AODA-Compliant Websites For Ontario Businesses
Real WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility, built into the foundation of your website — not bolted on with an overlay. For Ontario organizations that need to meet AODA requirements and deliver an experience that works for everyone.
What Is AODA Compliance?
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires Ontario organizations with 50 or more employees, and all public sector organizations, to make their websites and web content accessible to people with disabilities. The Information and Communications Standards under AODA require websites and web content to conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA (excluding live captioning and audio description). Compliance has been mandatory for new and significantly refreshed public-facing websites and web content for affected organizations since January 1, 2021.
Most Ontario Websites Aren’t Actually Compliant — Even The Ones That Think They Are
Many organizations think installing an accessibility overlay or “AI accessibility widget” is enough. It isn’t. The Ontario government has stated overlays don’t make websites compliant, and the lawsuits and complaints in this area are increasingly directed at organizations relying on them.
- Your website uses an accessibility overlay or widget — which doesn’t deliver actual compliance
- You don’t have a documented accessibility statement or compliance audit
- Your content (PDFs, videos, images) doesn’t meet accessibility standards
- Your team makes site changes without an accessibility review process
- You’re not sure whether AODA actually applies to you (it usually does)
What Real AODA Compliance Looks Like
Accessibility designed into the website from the start — semantic HTML, proper heading structure, accessible color contrast, keyboard navigation, ARIA where appropriate, screen reader compatibility.
Real WCAG 2.0 AA testing includes both automated scanning and manual review with assistive technology. Automated tools catch about 30% of issues. We do the other 70%.
Compliance covers more than the website code. Images need alt text. Videos need captions. PDFs need to be tagged. We help you set up standards and processes for accessible content going forward.
AODA requires public-facing accessibility statements and documented multi-year accessibility plans for many organizations. We can help with these as part of the engagement.
AODA Services
- AODA / WCAG 2.0 AA accessibility audits — manual and automated
- Remediation of existing websites to bring them into compliance
- New website builds with accessibility designed in from the foundation
- Accessibility documentation — public statements and multi-year plans where required
- Ongoing accessibility maintenance — every content change can introduce new issues
- Team training on accessible content authoring
- PDF and document accessibility
Audit
We assess your current website against WCAG 2.0 AA — automated scanning plus manual testing with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and accessibility tools. We document every issue with severity and remediation guidance.
Plan
We prioritize remediation based on severity, frequency, and impact. Some issues are quick wins. Others require structural changes. We build a plan you can act on — fully scoped, fully costed.
Remediate
We fix the issues. For new builds, we design accessibility in from the start so there’s nothing to remediate later.
Maintain
Accessibility isn’t one-and-done. Every content change can introduce new issues. We offer ongoing maintenance for organizations that need to stay compliant year over year.
Multi-Location Or Franchise? You Need A Different Approach.
AODA compliance for multi-location and franchise organizations is more complex than for single-location businesses. Brand consistency at the top, structured local flexibility, distributed content publishing, and centralized accessibility governance all have to work together. We have a dedicated approach for this.
Who AODA Applies To
- Private and non-profit organizations in Ontario with 50 or more employees
- All public sector organizations in Ontario
- Educational institutions
- Healthcare organizations
- Multi-location and franchise businesses with Ontario presence
- Any organization significantly refreshing its website (new public-facing websites must comply)
FAQs
Does AODA actually apply to my business?
US courts have consistently held that the ADA applies to websites of “places of public accommodation” — which courts have interpreted to include almost all consumer-facing businesses. State laws (California’s Unruh Act, New York’s Human Rights Law, and others) extend the reach further. If your business serves US consumers and has a website, ADA accessibility almost certainly applies.
What’s the deadline?
For affected private and non-profit organizations, the requirement to make new and significantly refreshed public-facing websites and web content WCAG 2.0 Level AA compliant has been in effect since January 1, 2021. Compliance is not a future deadline — it is current law.
Are accessibility overlays enough?
No. The Government of Ontario, accessibility advocates, and the broader accessibility industry have stated clearly that overlays and widgets do not make a website AODA-compliant. Many recent lawsuits and complaints specifically target organizations relying on them. Real compliance requires changes to the underlying website code and content.
What are the consequences of non-compliance?
AODA carries administrative penalties of up to $50,000 per day for individual violations and up to $100,000 per day for corporate violations. More commonly, non-compliance results in complaints, lawsuits, and reputational damage — and the cost of reactive remediation usually exceeds the cost of doing it right the first time.
How long does AODA remediation take?
It depends on the size and condition of the website. A small site with relatively few issues can be remediated in four to six weeks. Larger sites or sites with structural issues can take three to six months. We scope every engagement up front.
What about the ASA (Accessible Canada Act) for federal businesses?
The Accessible Canada Act applies to federally regulated organizations and follows similar accessibility principles. We can help with ACA compliance as part of the same engagement. For US-based businesses or organizations with US customers, see our ADA compliance services.
Ready To Get Your Website Actually Compliant?
Tell us about your organization, your current website, and where you are with accessibility. We’ll show you what compliance actually looks like.