The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a landmark law designed to create a fully accessible Ontario by 2025. Enacted in 2005, the AODA focuses on removing and preventing barriers for people with disabilities in all facets of life, including digital spaces. As businesses and organizations increasingly rely on digital platforms, digital accessibility has become a cornerstone of AODA compliance.
What is AODA compliance?
AODA compliance means adhering to the standards and requirements set forth by the AODA. The law mandates that Ontario-based organizations create physical and digital environments that are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Under the AODA, many aspects of public life—such as customer service, employment, transportation, the built environment, and information and communication—must be barrier-free for people with disabilities. With regard to digital platforms, organizations should ensure their websites, apps, and other digital resources are accessible to achieve AODA compliance.
Non-compliance alienates potential users and can lead to legal penalties and reputational damage. However, meeting AODA standards transcends legal obligations, showing a commitment to inclusivity, innovation, and social responsibility.
The role of AODA standards in digital accessibility
AODA standards relevant to digital accessibility are captured under the law’s Information and Communication Standards. These guidelines are primarily based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the internationally recognized standard for accessible digital content.
As of 2024, Ontario-based organizations should aim to conform with WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards. These standards center around four key principles:
1. Perceivability: Ensuring content is presented in ways that all users can perceive, including those who rely on screen readers or require alternatives to audio and visual content.
2. Operability: Making navigation and interaction possible for everyone, including those who use keyboard navigation and / or assistive technologies.
3. Understandability: Ensuring the meaning of content is clear for all users, regardless of their cognitive abilities.
4. Robustness: Ensuring digital content works well across various devices and assistive technologies.
What does AODA training involve?
AODA training equips employees with the knowledge and skills needed to implement accessibility best practices, supporting compliance with the law. Effective AODA training focused on digital accessibility should instill a proactive approach, empowering design and development teams to integrate accessibility principles into their workflows from start to finish.
This training may cover:
- The requirements of the AODA and its standards
- Best practices for creating accessible digital content and documents
- Strategies for identifying and removing barriers in digital environments
The AODA checklist for digital accessibility
To achieve and maintain AODA compliance, organizations must take a systematic approach to evaluation and improvement. Using an AODA checklist can help organizations identify accessibility gaps and implement necessary changes. A typical checklist may include the following steps:
1. Audit existing digital platforms
Evaluate current websites, apps, and digital content to identify accessibility barriers. While tools like automated accessibility checkers are a good starting point, manual testing by accessibility experts is necessary to accurately assess conformance with WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards.
2. Design with accessibility in mind
When creating or updating digital platforms, incorporate accessibility best practices from the outset. These include ensuring appropriate color contrast ratios, using descriptive alt text for images, and designing interfaces navigable via keyboard and / or screen reader.
3. Test with real users
Involve people with disabilities in the testing process to gain reliable, real-world insight into users’ experience and ensure your platform meets practical accessibility needs.
4. Provide accessible documents
Ensure all digital documents, such as PDFs and Word files, are accessible. This process includes adding proper tags, using accessible fonts, and ensuring screen reader compatibility.
5. Maintain compliance over time
Accessibility is an ongoing effort. Digital content and platforms should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure adherence to AODA standards.
The business benefits of AODA compliance
AODA compliance is more than a box to check. Committing to digital accessibility offers substantial benefits for businesses and organizations, including:
- Expanded audience: With over 1.85 million Ontarians living with a disability, accessible digital platforms reach a broader audience.
- Enhanced reputation: Organizations prioritizing accessibility are considered inclusive, socially responsible, and forward-thinking.
- Enhanced user experience (UX): Accessible design makes experiences more efficient and intuitive for all users, not just people with disabilities.
- Legal and financial security: Compliance helps mitigate the risk of penalties, including fines, for violating the AODA.
Challenges and opportunities
While achieving AODA compliance may be challenging at first, particularly for organizations unfamiliar with accessibility standards, it’s also an opportunity to innovate. Accessibility encourages creative problem-solving, resulting in solutions that meet the needs of a diverse range of users. Moreover, the rise of accessibility-focused tools and services has made compliance more attainable. From automated testing software to accessibility consultants, third-party resources are readily available to guide organizations toward inclusivity.
AODA compliance: 2025 and Beyond
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act has established a bold vision for a barrier-free Ontario. By prioritizing AODA compliance for digital platforms, organizations can contribute to helping realize this vision while reaping the benefits of enhanced user experience, a stronger brand reputation, and reduced legal risk. Through implementing AODA training, applying AODA standards, and using an AODA checklist, businesses can do their part in making Ontario barrier-free and keeping it that way, well beyond 2025.
FAQ
Who is impacted by the AODA?
Any organization with one or more employees based in Ontario must comply with the AODA. It applies to all province municipalities, ministries, Ontario government agencies, nonprofits, and businesses.
How does the AODA categorize the size of an organization?
According to the AODA, a small organization has 1-49 employees, and a large organization has 50+ employees.
Do businesses outside Ontario that operate there have to comply?
All organizations located in Ontario with at least one employee must be AODA–compliant, even if they have additional offices outside of Ontario.
