Ontario Businesses Are Already Bound By AODA
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires most organizations operating in Ontario to meet WCAG 2.0 AA — this is a current obligation, not a future deadline.
Canada Website Accessibility Audit Services (AODA & ACA)
HalfAccessible delivers Canada website accessibility audits for organizations covered by the Accessible Canada Act, Ontario AODA, and the newer provincial accessibility acts. Every audit combines automated scanning with manual testing by CPWA-, CPACC-, and WAS-certified specialists, benchmarked against WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 Level AA.
Quick Answer
Accessibility Service Summary
Canada regulates digital accessibility at both the federal and provincial level. The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) covers federally regulated organizations, including Parliament, Crown corporations, banking, telecommunications, and transportation, and 2025 amendments set web accessibility deadlines of December 5, 2027 for the public sector and December 5, 2028 for the private sector, tested against CAN/ASC EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG 2.1. Ontario's Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) already requires most public and private organizations in the province to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA, with similar laws now active in Manitoba and Nova Scotia. An accessibility audit benchmarked against WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA covers the technical requirements of the ACA, AODA, and the newer provincial acts in a single engagement. Primary sources: the Accessible Canada Act, SOR/2025-255 digital amendments, Ontario's AODA, and WCAG 2.2.
Think of this audit like a legal and technical health check for your website or product. Instead of guessing whether you meet local accessibility law, we test against the exact standard that law references and show you precisely where you stand.
- The Accessible Canada Act (federal) sets WCAG-aligned web deadlines of December 5, 2027 for the public sector and December 5, 2028 for the private sector, via CAN/ASC EN 301 549
- ACA administrative penalties range from $250 to $75,000 per violation
- Ontario AODA requires most public and private organizations with 50 or more employees to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA today
- Manitoba and Nova Scotia have their own accessibility acts with similar digital requirements
- Quebec applies its own website accessibility standard, SGQRI 008, to government sites
- An audit against WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA covers the technical bar used across every current Canadian framework
10+ Years of Accessibility Experience
CPWA, CPACC and WAS Certified Specialists
Manual + Automated Testing
Screen Reader Testing
Developer-Friendly Reports
Global Accessibility Consulting
Why This Matters
Why This Compliance Standard Matters
Meeting the right legal standard protects your organization from enforcement risk and makes your product usable by more people.
Federal Deadlines Are Now Fixed Under The ACA
2025 amendments to the Accessible Canada Act set December 5, 2027 for federal public-sector web accessibility, and December 5, 2028 for federally regulated private-sector organizations, referencing a standard built on WCAG 2.1.
Federally Regulated Industries Are A Priority Target
Banking, telecommunications, and transportation companies fall under federal jurisdiction and carry some of the earliest, most specific obligations under the ACA.
Penalties Are Real, Not Symbolic
Administrative monetary penalties under the ACA can range from roughly $250 to $75,000 per violation, scaled to severity.
Audit Scope
What We Audit
We audit public websites, authenticated applications, SaaS platforms, mobile apps, documents, and design systems.
What is included
Websites
Corporate websites, marketing sites, government websites, university websites, healthcare websites, ecommerce journeys, landing pages, blogs, resource libraries, and multilingual content experiences.
Web Applications
Customer portals, admin dashboards, CRMs, internal software, enterprise workflows, complex forms, authenticated user journeys, data tables, reports, notifications, and role-based interfaces.
SaaS Products
B2B platforms, cloud software, analytics dashboards, AI applications, product onboarding flows, account settings, billing workflows, and feature-rich application screens.
Mobile Applications
Native iOS, native Android, hybrid applications, progressive web apps, orientation changes, touch targets, gestures, screen reader flows, zoom behavior, and mobile form interactions.
Digital Documents
PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint files, forms, reports, policy documents, financial statements, healthcare documents, education resources, and procurement documentation.
