If you’re building a Shopify accessibility program, keep these three documents separate. The statement talks to customers, the policy guides your team, and the remediation log proves the work happened.

The short version

  • Accessibility statement = public promise and contact path
  • Accessibility policy = internal operating rules
  • Remediation log = evidence of what you found and fixed

If you mix them together, the result gets blurry fast. The statement becomes too technical, the policy becomes marketing copy, and the remediation log becomes a junk drawer.

Accessibility statement

This is the page a customer can read.

It should say:

  • what standard you are working toward
  • what parts of the store are covered
  • how customers can report a problem
  • when the page was last updated

A statement should be plain and helpful. It should not read like a legal memo.

Accessibility policy

This is the internal rulebook.

It answers questions like:

  • who owns fixes
  • when you re-scan
  • what happens when an app changes the storefront
  • how exceptions are approved
  • where evidence lives

A policy helps the team do the same thing every time. That matters more than sounding impressive.

Remediation log

This is the proof trail.

A remediation log usually includes:

  • the page or template affected
  • the issue found
  • the WCAG criterion involved
  • who fixed it
  • when it was fixed
  • what evidence shows the issue is gone

This is the document you want when someone asks, “What did you actually do?”

What each one should not do

  • The statement should not hold your whole process
  • The policy should not become customer-facing marketing
  • The remediation log should not be hidden in a random spreadsheet with no owner

Example setup for a Shopify store

A clean setup looks like this:

  • Footer link to the accessibility statement
  • Internal policy in your team docs
  • Remediation log in your project tracker or audit folder
  • Monthly scan export attached to each log entry

That gives you something you can maintain without turning it into paperwork theater.

Common mistakes

  • Publishing only a statement and calling it done
  • Writing a policy nobody can find or use
  • Logging issues but never closing the loop
  • Putting the same paragraph in all three documents

Quick FAQs

The accessibility statement usually lives in the footer because customers need a simple way to find it.

Which one should stay internal?

The accessibility policy should usually stay internal. It is the operating rulebook for your team.

What belongs in a remediation log?

Each entry should capture the issue, the page or template, the WCAG criterion, the owner, the fix, the date, and the evidence that the issue is gone.

Bottom line

If you want the simplest rule, use this: the statement talks to customers, the policy guides your team, and the remediation log proves the work happened.

If you want the implementation sequence behind those documents, start with the audit, write the policy, then keep the remediation log current after each fix.