AODA website accessibility: what Ontario requires

In Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires many organizations to make their public websites meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA. At the federal level, the Accessible Canada Act applies to federally regulated entities but, according to the federal government page, does not itself set a website standard. This page sets out what the official sources say. It is general information, not legal advice.

AODA: who must make websites accessible

The rules sit in the Integrated Accessibility Standards regulation, O. Reg. 191/11. According to the Ontario government's page How to make websites accessible, public websites must be accessible if the organization is:

• a designated public sector organization, or
• a business or non-profit organization with 50 or more employees.

Organizations below that threshold are not named in this requirement.

What standard: WCAG 2.0 Level AA

Covered public websites and web content must meet the WCAG 2.0 Level AA success criteria, with two exceptions:

• 1.2.4 Captions (Live), and
• 1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded).

The page sets this as a requirement from 1 January 2021, for websites and web content published after 1 January 2012.

The AODA names WCAG 2.0, not 2.1 or 2.2. WCAG 2.2 AA includes all 2.0 AA criteria except 4.1.1 Parsing, which was removed, and adds criteria such as reflow, non-text contrast, focus not obscured and target size. If you aim for WCAG 2.2 AA, you cover the AODA level and the level most other laws and standards now use; see WCAG levels and WCAG 2.1 vs 2.2.

Federal: the Accessible Canada Act

The Accessible Canada Act covers federally regulated entities — for example banking, telecommunications and transportation, and Government of Canada departments, agencies and Crown corporations. They must:

• prepare and publish accessibility plans,
• set up feedback processes, and
• publish progress reports.

Accessibility Standards Canada develops national standards; the federal page says that compliance with them is voluntary unless they are adopted into regulations. It mentions proposed changes on digital accessibility but gives no details, so we do not describe them here.

Selling to the US or the EU

Canadian online stores often sell abroad. In the US, WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 AA is the usual reference under the ADA — see ADA website compliance. In the EU, the European Accessibility Act covers e-commerce for consumers — see the EAA guide.

Checking a website for AODA

A website accessibility checker finds part of the WCAG issues automatically. Our free check and WCAG checker test a page against WCAG 2.2 A and AA; each finding shows its criterion number, so you can read the result against WCAG 2.0 AA. Then test by hand with a keyboard, zoom and a screen reader — see how to test WCAG. A scan is an automated check, not a full audit, and does not confirm that a site meets the AODA.

Sources

• Government of Ontario, How to make websites accessible (updated 21 September 2026): https://www.ontario.ca/page/how-make-websites-accessible
• Government of Canada, Accessible Canada Act overview: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/accessible-canada.html
• W3C, WCAG 2.2: https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/

Frequently asked questions

What does the AODA require for websites?

Public websites and web content of covered organizations must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA, except success criteria 1.2.4 (live captions) and 1.2.5 (prerecorded audio descriptions). The rules are in the Integrated Accessibility Standards, O. Reg. 191/11.

Who must make their website accessible under the AODA?

Designated public sector organizations and businesses or non-profit organizations with 50 or more employees, according to the Ontario government.

Does the AODA require WCAG 2.1 or 2.2?

No. The Ontario requirement names WCAG 2.0 Level AA. WCAG 2.2 AA includes nearly all of the 2.0 AA criteria, so testing against 2.2 AA covers the AODA level and more.

Does the Accessible Canada Act set a website standard?

The federal government page on the Act does not set a website standard. The Act applies to federally regulated entities, which must publish accessibility plans, set up feedback processes and report on progress.

Is there a free website accessibility checker for Canada?

Our free check tests one page against WCAG 2.2 A and AA, which include the WCAG 2.0 AA criteria the AODA names. It is an automated check, not a full audit.