Canada Website Accessibility Audit Services (AODA & ACA)

The AODA applies to every organization with at least one employee in Ontario, but its website rules apply to designated public sector organizations and to businesses and non-profits with 50 or more employees. Since January 1, 2021, their public websites, and web content posted after January 1, 2012, must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA, except success criteria 1.2.4 (live captions) and 1.2.5 (pre-recorded audio description). Internal intranets are not covered, but you must provide content in an accessible format when someone asks. See Ontario’s How to make websites accessible guidance and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation.

The Regulations Amending the Accessible Canada Regulations (SOR/2025-255) were registered on December 5, 2025. Federal public sector entities must make new and updated web pages, including employee-facing pages, conform to CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 from December 5, 2027, and must train the staff who build, maintain or buy ICT by then. Federally regulated businesses with 100 or more employees must meet the web page requirement from December 5, 2028, with training due from December 5, 2027. Those with 500 or more employees also have mobile app, document, accessibility statement and procurement duties from December 5, 2028. Businesses with 99 or fewer employees are exempt, and broadcasting, telecommunications and transportation providers have narrower duties because the CRTC and the Canadian Transportation Agency regulate their public-facing services.

It depends on the rule. The AODA requires WCAG 2.0 Level AA. Manitoba’s standard and Quebec’s SGQRI 008 3.0 use WCAG 2.1 Level AA, and Quebec adds some WCAG 2.2 criteria. The federal rules reference CAN/ASC-EN 301 549, whose web clause applies WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Testing to WCAG 2.2 AA covers the criteria in all of them, and our reports show which version each finding relates to.

Possibly. Federally regulated organizations follow the Accessible Canada Act wherever they operate, while provincial laws apply to provincially regulated organizations. A national retailer, for example, can have AODA duties for its Ontario operations and Manitoba duties for its Manitoba operations. Nova Scotia’s Information and Communication Accessibility Standard is still being developed and is expected in 2028-29, so Nova Scotia has no web technical standard in force yet.

Under the Accessible Canada Regulations, failing to meet the digital requirements is classified as a minor violation. For a regulated entity that is not a small business, a first minor violation ranges from $1,000 to $10,000, rising to $10,000 to $25,000, $25,000 to $50,000 and $50,000 to $75,000 for second, third and later violations within five years (Schedule 2). The Act’s maximum, for very serious violations, is $250,000. In Ontario, AODA offences can bring fines of up to $50,000 a day for individuals and unincorporated organizations and up to $100,000 a day for corporations.

HalfAccessible publishes fixed prices in US dollars: the $500 Quick Audit covers up to 5 page templates with a top-10 issues report, and the $2,000 Complete Audit covers up to 25 templates or key user flows with a retest of fixed issues, an accessibility statement draft and 90-day support. Not sure which fits? Start with a free 30-minute call to understand where you stand and get a quote, or book a $100 technical consultation when you already have findings to review with a developer. See the pricing page for details.

Yes, if your business or non-profit has 20 or more employees in Ontario. The deadline is December 31, 2026, and reports are due every three years. Organizations with 20 to 49 employees report on accessible customer service, while those with 50 or more report on every applicable standard, including WCAG 2.0 AA websites. Designated public sector organizations report every two years. See Ontario’s compliance report guide. A $500 Quick Audit before you certify shows whether your website meets the requirement.

We scope the templates and journeys that matter most, run automated scans, then test by hand with a keyboard and with NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver and TalkBack against WCAG 2.2 AA, in English and French where your site is bilingual. You get a report with each issue’s severity, WCAG success criterion, screenshots, reproduction steps and fix guidance, organized so it can feed your AODA compliance report, accessibility plan or accessibility statement. See a sample audit report.

Yes. WCAG 3.1.1 and 3.1.2 require the page language and any change of language to be set in the code, so screen readers switch to the right pronunciation. We check the language settings, the accessible name of the language toggle, translated alternative text, form labels and error messages, and documents in both languages, so the English and French versions work equally well.

No. The AODA, Manitoba’s standard and CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 set requirements for the content and code itself, and overlays cannot fix the underlying markup that keyboard and screen reader users depend on. In 2025 the US Federal Trade Commission ordered accessiBe to pay $1 million over claims that its overlay could make any website compliant. Read more in accessibility overlays and lawsuits.

Yes. Clause 11 of CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 covers software, including mobile apps, and clause 10 covers downloadable documents. From December 5, 2028, federally regulated businesses with 500 or more employees must also conduct or obtain a conformity assessment with a gap analysis for the mobile apps they launched earlier and still offer. We test native iOS and Android apps with VoiceOver and TalkBack and check PDFs with NVDA. See document accessibility testing and our PDF document remediation service.

If you are a federal public sector entity, yes, from December 5, 2027. Federally regulated businesses with 500 or more employees need one from December 5, 2028. The statement must be updated every 12 months and must use plain language, give at least two contact methods, describe your accessibility features, list where you do not yet meet CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 and set out your plans and timelines to close those gaps. The $2,000 Complete Audit includes an accessibility statement draft based on your findings.

Often, yes, but one audit can cover it. The European Accessibility Act has applied since June 28, 2025 to covered products and services offered to consumers in the EU, wherever the business is based, and US customers may expect ADA or Section 508 evidence. A WCAG 2.2 AA audit gives evidence for all of them; see our EU accessibility compliance audit and ADA and Section 508 audit.

Send your public website URL (English and French if bilingual), the key journeys users take (home, account, forms, checkout or application, help), and which rules you think apply (AODA, Accessible Canada Act, Manitoba or Quebec). Add test logins for authenticated flows, any AODA compliance report draft, and accessibility complaints you have received. You can start from the $500 Quick Audit form or book a free 30-minute call first if scope is still unclear. For a quick automated baseline you can also try AccessibilityScore.in, then follow with a manual audit.

You receive a written report that maps each finding to WCAG, with severity, user impact and recommended fixes, plus a findings review call on the Quick Audit. Your developers can remediate in-house, or we can quote accessibility remediation and a re-test. The Complete Audit also includes an accessibility statement draft you can use for AODA reporting or Accessible Canada Act statement duties. Still deciding Quick vs Complete? Start with the free 30-minute call; use the $100 technical hour when you already have findings and need a live developer walkthrough.