Complete Guide to Accessible Canada Act Compliance
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) is Canada’s landmark legislation aimed at creating a barrier-free country by 2040. For businesses and organizations under federal jurisdiction, ACA compliance isn’t just a legal requirement; it’s a responsibility to ensure equal access for people with disabilities, both in physical spaces and online.
What Is the Accessible Canada Act (ACA)?
The Accessibility Canada Act was passed in 2019 to identify, remove, and prevent barriers in federally regulated organizations. Its mission is rooted in the principle of “Nothing Without Us”, ensuring that people with disabilities are included in the planning and decision-making process.
- Employment
- The built environment
- Information and communication technologies (ICT)
- Communication (other than ICT)
- Procurement of goods, services, and facilities
- Program and service delivery
- Transportation
Websites and digital platforms fall under the ICT category, meaning Canada accessibility act website compliance is critical for meeting ACA requirements.
Who Does the Accessible Canada Act Apply To?
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) extends far beyond federal offices—it applies to any entity that plays a digital or physical role under federal jurisdiction. Mandatory compliance spans:
- Federal government departments and agencies, including ministers’ offices and administrative bodies.
- Crown corporations such as Canada Post and CBC operate at arm’s length from the federal government.
- Private businesses in federally regulated industries, including:
- Banking and finance institutions
- Telecommunications and broadcasting companies
- Airlines and airports (as part of interprovincial transportation)
- Railways and select freight services
- International entities that provide goods, services, or online platforms to Canadian residents, even if their headquarters are based abroad.
Why it Matters for Your Website
If you conduct business online and serve Canadian users or citizens, regardless of your company’s location, the ACA applies. In other words, you must make websites accessible, meet Accessible Canada Act regulations, and align with WCAG 2.2 AA to ensure full compliance across all digital channels.
Accessible Canada Act Regulations: What You Need to Know
Under the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) and its supporting regulations, federally regulated entities must meet several critical obligations to ensure compliance—particularly regarding digital, physical, and communication accessibility.
Key Regulatory Obligations
- Publish Accessibility Plans – Documenting how barriers will be identified, removed, and prevented.
Plans must include consultations with persons with disabilities and be updated regularly. - Establish Feedback Mechanisms – Provide a clear, accessible way for users to report accessibility barriers or feedback.
- Publish Progress Reports – Detail implementation progress, including how feedback was addressed.
These reports must be published and include consultation details. - Notify Authorities – Inform the Accessibility Commissioner within 48 hours after publishing accessibility plans or progress reports.
Some entities (e.g., broadcasters or transportation providers) must also notify the CRTC or CTA.
Penalties for Non-Compliance
- Minor Violations (e.g., not publishing a plan or feedback process): fines range from $250 to $75,000.
- Serious Violations (e.g., ignoring Commissioner’s orders): fines range from $2,500 to $150,000.
- Very Serious Violations (e.g., obstructing investigations or lying): penalties range from $6,250 to $250,000.
Penalties are adjusted based on factors like:
- Size of the organization
- Frequency of violations
- Degree of harm to individuals
- Efforts to remediate or cooperate with authorities
- Timeliness of fine payment (10% discount if paid within 15 days)
How Enforcement Works
The Accessibility Commissioner has the authority to issue warnings, notices of violation, and impose penalties. Enforcement efforts are supported by a network of federal oversight bodies known as the Council of Federal Accessibility Agencies (CFAA), which includes:
- Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC)
- Canadian Human Rights Tribunal (CHRT)
- Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA)
- Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)
- Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board
The ACA’s Seven Priority Areas: Where Website Accessibility Fits
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) targets seven essential areas to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040. Among these, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)—which includes websites, applications, and digital tools—is where “Canada accessibility act website compliance” takes center stage. Here’s how each of the seven areas plays a role in digital accessibility:
Critical for digital equity, this category includes making websites, mobile apps, and online tools compliant with WCAG 2.2 AA guidelines—covering alt text, captions, keyboard navigation, accessible forms, and scannable content.
