What does AODA stand for?

AODA refers to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. These laws were developed in Ontario Canada and help enforce accessibility standards across all sectors.

AODA is the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. This act, which was developed and is enforced in Ontario Canada, contains guidelines and requirements that website owners need to meet in order to make their sites accessible to all, regardless of ability.

What is AODA compliance?

AODA compliance is a legal requirement in Ontario Canada. To be compliant means your website meets the necessary web accessibility requirements that make it possible for everyone to access products, services and content online, regardless of ability.

How many modules are in AODA?

There are exactly 3 AODA training modules: 1. Module 1 – Understanding the AODA and the Accessibility Standards for Customer Service 2. Module 2 – Communicating with Customers with Disabilities 3. Module 3 – Serving Customers with Disabilities

What is AODA training?

AODA training was created to provide employees with basic accessibility knowledge, helping them understand how it affects those living with disabilities. The training covers all forms of disability, including physical, visible, and non-visible disabilities.

Website Accessibility

AODA Compliance for Websites: The Definitive Guide

Casandra Visser

Last updated: December 2023 7 minutes

AODA Compliance for Websites: The Definitive Guide

If you’re looking to make your website accessible and AODA compliant in 2024 you’ve reached the right place!

In this guide we will teach you:

What is the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and who must comply?
Step by step – How to make your website compliant and protected from penalties
Compare the best accessibility solutions in the market and their rankings
Lots more

This is a one-stop shop for anyone looking to understand and solve the issue of web accessibility.

Let’s get started.

AODA Compliance Report Deadline

Businesses that don’t prioritize accessibility may soon face significant penalties. Businesses with 20 or more employees, as well as all public sector organizations, need to file an AODA accessibility compliance report by Dec 31, 2023.

What may happen if businesses fail to comply?

The maximum penalties under the AODA include:

Corporations can be fined up to $100,000 per day.
Individuals and unincorporated organizations can be fined up to $50,000 per day.
Directors and officers of a corporation or organization can be fined up to $50,000 per day

Yikes! AODA compliance

What is the AODA?

AODA compliance for websites

Enacted in 2005, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was created to improve accessibility standards for Ontarians and ensure that those with physical or cognitive disabilities would be able to fully access all public establishments by January 1, 2025.

The AODA was developed to build on the efforts made by the Ontarians with the 2001 Disabilities Act and includes accessibility standards for key areas of everyday life:

Customer service
Information and communication
Employment
Built environment
Transportation

Together, the five categories of standards detailed in the AODA Act make up the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulations (IASR), which were progressively implemented over several years.

The most relevant category to website owners is “information and communication”

A Short History of the AODA

History of the DDA

The AODA stems from the Ontario Human Rights Code, which was passed in the early 90s. The code made it unlawful to discriminate based on disability.

It was in 1994 that the development of the AODA officially began, starting with the introduction of the ODA, or Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The ODA aimed to remove and prevent any barriers that made it difficult for people living with disabilities to fully participate as members of society – the ODA became official law in 2001.

Following government elections in 2003, more focus was placed on strengthening the ODA, so the Accessibility Standards Advisory Council was established. This resulted in the AODA being passed as a law in 2005.

In 2011, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) unified the five standards of the AODA, namely Employment, Design of Public Spaces, Information & Communication, Transportation, and Customer Service.

What’s Being Done to Assist Disabled Ontarians Online?

There’s no denying that there are serious online barriers affecting the daily lives of Ontario’s disabled citizens, which is why the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was introduced in 2005.

In 2019, an announcement was made that all businesses and non-profit organizations with 20+ employees must submit accessibility compliance reports, making them accountable for their part in creating a more inclusive online environment and society as a whole.

The certificate that these businesses and organizations receive also needs to be renewed every three years and every two years for critical public sector organizations to ensure ongoing compliance.

There’s no denying that there are serious online barriers affecting the daily lives of Ontario’s disabled citizens, which is why the Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was introduced in 2005.

Is the AODA relevant for my business?

It is actually very simple to know if the AODA applies to your business.

Answer this question: Is your business registered in Ontario? If yes, then the AODA is applicable to your organization.

Unlike the ACA, which applies to federally governed businesses and organizations, the AODA applies to both governmental and private websites, whether individuals or corporations run them.

AODA Compliance -Making Your Website Accessible

Now that we’ve covered AODA basics, we can jump into the technical aspects. Exactly how do you make your website accessible? It all starts with WCAG (the accessibility standard).

WCAG, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, are the guidelines referenced in the AODA – WCAG 2.0 specifically. This is the standard to follow to become AODA compliant.

This 80-page document offers specific instructions on how to make a website accessible. However, since this is a sizable document, we decided to condense this information.