Website Accessibility Laws in Canada: A Guide to the Key Requirements

Website Accessibility Laws in Canada: who they apply to

Website Accessibility Laws in Canada set legal expectations for public bodies and many private organisations to make digital services usable by people with disabilities. Which law applies depends on whether an organisation is federally regulated, a provincial public body, or covered by a provincial accessibility law or human rights code.

Primary legal frameworks you need to know

Accessible Canada Act (federal)

The Accessible Canada Act (federal) creates obligations for federal departments, Crown corporations and federally regulated private-sector entities. The Act sets a national goal of a barrier-free Canada and requires organisations under federal jurisdiction to identify, remove and prevent accessibility barriers in areas that include information and communication technologies.

Provincial and territorial laws

Some provinces and territories have their own accessibility laws and standards. The most commonly cited provincial law is the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), which includes an Information and Communications Standard that applies to many Ontario organisations and refers to web-content requirements. Other provinces may rely on accessibility legislation, policy standards or human rights codes to address digital access.

Human rights laws

Federal and provincial human rights legislation prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. In practice, people often use human rights complaints to challenge inaccessible websites and digital services when other statutory routes are not available.

What technical standards do Canadian laws reference?

Most Canadian accessibility rules point to the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the technical benchmark. WCAG defines success criteria for web and digital content. Laws and policies commonly require conformance at Level AA, though the exact version (WCAG 2.0, 2.1 or later) can vary by regulation. Always confirm the version named in the law or standard that applies to you.

Who must comply: a simple decision framework

Use this quick framework to determine which rules might apply to your organisation.

• If you are a federal department, Crown corporation or a federally regulated business (airlines, banks, interprovincial transport, telecom, some broadcasters) follow the Accessible Canada Act obligations.
• If you operate in a province that has an accessibility law, check that law for web standards and which organisations are covered. Ontario’s AODA is a clear example.
• If no specific accessibility law covers you, human rights legislation still requires non-discrimination. That can mean legal risk for inaccessible digital services.

Key legal requirements typically found in Canadian accessibility laws

The precise obligations will differ by statute. These elements are common across federal and provincial rules and are where organisations face legal and reputational risk if they are missing.

• Accessibility policy: A published policy that explains how an organisation will remove and prevent barriers.
• Accessibility plan: Documented goals, timelines, and responsible parties for remediation and improvement.
• Technical conformance: Web content and applications meeting a stated WCAG level identified in the applicable law or standard.
• Feedback and complaint processes: A way for users to report accessibility issues and to receive a response.
• Training: Staff training on accessibility best practice and procurement rules.
• Procurement: Purchasing rules that require vendors to meet accessibility requirements.
• Reporting and record-keeping: Regular public reports, or internal records that show progress and compliance steps, where required by law.

Step-by-step compliance checklist (practical path to meet obligations)

This checklist is modelled on common legal requirements. Use it to turn an abstract obligation into concrete tasks.

1. Determine applicability: Confirm whether federal, provincial, or human-rights rules apply to your organisation.
2. Inventory digital assets: List websites, web apps, mobile apps, documents and third-party services like PDF repositories and portals.
3. Audit for WCAG baseline: Run a mixed audit: automated tools, manual keyboard and screen-reader tests, and real-user testing with people with disabilities.
4. Prioritise fixes: Rank defects by impact and frequency. Start with critical navigation, forms and documents needed for public services.
5. Create an accessibility plan: Publish goals, timelines, budget and who is responsible. Make the plan available to users and regulators if required.
6. Fix and document: Track remediation work with dates, tickets and validation notes. Keep evidence of testing and release notes for audits.
7. Publish an accessibility statement: State the site’s accessibility level, known issues, and how users can request accessible formats or report barriers.
8. Train staff and update procurement: Train content authors, developers and procurement officers on accessibility requirements and include clauses in vendor contracts.
9. Maintain and monitor: Schedule periodic audits and real-user checks. Automate monitoring where possible and update the accessibility plan annually.

Common mistakes that cause legal exposure

Many accessibility problems are easy to fix but persist because teams miss them during development.

• Unlabelled form fields and controls that prevent screen-reader users from completing forms.
• Inaccessible PDFs and documents that are provided as the only way to get information.
• Relying on colour alone to convey meaning or instructions.
• Interactive controls that are not keyboard operable.
• Lack of an accessible feedback or complaint process.
• Assuming automated testing is enough. Automated tools find up to 30% of issues but miss many real accessibility barriers.

Responding to complaints or enforcement

If a user files a complaint or a regulator contacts you, take these steps.

• Record the complaint and acknowledge receipt quickly.
• Run a focused audit of the complained pages or features.
• Provide interim accommodations while you fix the issue, for example offering alternative formats or phone support.
• Document remediation steps and timelines, and share them with the complainant and regulator as required.
• Seek legal advice if you face formal enforcement, a notice of non-compliance or complex regulatory requirements.

Ongoing obligations and best practice

Accessibility is not a one-off project. Laws expect continuous attention. Adopt normalised workflows so that every new page, widget or procurement includes accessibility checks.

• Include accessibility in design sprints and definition of done.
• Use component libraries that are built for accessibility.
• Require vendors to demonstrate accessibility testing and provide remediation commitments.
• Measure outcomes, not only technical conformance. Track user-reported issues and resolution times.

Where to go next

Start by confirming which law applies to your organisation. Then run a baseline audit and publish a simple accessibility policy and statement. If you have a legal or regulatory question, get specialist legal advice or contact the appropriate regulator. Making incremental, documented progress reduces legal risk and improves service for all users.