AODA and Canadian Website Accessibility Requirements

Canada has a multi-layered framework of accessibility legislation at both the federal and provincial levels. This guide covers the key Canadian accessibility laws that include requirements for website and digital accessibility.

Federal: Accessible Canada Act (ACA)

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) was adopted in 2019 as federal legislation aimed at achieving a barrier-free Canada by 2040. The Act applies to federally regulated organizations, including:

  • Federal government departments and agencies
  • Crown corporations
  • Federally regulated private-sector organizations (banking, telecommunications, transportation, broadcasting)
  • The Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    • Technical Standards

    The ACA does not prescribe a single technical standard, but the federal government has adopted CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 as a National Standard of Canada. For web content, conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA is treated as equivalent to meeting the web clauses of EN 301 549.

    Proposed Amendments (December 2024)

    On December 21, 2024, the Accessible Canada Directorate announced a consultation on proposed amendments to the Accessible Canada Regulations. The proposed changes would require federally regulated private-sector organizations to meet web, mobile, and digital accessibility requirements:

    How WCAG Pulse Helps with Canadian Accessibility Compliance

    WCAG Pulse supports compliance with Canadian accessibility requirements:

  • Scan against WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 — Test your website against the standard required by your jurisdiction.
  • AODA compliance — Verify conformance with WCAG 2.0 Level AA as required by Ontario's AODA.
  • ACA readiness — Prepare for upcoming federal requirements by testing against WCAG 2.1 Level AA and EN 301 549 web clauses.
  • Manitoba compliance — Verify conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA as required by the AMA.
  • Continuous monitoring — Schedule regular scans to maintain compliance as your website content changes.
  • Compliance reporting — Generate reports to document your accessibility conformance for regulatory filings.

    • Automated testing detects approximately 30-40% of WCAG success criteria violations. For full compliance with Canadian accessibility laws, combine automated scanning with manual expert audits and assistive technology testing.

    Related Resources

  • ADA Website Accessibility Compliance Guide
  • Section 508 Compliance Guide
  • EN 301 549 European Standard
  • European Accessibility Act (EAA)
  • Accessibility by Industry

AODA and Canadian Website Accessibility Requirements - WCAG Pulse