Design Systems
Reusable components, UI libraries, pattern libraries, design tokens, Figma components, interaction patterns, and documentation that affects many pages or product screens.
Who it is for
Public-facing teams
Marketing, ecommerce, healthcare, government, education, nonprofit, and service organizations use accessibility audits to make essential public content available to more people.
Product and SaaS teams
Product teams use audits to validate complex workflows, reduce accessibility debt, improve component libraries, and prepare for enterprise accessibility reviews.
Procurement and compliance teams
Legal, compliance, procurement, and sales teams use audit evidence to answer buyer questions, support VPAT work, and document remediation commitments.
What it covers
Website Accessibility Audits
Evaluate public websites against WCAG 2.2 AA using manual testing, automated scanning, keyboard-only navigation, and assistive technologies.
Web Application Accessibility Audits
Review authenticated user journeys, dashboards, complex forms, data tables, notifications, custom widgets, and enterprise workflows.
Mobile Accessibility Audits
Test native and hybrid applications using VoiceOver, TalkBack, keyboard alternatives, zoom, orientation changes, touch target review, and gesture accessibility checks.
PDF And Document Accessibility Audits
Assess PDFs and office documents for tagging, reading order, alternative text, bookmarks, form fields, headings, tables, and screen reader compatibility.
Accessibility Design Reviews
Identify accessibility issues in Figma files, design systems, and component specs before development begins, reducing rework and improving handoff quality.
VPAT And Procurement Reviews
Evaluate products and prepare accessibility documentation that supports enterprise and government procurement conversations.
Issues We Identify
Accessibility Issues We Identify
Each issue is mapped to user impact, the relevant standard, severity, affected users, and practical remediation guidance.
Missing Alternative Text
Missing or inaccurate alternative text prevents screen reader users from understanding meaningful images, icons, charts, infographics, product photos, and linked graphics. We identify images that need concise alternatives, images that should be marked decorative, and complex visuals that need longer explanations.
Keyboard Accessibility
Many users navigate with a keyboard, switch device, voice control, or assistive technology that relies on keyboard behavior. We test focus order, skip links, menus, modals, tabs, accordions, custom widgets, and form flows without a mouse.
Color Contrast
Low contrast can make text, buttons, icons, form controls, and charts difficult or impossible to perceive. We evaluate contrast for normal text, large text, UI components, focus indicators, disabled states, links, and error messages.
Forms
Forms often block users when labels, instructions, required indicators, validation messages, and error handling are not accessible. We test forms with keyboard navigation and screen readers to confirm users can complete and submit successfully.
Headings And Structure
Headings, lists, landmarks, tables, and reading order help assistive technology users understand a page quickly. We identify skipped heading levels, missing landmarks, and reading-order mismatches.
Dynamic Content
Modern applications often update content without refreshing the page. We test status messages, ARIA live regions, notifications, and single-page app transitions to confirm important changes are announced correctly.
Decision Support
How To Choose The Right Accessibility Service
| Feature | Automated Testing | Manual Testing |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Fast (minutes) | Slower (days) |
| Cost | Low | Higher, but more accurate |
| Manual WCAG Review | No | Yes |
| Keyboard Navigation | Limited | Complete |
| Screen Reader Compatibility | No | Yes |
| Logical Reading Order | No | Yes |
| Meaningful Alternative Text | No | Yes |
| Form Usability | Partial | Yes |
| Overall User Experience | No | Yes |
Helpful Statistics
- 1 in 6 people The World Health Organization estimates that roughly 1 in 6 people globally live with a significant disability, a substantial share of any organization's customers, patients, students, or employees. WHO Disability Fact Sheet →
- WCAG is the international technical baseline. WCAG is the international technical baseline. Regulations and procurement processes worldwide reference WCAG directly or indirectly when defining accessibility requirements. W3C WCAG →
- 56.1 errors per page The WebAIM Million report has found detectable WCAG failures on the large majority of home pages tested every year since the study began, most commonly low-contrast text, missing alternative text, empty links, and missing form labels. WebAIM Million →
Choose This Service If You Need
- ACA federal-sector compliance review
- AODA Ontario compliance review
- WCAG 2.0/2.1/2.2 AA gap analysis
- Multi-province accessibility strategy
- Accessibility statement and staff training support
- Developer-ready remediation roadmap
Audit Methodology
Our Accessibility Audit Process
A structured process gives your team clear findings, clear priorities, and a practical path to compliance.
