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Updating Your Accessibility Statement

Keep your accessibility statement current and accurate with regular updates. This guide explains when and how to update your statement, and how to man

Written by Frank

Updating Your Accessibility Statement

Overview

Keep your accessibility statement current and accurate with regular updates. This guide explains when and how to update your statement, and how to manage the caching process to ensure changes appear correctly.

Who This Is For

  • Paid AllAccessible users maintaining statements

  • Compliance officers managing documentation

  • Website owners keeping statements current

What You'll Learn

  • When to update your statement

  • How to make updates efficiently

  • Understanding cache propagation

  • Best practices for maintenance

When to Update Your Statement

Mandatory Updates

Update immediately when:

1. Major Site Changes

  • Complete website redesign

  • New features added

  • Content management system change

  • Migration to new platform

2. Compliance Level Changes

  • Completed major remediation

  • Achieved higher WCAG conformance

  • Third-party audit results change status

3. Contact Information Changes

  • Support email changes

  • Accessibility coordinator changes

  • Phone numbers or addresses update

4. Known Issues Resolved

  • Fixed accessibility barriers

  • Completed remediation timeline

  • Issues no longer applicable

Recommended Updates

Update every 6 months for:

1. General Review

  • Verify all information is still accurate

  • Update conformance status

  • Refresh "last updated" date

  • Review known limitations list

2. Feature Updates

  • New widget features enabled

  • Additional accessibility tools added

  • Subscription plan changes

3. Testing Results

  • New audit results available

  • User feedback addressed

  • Monitoring shows improvements

Minimum Updates

At minimum, review annually:

Annual Review Checklist:

  • Contact information accurate?

  • Conformance level still correct?

  • Known issues list up to date?

  • Testing methodology unchanged?

  • Organization commitment still applies?

  • All links work?

Time Required: 15-30 minutes

How to Make Updates

Quick Updates (Minor Changes)

For small changes like contact info or dates:

  1. Go to Sites → [Your Site] → Accessibility Statement

  2. Click Edit Statement

  3. Make your changes in the editor

  4. Click Preview to verify

  5. Click Save Statement

Time: 2-5 minutes

📷 Quick edit workflow

Comprehensive Updates (Major Revisions)

For significant content changes:

Step 1: Prepare Your Updates

Before editing in the dashboard:

  1. Document what needs changing:

    • List updated features

    • Note resolved issues

    • Collect new known limitations

    • Update contact information

  2. Draft new content:

    • Write in a text editor first

    • Review for accuracy

    • Get stakeholder approval if needed

  3. Gather supporting data:

    • Recent audit results

    • User feedback summary

    • Remediation completion dates

Time: 30-60 minutes (depending on complexity)

Step 2: Make Edits in Dashboard

  1. Open accessibility statement editor

  2. Copy and save current version (backup)

  3. Make all edits systematically:

    • Start at top, work down

    • Update each section

    • Verify facts and dates

  4. Preview thoroughly

  5. Save when complete

Time: 15-30 minutes

Step 3: Verify Propagation

  1. Note the time you saved

  2. Wait 60 minutes for server cache

  3. Test on your live website

  4. Clear browser cache if needed

  5. Verify on mobile and desktop

Time: 5 minutes (plus 60-minute wait)

Understanding Update Propagation

The Caching System

AllAccessible uses multi-level caching for optimal performance:

Level 1: Database

  • Your edits save here instantly

  • Master source of truth

  • Always current

Level 2: Server Cache (1 hour)

  • Cached for fast API responses

  • Updates every 60 minutes

  • CDN distribution

Level 3: Browser Cache (24 hours)

  • Cached in visitor's local storage

  • Reduces API calls

  • Improves loading speed

Propagation Timeline

0 minutes:    You click "Save" → Database updated ✅
1-5 minutes:  Changes visible in dashboard ✅
5-60 minutes: Server cache updating ⏳
60 minutes:   All servers have new version ✅
24 hours:     All repeat visitors see update ✅

Critical: Plan updates accordingly for time-sensitive changes!

Cache Management

Normal Updates (Not Urgent)

Recommended Approach:

  1. Make edits during business hours

  2. Save changes

  3. Verify next business day

  4. No special action needed

Cache naturally expires within 24 hours

Urgent Updates (Time-Sensitive)

For critical corrections:

  1. Make the update in dashboard

  2. Email support immediately:

    • To: [email protected]

    • Subject: "Urgent: Cache Purge Request"

    • Include: Account ID, reason for urgency

  3. Support can manually purge cache

    • Forces immediate server update

    • Changes appear within 5-10 minutes

    • Only for genuinely urgent situations

Example Urgent Scenarios:

  • Incorrect contact information

  • Legal compliance deadline

  • Settlement agreement requirement

  • Critical factual error

Forcing Browser Cache Clear

For Your Testing:

