and Services (Decree No. 58 of 07.04.2025)
Responsible Authority:
Communications Regulation Commission
The Council for Electronic Media
Directorate General “Civil Aviation Administration”
Executive Agency “Automobile Administration”
Executive Agency “Railway Administration”
Executive Agency “Maritime Administration”
The Financial Supervision Commission and the Deputy Chairman of the Financial Supervision Commission
The Bulgarian National Bank
The Ministry of Culture
The Consumer Protection Commission
Key Points:
At the 89th session of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, held on Tuesday, 6 May 2025, the Draft Proposal for a Law on Accessibility Requirements for Products and Services was adopted, which fully transposes Directive (EU) 2019/882 into national legislation. Its official publication is pending.
Law: The Accessibility of Products and Services Law of 2024 (L. 57(I)/2024)
Responsible Authority:
Deputy Minister of Social Welfare — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Zákon č. 424/2023 Sb., o požadavcích na přístupnost některých výrobků a služeb
Responsible Authorities:
Česká obchodní inspekce (ČOI) – Responsible for products and most services. — Visit the Website
Český telekomunikační úřad (ČTÚ) – Responsible for telecommunications. — Visit the Website
Rada pro rozhlasové a televizní vysílání (RRTV) – Responsible for media access. — Visit the Website
Ministerstvo dopravy (Ministry of Transport) and other regional and transport authorities — Visit the Website
Various local authorities, including Prague City Hall and municipalities with extended powers.
Key Points:
Law: Lov nr. 801 af 07/06/2022 om tilgængelighedskrav for produkter og tjenester
Responsible Authorities:
Sikkerhedsstyrelsen (Danish Safety Technology Authority) — Visit the Website
Finanstilsynet (Financial Supervisory Authority) — Visit the Website
Søfartsstyrelsen (Danish Maritime Authority) — Visit the Website
Trafikstyrelsen (Danish Transport Authority) — Visit the Website
Energistyrelsen (Danish Energy Agency) — Visit the Website
Justitsministeriet (Ministry of Justice) — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Pääsuteenuste seadus (Accessibility of Products and Services Act) – RT I, 15.06.2022, 8
Responsible Authority:
Tarbijakaitse ja Tehnilise Järelevalve Amet (TTJA – Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority) — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law:
Laki digitaalisten palvelujen tarjoamisesta (Act on the Provision of Digital Services) 306/2019, as amended by Laki 104/2023
Link to Law 306/2019 (Consolidated)
Valtioneuvoston asetus (Government Decree)
Decree 179/2023 (digital services) — Link to Decree 179/2023
Decree 181/2023 (products)
Responsible Authorities:
Valvira (National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health) — Visit the Website
Tukes (Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency) — Visit the Website
Traficom (Finnish Transport and Communications Agency) — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law:
Code de la consommation, Article L412-13 (as inserted by Loi n° 2023-171 du 9 mars 2023, Art 16) — Link to Code Art L412-13
Décret n° 2023-931 du 9 octobre 2023 — Link to Décret n° 2023-931
Responsible Authorities:
ARCOM (Autorité de régulation de la communication audiovisuelle et numérique) – Responsible for AVMS access, e-books, and software. — Visit the Website
DGCCRF (Direction générale de la Concurrence, de la Consommation et de la Répression des fraudes) – Responsible for other products and services. — Visit the Website
ARCEP (Autorité de Régulation des Communications Électroniques, des Postes et de la Distribution de la Presse) – Responsible for Electronic communications services. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law:
Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG) — Link to BFSG
Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz-Verordnung (BFSGV) — Link to BFSGV
Responsible Authorities:
Marktüberwachungsstelle der Länder für die Barrierefreiheit von Produkten und Dienstleistungen (MLBF) – Central authority for most products and services. (Website pending)
Landesmedienanstalten (State Media Authorities) – Responsible for AVMS access services. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Law 4994/2022 (ΦΕΚ A 215/18.11.2022) — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Ministry of Development and Investments (General Directorate of Market Surveillance) – Responsible for products. — Visit the Website
Ministry of Digital Governance (National Coordination Authority for Accessibility) – Responsible for services. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: 2022. évi LXI. törvény a termékekre és szolgáltatásokra vonatkozó akadálymentességi követelményekről és a termékek piacfelügyeletéről szóló 2012. évi LXXXVIII. törvény módosításáról (Act LXI of 2022) — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Szabályozott Tevékenységek Felügyeleti Hatósága (SZTFH) – General market surveillance. — Visit the Website
Nemzeti Média- és Hírközlési Hatóság (NMHH) – Telecoms and media. — Visit the Website
Fogyasztóvédelmi Hatóság (Consumer Protection Authority) – Consumer protection. — Visit the Website
Magyar Nemzeti Bank (MNB) – Financial services. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: S.I. No. 636/2023 – European Union (Accessibility Requirements of Products and Services) Regulations 2023 — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) – Products. — Visit the Website
Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg) – Telecoms, AVMS access, e-books/software, e-commerce. — Visit the Website
Coimisiún na Meán – Successor to BAI, AVMS content. — Visit the Website
National Transport Authority (NTA) – Transport services. — Visit the Website
Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) – Banking. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Laws:
Decreto Legislativo 27 maggio 2022, n. 82 — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Agenzia per l’Italia Digitale (AgID) — Visit the Website
Autorità per le Garanzie nelle Comunicazioni (AGCOM) — Visit the Website
Ministero delle Imprese e del Made in Italy (MIMIT) — Visit the Website
Agenzia delle Dogane e dei Monopoli — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law:
Preču un pakalpojumu piekļūstamības likums — Link to Law
Ministru kabineta noteikumi Nr. 128 (27.02.2024) — Link to Regulation
Responsible Authorities:
Patērētāju tiesību aizsardzības centrs (PTAC) – Financial services, e-books, e-commerce, transport. — Visit the Website
Sabiedrisko pakalpojumu regulēšanas komisija (SPRK) – Telecoms. — Visit the Website
Nacionālā elektronisko plašsaziņas līdzekļu padome (NEPLP) – Media access. — Visit the Website
Valsts dzelzceļa administrācija (VDA) – Rail transport. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law:
Loi du 8 mars 2023 relative aux exigences en matière d’accessibilité applicables aux produits et services (amended by Loi du 29 août 2023)
Link to Original Law
Link to Amendment
Responsible Authority:
Institut Luxembourgeois de la Normalisation, de l’Accréditation, de la Sécurité et qualité des produits et services (ILNAS) – Surveillance and enforcement authority. — Visit the Website
Office for Monitoring the Accessibility of Products and Services (OSAPS) — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Subsidiary legislation 627.03 – Accessibility Measures (European Accessibility Act) Regulations — Link to Law
Responsible Authority:
Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) – Likely enforcement authority. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Implementatiewet toegankelijkheidsvoorschriften producten en diensten (Amending various laws, published in Staatsblad 2024, 87) — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM) – Telecoms and e-commerce. — Visit the Website
Rijksinspectie Digitale Infrastructuur (RDI) – Products and equipment. — Visit the Website
Commissariaat voor de Media (CvdM) – AVMS access. — Visit the Website
Autoriteit Financiële Markten (AFM) – Financial services. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Ustawa z dnia 26 kwietnia 2024 r. o zapewnianiu spełniania wymagań dostępności niektórych produktów i usług przez podmioty gospodarcze (Dz.U. 2024 poz. 781) — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Urząd Komunikacji Elektronowej (UKE) – Telecoms, AVMS access, e-books/software. — Visit the Website
Urząd Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów (UOKiK) – Consumer banking and e-commerce. — Visit the Website
Ministerstwo Infrastruktury – Transport. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Decreto-Lei n.º 82/2022, de 6 de dezembro — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Autoridade Nacional de Comunicações (ANACOM) – Telecoms, AVMS access, e-commerce, e-books. — Visit the Website
Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT) – Transport. — Visit the Website
Banco de Portugal (BdP) – Banking. — Visit the Website
Autoridade de Supervisão de Seguros e Fundos de Pensões (ASF) – Insurance. — Visit the Website
Comissão do Mercado de Valores Mobiliários (CMVM) – Securities. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Zákon č. 351/2022 Z. z. o prístupnosti výrobkov a služieb pre osoby so zdravotným postihnutím — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Slovenská obchodná inšpekcia (SOI) – General market surveillance. — Visit the Website
Úrad pre reguláciu elektronických komunikácií a poštových služieb (RÚ) – Electronic communications and postal services. — Visit the Website
Rada pre mediálne služby – Media Services. — Visit the Website
Dopravný úrad – Transport Authority. — Visit the Website
Národná banka Slovenska (National Bank of Slovakia) – Financial services. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Zakon o dostopnosti do proizvodov in storitev za invalide (ZDPSI) — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Tržni inšpektorat Republike Slovenije (TIRS) – Market Inspectorate, responsible for products and most services. — Visit the Website
Agencija za komunikacijska omrežja in storitve Republike Slovenije (AKOS) – Telecoms and AVMS access. — Visit the Website
Banka Slovenije – Bank of Slovenia, consumer banking supervision. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Ley 11/2023, de 8 de mayo (transposes multiple directives including the EAA) — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authority:
Ministerio de Derechos Sociales, Consumo y Agenda 2030 — Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and the 2030 Agenda. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
Law: Lag (2023:254) om vissa produkters och tjänsters tillgänglighet — Link to Official Text
Responsible Authorities:
Post- och telestyrelsen (PTS) – Telecoms, AVMS access, e-books/software, e-commerce. — Visit the Website
Konsumentverket (Consumer Agency) – Consumer banking, some products. — Visit the Website
Transportstyrelsen (Transport Agency) – Transport. — Visit the Website
Finansinspektionen (FSA) – Financial aspects. — Visit the Website
Key Points:
The accessibility statement serves as an overview of the importance of accessibility for digital services. Ensuring that these services are accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities, is crucial. By following the EAA guidelines and clearly communicating compliance, businesses and public entities alike can demonstrate their commitment to accessibility while adhering to legal requirements. As we move forward, we anticipate new patterns and standards emerging, particularly in response to the evolving EAA framework, which will continue to shape accessibility practices and regulations in the future.