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01
1. Discovery & Scoping
We review your platform, page count, workflows, and target standard (WCAG 2.0 AA for AODA, or WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA for the Accessible Canada Act) to define audit scope and timeline.
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02
2. Automated Scanning
We run automated tools across the defined scope to catch code-level issues quickly, giving us a baseline before manual review begins.
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03
3. Manual Expert Testing
Certified specialists manually test keyboard navigation, focus order, forms, headings, and interactive components against WCAG success criteria.
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4. Assistive Technology Testing
We test with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, TalkBack), voice control, and switch access to confirm real-world usability, not just code compliance.
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5. Reporting & Prioritization
Findings are documented with severity, standard references, screenshots, and reproduction steps, then organized into a prioritized remediation roadmap.
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6. Retest & Validation
After your team implements fixes, we retest affected pages or flows to confirm issues are resolved and no new barriers were introduced.
Standards And Technologies
Standards, Assistive Technologies, And Tools
Accessible Canada Act (Federal)
Covers federally regulated organizations, including banking, telecommunications, and transportation. 2025 amendments set web accessibility deadlines of December 5, 2027 (federal public sector) and December 5, 2028 (federally regulated private sector) against CAN/ASC EN 301 549. See the Accessible Canada Act and the Canada Gazette amendments (SOR/2025-255).
AODA (Ontario)
Ontario's Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requires most public and private organizations in the province with 50 or more employees to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA today, with staff accessibility training also required. Practical guidance: How to make websites accessible.
Manitoba & Nova Scotia Acts
Manitoba's Accessibility for Manitobans Act and Nova Scotia's Accessibility Act apply similar digital accessibility expectations in those provinces. See Manitoba Accessibility and Nova Scotia Accessibility.
WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 AA
CAN/ASC EN 301 549
National Standard of Canada for ICT accessibility adopted by Accessibility Standards Canada and incorporated into the Accessible Canada Regulations digital amendments. Aligns with EN 301 549 and includes WCAG 2.1 web criteria. Overview: Accessibility Standards Canada; penalty schedule: Accessible Canada Regulations Schedule 2.
Assistive technologies
NVDA
JAWS
VoiceOver
TalkBack
Keyboard-only navigation
Browser zoom
Voice Control
Switch Control
Tools
Axe
ARC Toolkit
WAVE
Accessibility Insights
Chrome DevTools
Safari
Firefox
React
Next.js
Angular
Vue
WordPress
Drupal
Shopify
Magento
WooCommerce
Laravel
ASP.NET
Java
Flutter
React Native
Deliverables
What You Receive After The Audit
Executive Summary
A clear summary of audit scope, key risks, priority themes, and recommended next steps for stakeholders.
Accessibility Score
A practical status snapshot that helps teams understand current accessibility maturity and remediation priorities.
Detailed Issue Report
Issue-by-issue findings with screenshots, affected URLs or screens, severity ratings, standard references, and reproduction steps.
Developer Recommendations
Practical remediation guidance, code-level notes, component recommendations, and examples your developers can act on.
Compliance-Ready Documentation
Findings organized to support accessibility statements, VPAT and ACR documentation, and procurement or legal review.
Optional Retest Report
Validation evidence after remediation, showing which issues were fixed and what remains open.
Industries
Healthcare
Accessibility audits for patient portals, provider websites, medical forms, telehealth journeys, and healthcare documents.
