Accessibility statement: how to mention your audio version
The audio version of your content belongs in an accessibility statement. Where to cite it, what to write, and what you must never overpromise.
Many publishers add an audio version to their articles to improve access to information, then forget to mention it in the one place where it matters most: the accessibility statement. That is a shame, because this document exists precisely to list the provisions made available to people with disabilities. Written well, mentioning your audio reassures your readers and your compliance auditors. Written badly, it exposes you to fair criticism: overpromising accessibility is a more visible fault than announcing nothing at all. Here is how to place your audio version in that framework without getting it wrong.
What an accessibility statement is (and is not)
Under standards like WCAG and their national transpositions (the EN 301 549 standard in Europe, Section 508 in the United States), organisations are expected to publish an accessibility statement: a document that states the site's conformance level, lists non-accessible content, and describes contact and remedy channels. It is not a marketing page; it is a formal commitment that can be verified.
The audio version of your articles does not count toward your conformance score, which measures respect for precise technical criteria (structure, contrast, text alternatives, keyboard navigation). This has to be said plainly: offering an audio player does not make a site conformant. Audio is, however, a useful complementary provision, and the statement includes a section to describe exactly this kind of arrangement. That is where it belongs.
Where exactly to cite it
A typical accessibility statement has several headings. The audio version fits naturally in the section devoted to measures taken in favour of accessibility, sometimes titled "assistive arrangements" or "additional provisions". You can also mention it in the description of the user experience if your statement template includes one.
Avoid slipping it into the part that announces the conformance level: that would suggest audio contributes to the score, which is false and turns against you during an audit.
What to write, concretely
The right tone is factual and measured. Describe what the player actually allows, without adjectives. An example of an honest wording:
"Articles on this site offer an automatically generated audio version. A player lets you listen to the text, pause, and follow along thanks to word-by-word synchronised highlighting. This provision complements assistive technologies (screen readers) and does not replace them."
That last sentence is essential. An audio player and a screen reader do not provide the same service: audio reads the body of the article aloud for everyone, while a screen reader conveys the entire interface for blind users. Acknowledging that difference in your statement proves you understand the topic, and protects you from any accusation of deliberate confusion.
Three things not to overpromise
Stay precise about scope. If only your recent articles are narrated, say so: do not let readers assume the entire site is available in audio.
Do not promise a quality you cannot control. A synthetic voice may mispronounce a rare proper noun; that is manageable, but do not promise flawless narration. Our guide on pronouncing proper nouns explains how to correct these cases.
Do not present audio as an answer to a legal obligation it does not cover. Narration is part of an accessibility effort, but conformance rests first on the technical structure of your pages.
A provision to document, not to oversell
Mentioning your audio version in the accessibility statement is good practice: it makes the provision visible to those who need it and shows a sincere approach. The rule fits in one sentence: describe what the audio does, state what it does not replace, and keep the conformance score for what genuinely falls under the technical criteria. To understand where audio sits within the broader regulatory picture, our article on accessibility obligations for news websites covers the ground. And if you want to see for yourself what read-along looks like on your content, try it on one article.
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