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Casandra Visser
Author
Nika Gunchenko
Researcher
#AODA #AODACompliance
3-5 minutes

AODA Website Compliance Checklist: A Guide for Ontarians (2024)

If you are a public sector organization or website owner in Ontario, Canada, AODA website compliance applies to you. 

So, where do you begin? 

To make it that much easier for you to provide your customers with a more inclusive experience, we’ve created a basic guide and AODA website compliance checklist. 

First thing is first, if you want to check your website for AODA compliance you can use our free automated scanner:

Accessibility Checker

Scan your website for accessibility related issues for free

In this article we will discuss:

  1. What is AODA?
  2. What’s In the AODA Website Compliance Checklist?
  3. AODA Compliance Checklist for Ontarians
  4. Summary

What is AODA?

What is AODA?

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) came into effect in 2005 to ensure that all Ontarians had equal access to products, services, resources, and facilities, including those available online, regardless of ability.

Ontario is aiming to provide all residents with equal accessibility across public and private spaces by 2025. 

AODA Ontario was not created as a replacement for the ADA, WCAG, or the Ontario Human Rights Code. Instead, it’s an extension of these acts and regulations, further ensuring businesses, public sector, and non-profit organizations that have 50+ employees adhere to the applicable accessibility laws.

What’s In the AODA Website Compliance Checklist?

What’s In the AODA Website Compliance Checklist?

The aim of this compliance checklist is to keep things simple, which is why it’s not extensive or exhaustive. It does, however, cover the most important aspects of AODA compliance. 

We have also focused solely on website compliance, which will ensure your customers have full and equal access to your content, products, services, and general online facilities. 

AODA Compliance Checklist for Ontarians

Many people will require assistive technology to access and engage with your site, including screen readers and keyboard navigation. Legal requirements for web accessibility state that your website needs to be compatible with technology such as this to cater to disabled users.

 

Many disabled users need clear labels and instructions to engage with certain elements on your site. Be sure to clearly label form fields, tables, and charts to provide visitors with an accessible experience. 

AODA color compliance requires websites to have a color contrast ratio of at least 4:5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for larger text. The same ratio of 3:1 applies to graphics. 

To make your content easier to read and scan using assistive technology, it helps to incorporate numbered and bulleted lists where it makes sense to do so. 

CAPTCHA codes are generally visual in nature, but since some website visitors might be visually impaired, it’s important to have audio alternatives available. 

Website visitors need to be able to engage with every element of your website, including images, audio files, and videos. AODA compliance requires you to add alternative text to images and captions to video and audio files. Users should also have the option to stop audio output at any point.

People with mobility conditions and neurocognitive conditions often use eye-tracking devices to engage with online content. By looking at specific parts of a screen, a visitor can use input fields, on-screen keyboards, and any other technology that’s enabled for disabled users. 

Since flashing content can cause seizures in some users, it’s important to either remove that type of content completely or limit it to 3 seconds or less. It doesn’t help to provide visitors with the ability to turn the content off either as they might not be able to do it in time. 

 

Not only should you aim to keep your menus simple, but they should be standard across all pages. This makes it easy for your visitors to understand and they know exactly what to expect. 

Lastly, make sure that if a user has to zoom in on text or any of the elements on your site that it doesn’t become distorted to the point of being unusable. Ideally, visitors should be able to zoom in on specific elements. 

Accessible Website Solutions

To make it easier for you to meet the necessary web accessibility requirements outlined in the AODA, accessible website solutions are available. 

accessibe logoaccessiBe
  • WCAG
  • AODA
  • ADA
  • Section 508

accessiBe’s solutions are currently used by some of today’s leading brands, including Forbes, Toshiba, HBO, and BMW to name a few. 

The accessiBe widget is powered by AI and machine learning technology, making it easier to spot accessibility issues and remediate your site. 

Along with giving your website visitors the option to make adjustments that meet their needs, the widget will also automatically scan your site for accessibility issues. Your site will be immediately scanned upon installation and a new scan will be carried out every 24 hours. All that’s required is for you to add a line of code to the back end of your site. 

accessiBe plans start from just $49 per month and a 7-day free trial is available if you would like to test the tool’s capabilities before you purchase it. 

Pros

  • Account managers available to guide you through the product, pricing, and any questions you may have
  • Fast turnaround with a 5 min installation, and 48-hour compliance process
  • 200,000+ clients use accessiBe including legal and government organizations

Cons

  • Built specifically for websites and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs)- some web apps might not be compatible

Existing Clients

Open website Detailed review
Userway service logoUserWay
  • WCAG
  • ADA
  • AODA
  • Section 508

Leading brands such as Centrum, Dr Martens, Fujitsu, and Sotheby’s all currently use UserWay’s accessibility solutions. 

By installing the UserWay accessibility widget, you give your disabled website visitors the option to adjust your site according to their needs. The result is a reduced bounce rate and higher click-through rates and earnings per click. 

As a UserWay client, you can take advantage of over 100 tools and 20 platform integrations to achieve your accessibility goals. The UserWay scanner will also ensure you can pick up on accessibility issues more quickly and easily, ensuring you can maintain your compliant status. 

Installation of the UserWay widget is simple and only requires you to add a single line of code to your site. Prices start at $490 per year and a free trial is available for those who would like to try before they buy. 

Pros

  • Quick and easy process
  • 1M+ website installations
  • Multiple solutions and services offered

Cons

  • Does not include mobile apps as of now

Existing Clients

logo of Duke University
Toyota Logo
Open website Detailed review

Wrapping Up

This AODA compliance checklist will provide you with the basics, allowing you to meet legal requirements and provide all users with an equally accessible experience. 

By taking these small steps you can do your part to create a more inclusive society and project yourself as a socially responsible brand. 

Find out where your website stands in terms of AODA compliance by assessing it through an online accessibility checker. You can do this on Accessibility Checker.

If you want to learn more about ADA and WCAG compliance, we recommend starting with these blogs:

 

Accessibility Checker

Scan your website for accessibility related issues for free

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