  • Hard refresh: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)

  • Incognito mode: Always loads fresh version

  • Clear browser data: Settings → Privacy → Clear browsing data

For Visitors:

  • They see updates within 24 hours automatically

  • No action required from them

Batch Updates Strategy

If You Make Multiple Changes

Don't: Save after every tiny edit
​Do: Make all changes, then save once

Why:

  • Each save triggers cache updates

  • Multiple saves create confusion

  • Batch updates are more efficient

Best Practice:

  1. Write all updates in a text doc first

  2. Make all edits in one session

  3. Preview thoroughly

  4. Save once when complete

Tracking Statement Changes

Manual Change Log (Recommended)

Keep a simple log of major changes:

Format:

Accessibility Statement Change Log2025-10-01: Initial statement created
2026-01-15: Added known PDF tagging issues
2026-04-20: Updated contact email to [email protected]
2026-07-10: Removed resolved issues, added new conformance level

Benefits:

  • Track your improvements

  • Evidence of ongoing commitment

  • Useful for audits and legal review

Where to Store:

  • Internal wiki or docs

  • Shared team folder

  • Compliance management system

Version Control (Advanced)

For organizations requiring formal tracking:

  1. Export statement HTML after each major update

  2. Save with date: accessibility-statement-2025-10-01.html

  3. Store in secure location

  4. Maintain version history

When This Matters:

  • Government contractors

  • Highly regulated industries

  • Organizations under consent decree

  • Settlement agreement compliance

Common Update Scenarios

Scenario 1: After Completing Accessibility Audit

What to Update:

Before:
"Current Status: Partial WCAG 2.2 AA Conformance (estimated 70%)"After:
"Current Status: WCAG 2.2 AA Conformance (verified 94% - October 2025 audit)Most recent audit: October 15, 2025
Audit firm: [Third-Party Auditor Name]
Full report available: [link]"

Scenario 2: After Fixing Known Issues

What to Update:

Remove from "Known Limitations":
✅ PDF tagging project completed (March 2026)
✅ All product images now have descriptive alt textAdd to statement:
"As of March 2026, all PDF documents have been properly tagged for
screen reader accessibility. All product images include descriptive
alternative text."

Scenario 3: After Adding New Features

What to Update:

Add to "Accessibility Features":
• Text-to-speech: All content can be read aloud
• Reading mask: Focus tool for users with ADHD/dyslexia
• Virtual keyboard: On-screen keyboard for motor disabilities

Scenario 4: Changing Subscription Tier

When Downgrading:

Update feature list to match new tier limitations
Remove mentions of features no longer available
Update conformance level if affected

When Upgrading:

Add new features now available
Update monitoring frequency
Add enhanced support information

Avoiding Common Mistakes

❌ Forgetting to Update After Changes

Problem: Statement says "Last Updated 2023" but it's now 2026

Impact:

  • Looks like you don't maintain accessibility

  • Reduces trust

  • May indicate stale practices

Solution: Set calendar reminders for quarterly reviews

❌ Overcorrecting Old Issues

Problem: Removing all "known issues" after fixing some

Impact:

  • Claims perfection (unlikely to be true)

  • New issues may exist

  • False claims create liability

Solution: Always review your latest audit results before claiming full compliance (audits run automatically in the background)

❌ Not Verifying Propagation

Problem: Saving and assuming changes appear immediately

Impact:

  • Think you're done, but visitors see old version

  • Miss errors that need fixing

  • Confusion about what's actually live

Solution: Always verify 1 hour later on actual website

Quick Reference: Update Workflow

1. PREPARE
   ├─ Gather new information
   ├─ Draft updates
   └─ Get approvals if needed2. EDIT
   ├─ Open statement in dashboard
   ├─ Make all changes
   ├─ Preview multiple times
   └─ Save statement3. WAIT (60 minutes)
   └─ Cache propagation4. VERIFY
   ├─ Check live widget
   ├─ Test on mobile
   ├─ Verify all changes
   └─ Document completion5. MAINTAIN
   └─ Set next review date

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How often should I update my statement?
A: Minimum annually, ideally every 6 months, and immediately after major changes.

Q: What if I forget to update?
A: Update as soon as you remember. Better late than never!

Q: Can I schedule automatic updates?
A: The date auto-updates, but content requires manual review.

Q: Do small typo fixes require waiting for cache?
A: Yes, all edits go through the same caching process.

Q: Can I see who last edited the statement?
A: Not currently. Consider maintaining an internal change log.

Q: What happens to the old statement when I update?
A: It's overwritten. Save a copy if you need version history.

Need Help?

Questions about updating your statement?

Related Articles

Last Updated: October 2025
​Update Frequency: Quarterly recommended, annually minimum
​Cache Time: Up to 1 hour for changes to propagate

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