AODA & ACA Compliance
Overview
Guides compliance with Canadian accessibility laws: the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) at the provincial level and the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) at the federal level. Covers technical standards, deadlines, reporting, and penalties.
Instructions
When conducting a Canadian accessibility review:
Determine which law applies:
- AODA — any organization with 1+ employees in Ontario
- ACA — federally regulated organizations (banking, telecom, transport, federal government)
- Both may apply simultaneously
Identify the technical standard:
- AODA requires WCAG 2.0 Level AA (with exceptions for 1.2.4 and 1.2.5)
- ACA requires CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 (= EN 301 549 v3.2.1, incorporating WCAG 2.1 AA)
Evaluate digital properties against the applicable standard
Check reporting obligations — both laws require periodic accessibility plans and reports
Provide remediation guidance referencing specific WCAG criteria or EN 301 549 clauses
AODA (Ontario)
Who Must Comply
All organizations with 1+ employees in Ontario: private businesses, non-profits, public sector.
- Small organizations (1–49 employees): fewer reporting requirements
- Large organizations (50+ employees): full compliance and reporting
Five Standards
- Customer Service — accessible customer service policies
- Information and Communications — accessible websites, documents, feedback
- Employment — accessible hiring, accommodation, return-to-work
- Transportation — accessible transit (public transit providers)
- Design of Public Spaces — accessible built environment
Technical Requirements (Digital)
WCAG 2.0 Level AA, excluding:
- 1.2.4 Captions (Live)
- 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded)
Deadlines
| Obligation |
Date |
| Public-facing web content meets WCAG 2.0 AA (50+ employees) |
January 1, 2021 |
| All AODA standards fully met |
January 1, 2025 |
| Next compliance report (designated public sector) |
December 31, 2025 |
| Next compliance report (20+ employees) |
December 31, 2026 |
Penalties
- Individuals: up to $50,000/day
- Corporations: up to $100,000/day
- Typical fines: $500–$15,000 depending on severity
- Directors and officers face personal liability
ACA (Federal)
Who Must Comply
Federally regulated entities: banks, telecom, transportation, broadcasting, federal government, Crown corporations.
Technical Standard
CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 — Canada adopted EN 301 549 v3.2.1 as a national standard in May 2024. This is broader than WCAG alone and covers:
- Web content (WCAG 2.1 AA)
- Non-web documents (PDFs, Office files)
- Mobile applications
- Software and hardware
Deadlines (Phase 1 Regulations)
| Obligation |
Date |
| Federal public sector — new/updated web pages conform to CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 |
December 2027 |
| Large/medium private businesses — new/updated web pages conform |
December 2028 |
| Mobile apps and digital documents — phased rollout |
2028–2029 |
Reporting Requirements
- Accessibility plans — published, updated every 3 years, developed in consultation with persons with disabilities
- Annual progress reports — between plan updates
- Feedback mechanism — public process for receiving accessibility feedback
- Accessibility statement — standard used, conformance level, contact for barriers
Penalties
Administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) classified as "minor" for ICT non-conformance. Focus is on promoting compliance, not punishment.
Comparison: AODA vs ACA
|
AODA |
ACA |
| Scope |
Ontario only |
Federal jurisdiction |
| WCAG version |
2.0 AA |
2.1 AA (via EN 301 549) |
| Beyond web |
No |
Yes (documents, apps, hardware) |
| Enforcement |
Active, fines |
AMPs, compliance-focused |
| Physical spaces |
Yes (Design of Public Spaces) |
No (ICT focus) |
| Reporting |
Periodic compliance reports |
3-year plans + annual reports |
Examples
Example: Ontario Business Website
Input: "We're a 30-person company in Ontario, what do we need?"
