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Ontario · WCAG 2.0 AA · AODAOntario's accessibility law covers websites. If you have 50 or more employees, your public site has to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA. Smaller businesses aren't required to yet, but an accessible site works better for every customer. We check your site, fix what's wrong and explain it in plain English.
We fix the actual code and content. We don't sell accessibility overlay widgets, which don't make a site compliant. This page is general info, not legal advice.
Why it matters
Ontario private and non-profit organizations with 50 or more employees must have public websites that meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA.
Organizations with 20 or more Ontario employees file an accessibility compliance report every three years. The next deadline is December 31, 2026.
Accessible sites are easier for older customers, people on phones in bright sunlight, and anyone in a hurry. Google likes them too.
Who has to comply
Here's the short version for private businesses and non-profits. The rules have exceptions, so check the Ontario government's guidance or a lawyer for your situation.
You're covered by the AODA in general, but the website requirement doesn't apply to you. It's still worth building accessibly, especially if you're growing.
No website requirement, but you need to file an accessibility compliance report every three years. Many businesses use the report as a nudge to fix their site.
Your public website and web content posted after January 1, 2012 must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA (live captions and pre-recorded audio descriptions are exempt). You also file the compliance report.
What's included
Automated scans plus a person testing your key pages with a keyboard and a screen reader, the way real users do.
Each issue explained: what it is, who it affects, which WCAG rule it falls under and how to fix it, in priority order.
Colour contrast, alt text, headings, form labels, keyboard navigation, focus styles, link text and more. Fixed in the code and content, not covered up.
Contact and booking forms that work with a keyboard and screen reader, with clear error messages.
Menus, price lists and forms posted as PDFs are web content too. We can make accessible versions or turn them into web pages.
Captions on pre-recorded video and transcripts for audio, which WCAG 2.0 AA expects.
If your site needs a rebuild anyway, we build it accessible from day one. See website redesign.
An accessibility statement and a way for visitors to report problems, which the AODA expects you to have.
Common problems
A word on overlay widgets. Those accessibility toolbars you can add with one line of code don't fix the underlying problems, and accessibility groups have spoken out against them. We fix your actual site instead.
Common questions
The website requirement applies to Ontario organizations with 50 or more employees (and the public sector). If you're under 50, it doesn't apply to your website yet, but accessible sites are easier for everyone to use, so it's still worth doing.
WCAG is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, an international standard for accessible websites. Level AA is the middle level, and it's the one the AODA asks for. It covers things like contrast, keyboard use, alt text, captions and clear forms.
Ontario businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees file a report every three years confirming they're meeting their AODA requirements. The next one is due December 31, 2026.
Ontario can issue orders and administrative penalties, and fines on conviction can be large. In practice most enforcement so far has been around missed compliance reports. This is general info, not legal advice.
No. Overlay widgets don't fix the underlying code and content, and they can make things worse for people using screen readers. Real compliance means fixing the site itself.
It depends on the size and how it's built. Many small sites can be brought up to WCAG 2.0 AA in a few weeks. If the site's very old, a redesign can be faster and cheaper than patching it.
Send us your website and the number of Ontario employees, and we'll come back with: