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Create one page that pairs an optional map with written directions, entrance details, and clear temporary-detour information. Visitors should be able to understand how to arrive without using the map, and the published route should match what is actually open at your premises.
Decide what visitors need to know
Before drawing or embedding a map, verify the arrival information in person. Identify the relevant street or arrival point, the entrance visitors should use, and any path or diversion that affects the journey. Do not publish unverified claims about accessible facilities, route conditions, opening dates, or compliance.
Keep two checks separate: whether people can access the information on your website, and whether the physical route at your premises is usable and suitable for them. A map can communicate a route, but it cannot establish that the route meets accessibility standards.
Build the page around written directions
- Use a direct page heading. For example, “Getting here: access and temporary route information.” Link to the page from a place visitors can find, such as your home page.
- Write the route in ordinary text. Name the relevant street or arrival point, identify the entrance to use, and explain the detour in words. Include the same useful information a visitor would otherwise need to infer from map graphics.
- Add a map only as a supplement. A visual or interactive map may help visitors orient themselves, but do not make it the only way to learn the route. GOV.UK’s basic accessibility check specifically advises checking whether a website map has “alternative routes for users who cannot use the map.” GOV.UK accessibility check guidance.
- State temporary conditions clearly. If a detour is active, put a concise status and date near the directions. Give an expected return date for the normal route only if you have verified it.
- Provide a contact method. Give visitors a way to confirm changing access conditions before they travel.
Do not convey the detour solely through color, symbols, or pin placement. The written route should make sense without interpreting the map.
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Make the page easy to find and use
Visitors need to reach the directions as well as understand them. Use ordinary site navigation and a clear link label. W3C guidance on “Multiple Ways” addresses finding pages within a website; it does not prescribe how to design an on-site detour map. For a small site, links from the home page to all pages may provide sufficient orientation. W3C WAI: Understanding Success Criterion 2.4.5.
Keep the written directions near the map, rather than requiring visitors to hunt for a separate explanation. If the route changes, update both the text and the visual map so they do not contradict each other.
Choose a map format you can keep accurate
A static image can be straightforward to replace when a route changes. An interactive map may offer more exploration, but should not be the sole source of directions. Whichever format you choose, check that the written alternative supplies the same useful detour and arrival information, visitors can reach it without interacting with the map, and the details reflect current conditions on site.
There is no need to add a map if it would be difficult to maintain accurately: clear written directions and access details are more useful than a stale visual.
Check the actual route separately
Verify on the premises which entrance and path are open and what visitors will encounter. Physical accessible routes can involve walking surfaces, doorways, ramps, curb ramps, elevators, and platform lifts. The U.S. Access Board’s standards describe these components, but general web guidance cannot determine whether a particular business’s route complies or is suitable. U.S. Access Board: Chapter 4, Accessible Routes.
For businesses open to the public in the United States, the Department of Justice’s March 18, 2022 guidance discusses Title III and how inaccessible web features can limit access to goods and services offered online. That guidance said DOJ had not established detailed website standards for businesses; it points to WCAG and Section 508 as useful technical references. This is U.S. federal context, not a statement of rules in other jurisdictions or legal advice. Check the current requirements that apply where your business operates. U.S. Department of Justice: Guidance on Web Accessibility and the ADA.
Review the page when conditions change
Revisit the page whenever construction, an entrance, or a route changes. Confirm the route on site, revise the written directions and map together, and remove temporary notices when they are no longer accurate. GOV.UK recommends evaluating accessibility, planning fixes, publishing an accessibility statement, and making new features accessible. GOV.UK: Make your website or app accessible and publish an accessibility statement.
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If you need a screenshot of the published directions page for review or documentation, ScreenshotNeo can return an image or PDF with one request. Its API is not a map builder and does not verify physical access; use it only to capture the page.
cURL example, using the directions page URL in place of the example URL:
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for parameters. ScreenshotNeo removes supported cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before capture; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are not billed. An MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for ScreenshotNeo’s free plan.
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