Response approach:
- AODA applies — small organization (under 50)
- Audit website against WCAG 2.0 AA (minus 1.2.4 and 1.2.5)
- Note that the January 1, 2025 full-compliance deadline has passed
- Recommend targeting WCAG 2.1 AA for future-proofing
- Check if filing obligations are met
Example: Federal Bank
Input: "Our bank needs to comply with Canadian accessibility law"
Response approach:
- ACA applies — banking is federally regulated
- If Ontario-based, AODA also applies
- Audit against CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 (broader than WCAG alone)
- Check documents, mobile app, and software — not just website
- Verify accessibility plan and feedback mechanism are published
- Note December 2027 deadline for web page conformance
Guidelines
- Always determine AODA vs ACA applicability — many organizations are subject to both
- AODA references WCAG 2.0 but recommend targeting 2.1 AA for ACA alignment
- ACA uses EN 301 549 which is broader than WCAG — covers documents, apps, software
- Note that AODA enforcement has historically focused on reporting failures, not technical compliance
- Ontario's "fully accessible by 2025" goal was aspirational — enforcement continues beyond 2025
References
1---2name: aoda-compliance3description: Use when auditing websites or apps for Canadian accessibility law compliance, checking AODA (Ontario) or Accessible Canada Act (federal) requirements, or advising on CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 obligations.4---56# AODA & ACA Compliance78## Overview910Guides compliance with Canadian accessibility laws: the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) at the provincial level and the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) at the federal level. Covers technical standards, deadlines, reporting, and penalties.1112## Instructions1314When conducting a Canadian accessibility review:15161. **Determine which law applies:**17 - **AODA** — any organization with 1+ employees in Ontario18 - **ACA** — federally regulated organizations (banking, telecom, transport, federal government)19 - Both may apply simultaneously20212. **Identify the technical standard:**22 - AODA requires **WCAG 2.0 Level AA** (with exceptions for 1.2.4 and 1.2.5)23 - ACA requires **CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024** (= EN 301 549 v3.2.1, incorporating WCAG 2.1 AA)24253. **Evaluate digital properties** against the applicable standard26274. **Check reporting obligations** — both laws require periodic accessibility plans and reports28295. **Provide remediation guidance** referencing specific WCAG criteria or EN 301 549 clauses3031## AODA (Ontario)3233### Who Must Comply34All organizations with 1+ employees in Ontario: private businesses, non-profits, public sector.3536- **Small organizations** (1–49 employees): fewer reporting requirements37- **Large organizations** (50+ employees): full compliance and reporting3839### Five Standards401. **Customer Service** — accessible customer service policies412. **Information and Communications** — accessible websites, documents, feedback423. **Employment** — accessible hiring, accommodation, return-to-work434. **Transportation** — accessible transit (public transit providers)445. **Design of Public Spaces** — accessible built environment4546### Technical Requirements (Digital)47WCAG 2.0 Level AA, excluding:48- 1.2.4 Captions (Live)49- 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded)5051### Deadlines5253| Obligation | Date |54|---|---|55| Public-facing web content meets WCAG 2.0 AA (50+ employees) | January 1, 2021 |56| All AODA standards fully met | January 1, 2025 |57| Next compliance report (designated public sector) | December 31, 2025 |58| Next compliance report (20+ employees) | December 31, 2026 |5960### Penalties61- Individuals: up to **$50,000/day**62- Corporations: up to **$100,000/day**63- Typical fines: $500–$15,000 depending on severity64- Directors and officers face personal liability6566## ACA (Federal)6768### Who Must Comply69Federally regulated entities: banks, telecom, transportation, broadcasting, federal government, Crown corporations.7071### Technical Standard72**CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024** — Canada adopted EN 301 549 v3.2.1 as a national standard in May 2024. This is broader than WCAG alone and covers:73- Web content (WCAG 2.1 AA)74- Non-web documents (PDFs, Office files)75- Mobile applications76- Software and hardware7778### Deadlines (Phase 1 Regulations)7980| Obligation | Date |81|---|---|82| Federal public sector — new/updated web pages conform to CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 | December 2027 |83| Large/medium private businesses — new/updated web pages conform | December 2028 |84| Mobile apps and digital documents — phased rollout | 2028–2029 |8586### Reporting Requirements87- **Accessibility plans** — published, updated every 3 years, developed in consultation with persons with disabilities88- **Annual progress reports** — between plan updates89- **Feedback mechanism** — public process for receiving accessibility feedback90- **Accessibility statement** — standard used, conformance level, contact for barriers9192### Penalties93Administrative monetary penalties (AMPs) classified as "minor" for ICT non-conformance. Focus is on promoting compliance, not punishment.9495## Comparison: AODA vs ACA9697| | AODA | ACA |98|---|---|---|99| **Scope** | Ontario only | Federal jurisdiction |100| **WCAG version** | 2.0 AA | 2.1 AA (via EN 301 549) |101| **Beyond web** | No | Yes (documents, apps, hardware) |102| **Enforcement** | Active, fines | AMPs, compliance-focused |103| **Physical spaces** | Yes (Design of Public Spaces) | No (ICT focus) |104| **Reporting** | Periodic compliance reports | 3-year plans + annual reports |105106## Examples107108### Example: Ontario Business Website109110**Input:** "We're a 30-person company in Ontario, what do we need?"111112**Response approach:**1131. AODA applies — small organization (under 50)1142. Audit website against WCAG 2.0 AA (minus 1.2.4 and 1.2.5)1153. Note that the January 1, 2025 full-compliance deadline has passed1164. Recommend targeting WCAG 2.1 AA for future-proofing1175. Check if filing obligations are met118119### Example: Federal Bank120121**Input:** "Our bank needs to comply with Canadian accessibility law"122123**Response approach:**1241. ACA applies — banking is federally regulated1252. If Ontario-based, AODA also applies1263. Audit against CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 (broader than WCAG alone)1274. Check documents, mobile app, and software — not just website1285. Verify accessibility plan and feedback mechanism are published1296. Note December 2027 deadline for web page conformance130131## Guidelines132133- Always determine AODA vs ACA applicability — many organizations are subject to both134- AODA references WCAG 2.0 but recommend targeting 2.1 AA for ACA alignment135- ACA uses EN 301 549 which is broader than WCAG — covers documents, apps, software136- Note that AODA enforcement has historically focused on reporting failures, not technical compliance137- Ontario's "fully accessible by 2025" goal was aspirational — enforcement continues beyond 2025138139## References140141- AODA: https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11142- Accessible Canada Act: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/A-0.6/143- CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024: https://accessible.canada.ca/creating-accessibility-standards/canasc-en-301-5492024-accessibility-requirements-ict-products-and-services144- WCAG 2.0: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/145- WCAG 2.1: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
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