Government
Audits for public services, citizen portals, forms, documents, and procurement requirements.
Banking
Audits for financial journeys, statements, account dashboards, authentication flows, reports, and high-risk transactional experiences.
SaaS
Audits for B2B products, dashboards, analytics, onboarding, admin settings, and enterprise procurement readiness.
Education
Audits for university websites, LMS experiences, EdTech platforms, digital documents, admissions journeys, and student services.
Retail
Audits for ecommerce product pages, carts, checkout, filters, account flows, promotions, and customer support journeys.
Proof points
Certified Accessibility Expertise
HalfAccessible brings CPWA, CPACC, and WAS accessibility expertise to audits, remediation support, documentation, and product guidance.
Developer-Friendly Reporting
Reports are written for action. Developers receive clear reproduction steps, expected behavior, affected users, standard mapping, and remediation guidance.
Cross-Border Experience
We support businesses operating across multiple regulatory regions with a single audit benchmarked to the highest applicable standard.
Practical Turnaround
Audit scope is tailored to your product and priorities so your team receives useful findings without unnecessary reporting overhead.
Checklist
Accessibility Audit Checklist
- Page title is unique and descriptive
- Headings follow a logical structure
- Landmarks identify major page regions
- Keyboard users can reach every interactive element
- Focus order matches the visual and logical order
- Visible focus indicators are clear
- No keyboard traps are present
- Links and buttons have meaningful accessible names
- Images have appropriate alternative text
- Text and UI components meet contrast requirements
- Forms have labels, instructions, and accessible error handling
- Dialogs, menus, tabs, and accordions expose state correctly
- Tables include appropriate headers
- Media includes captions or transcripts
- PDFs include tags and a logical reading order
- Mobile screens support zoom, orientation, and large touch targets
- Authentication flows are accessible
- Reports include standard references and remediation guidance
Ready to Meet Canadian Accessibility Requirements?
Whether you are a federally regulated organization tracking the Accessible Canada Act deadlines or an Ontario business meeting AODA today, our certified specialists will identify every real accessibility barrier and hand your team a prioritized, developer-ready roadmap. Quick audits start at $500, complete audits at $2,000.
Request an Accessibility Auditget in touch
Know where you stand. Know what to work on next.
Tell us what you’re working on and where you need support. Our accessibility specialists can help with audits, remediation, VPAT/ACR, accessible development, and ongoing compliance.
Let’s find the barriers before your users do
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Canada Website Accessibility Audit Services (AODA & ACA) FAQs
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about Canada Website Accessibility Audit Services (AODA & ACA).
Does AODA apply to my organization?
AODA applies to public and private organizations operating in Ontario. Most organizations with 50 or more employees must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA on their websites and provide staff accessibility training. See the AODA statute and Ontario’s website accessibility guidance.
What is the Accessible Canada Act deadline for my business?
Under the 2025 amendments, federally regulated public-sector organizations must meet web accessibility requirements by December 5, 2027, and private-sector federally regulated organizations by December 5, 2028, against CAN/ASC EN 301 549. See the Canada Gazette SOR/2025-255 and the Accessible Canada Act.
What WCAG level does Canada require?
Do I need to worry about more than one Canadian accessibility law?
Possibly. Federally regulated organizations fall under the Accessible Canada Act regardless of province. Organizations operating in Ontario, Manitoba, or Nova Scotia may also need to meet that province’s own accessibility act.
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
Accessible Canada Act administrative monetary penalties are set out in the Accessible Canada Regulations Schedule 2 and can range from $250 to $75,000 for many minor digital violations (higher for serious/very serious classifications). AODA also carries its own Ontario penalty structure.
How much does a Canada accessibility audit cost?
HalfAccessible offers a $500 Quick Accessibility Audit for smaller sites and a $2,000 Complete Audit for full-site or application coverage, plus custom enterprise pricing for larger platforms. See our pricing page for details.