When purchasing tools, hardware, or digital services, organizations must ensure they select goods and vendors that meet accessibility standards, including the Accessible Canada Act regulations for websites and online resources.
Benefits of ACA Compliance (and Risks of Non-Compliance)
| Benefit | How It Helps |
|---|---|
Legal Protection |
Avoids penalties and lawsuits under ACA regulations |
Inclusivity |
Ensures equal access for all users, including those with disabilities |
Brand Trust |
Builds a reputation as a socially responsible organization |
Market Reach |
Expands your audience to millions of Canadians with disabilities |
Failing to comply risks:
- Fines of up to $250,000 per incident
- Negative publicity
- Customer loss due to poor accessibility
Step-by-Step Guide to Make Your Website ACA-Compliant
Step 1 – Audit Your Website
Start by running a comprehensive accessibility scan with Accessibility Assistant. This will flag common ACA and WCAG 2.2 AA violations such as missing alt text, poor color contrast, inaccessible forms, missing captions, and navigation barriers.
Tip: Combine automated scans with manual checks to catch issues automation might miss, such as unclear link text or poor heading hierarchy.
Step 2 – Fix Barriers
Address both technical and content-related accessibility issues based on your audit results:
- Add descriptive alt text to all images
- Improve color contrast for text and buttons
- Correct heading structure for logical reading order
- Add captions and transcripts to videos
- Make all form fields clearly labeled and keyboard-friendly
- With Accessibility Assistant, many fixes (like alt text generation and contrast adjustments) can be implemented instantly, saving hours of manual work.
Step 3 – Test with Assistive Technologies
- Screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
- Keyboard-only navigation
- Voice input tools (Dragon NaturallySpeaking, Windows Speech Recognition)
- This testing ensures your website works in real-world conditions, not just in code.
Step 4 – Publish Your Accessibility Plan
As per the Accessible Canada Act regulations, you must publish an Accessibility Plan that outlines:
- Identified barriers
- Steps taken to remove them
- Strategies for preventing future issues
- How you’ll gather feedback from users with disabilities
Make your plan easy to find on your site and update it regularly.
Step 5 – Monitor & Update
Accessibility is not a one-time task. Use real-time monitoring tools like Accessibility Assistant to:
- Automatically scan new content for accessibility issues
- Get alerts when something breaks compliance
- Generate reports for progress tracking and regulatory documentation
- Schedule quarterly accessibility reviews to ensure your site stays ACA-compliant as guidelines evolve.
Essential Resources & Tools for ACA-Compliant Websites
Achieving and maintaining Accessible Canada Act (ACA) compliance requires a combination of reliable resources, evolving standards, and the right digital tools. Here’s what you need:
Official ACA Documentation – Government of Canada
- Access authoritative information about ACA regulations, accessible planning, feedback mechanisms, and reporting requirements directly from the Government of Canada’s official site.
- Includes guidance on submitting accessibility plans, relevant timelines, and sector-specific expectations.
- Why use it? This is your fundamental source for legal compliance, compliance timelines, and official ACA enforcement procedures.
Accessibility Assistant – Automated Compliance Audits & Monitoring
- A multi-platform app (Shopify, WordPress, Wix, and custom sites) that simplifies website audits and remediation.
- Features include instant detection of missing alt text, contrast issues, navigation gaps, and more. It also helps generate non-color cues and maintains ongoing compliance monitoring.
- Why use it? It’s the fastest way to align your website with ADA, ACA, and WCAG 2.2 AA standards—all while cutting down development time and manual oversight.
WCAG 2.2 AA Guidelines
- The latest international accessibility standard from the W3C, released in October 2023, specifically updated to address mobile usability, cognitive conditions, and focus visibility.
- Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11), Dragging Alternatives (2.5.7), Target Size (2.5.8), Redundant Input (3.3.7), and Accessible Authentication (3.3.8) are among the toughest new criteria.
- Why use them? WCAG 2.2 AA forms the technical foundation for ACA-compliant digital accessibility—ensuring your website meets or exceeds legal and user expectations.
FAQs About The Accessible Canada Act
