Does your website need to be AODA Compliant?

At Green Arrow Consultancy we like to keep you informed of all global compliance laws to which companies who trade within these countries must abide by to stay within the law.

Today we are looking at the AODA Act in Ontario, Canada and what it covers and why. Like all laws that govern us, it is important to ensure your web presence follows the guidelines, if required.

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Does your website need to be AODA Compliant?

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act is referred to as AODA. The standards for service accessibility in Ontario were fixed by provincial authorities in 2005.

The Ontarians with impairments Act, which requires workplaces and websites to remove barriers to participation for people with impairments, was passed by the provincial government in 2001 after years of lobbying by advocacy groups. Although it was a significant improvement, the fact that it only pertained to government ministries made it still relatively constrained. It was obvious that the law needed to be modified almost as soon as it was ratified because it lacked any enforcement standards, fines, or compliance criteria.

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What is demanded by the AODA?

The AODA's accessibility requirements are based on the W3C's WCAG 2.0 criteria.

Websites that want to be accessible must follow the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), a set of global web accessibility requirements. The four WCAG principles serve as the cornerstone for the detailed specifications of the guidelines. Perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust are these fundamental ideas.

Although the WCAG is not a collection of regulations that must be followed, it does establish the global standard for website accessibility and is cited as such in numerous pieces of international legislation. Legislation compliance is attained by those who meet the WCAG requirements.

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What is demanded by the AODA?

The AODA's accessibility requirements are based on the W3C's WCAG 2.0 criteria, like most web accessibility laws.

Websites that want to be accessible must follow the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), a set of global web accessibility requirements. The four WCAG principles serve as the cornerstone for the detailed specifications of the guidelines. Perceivable, operable, intelligible, and resilient are these fundamental ideas.

Although the WCAG is not a collection of regulations that must be followed, it does establish the global standard for website accessibility and is cited as such in numerous pieces of international legislation. Legislation compliance is attained by those who meet the WCAG requirements.

How are you expected to determine whether your website complies with current web accessibility standards?

It's critical that company owners and website administrators do an AODA Compliance Checker audit of their website. It is easier to develop a plan of action and choose the tools that will best assist you in achieving the necessary WCAG and AODA compliance levels once you have a comprehensive understanding of the barriers that exist on your website. 

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Are there any other Canadian accessibility laws that I should be aware of?

Although the AODA is the primary accessibility law in Ontario, it doesn't take the place of other laws that might have an impact on accessibility policy. The Ontario Human Rights Code, which already prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities, is human rights law. Accordingly, anyone who violates AODA may also be subject to investigation by the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

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