AODA — Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

In this tutorial, you will learn about AODA. We cover key concepts, practical examples, and best practices to help you master this topic.

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires organizations in Ontario, Canada to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA for websites, with penalties up to 100,000 dollars per day for directors and officers.

What You'll Learn

You will learn the requirements of AODA, who must comply, deadlines, penalties, and how it relates to other Canadian accessibility legislation including the Accessible Canada Act.

Why It Matters

AODA is one of the strictest accessibility laws in the world with severe personal penalties for directors. Any organization with employees in Ontario must understand and comply.

Real-World Use

DodaTech's Canadian users benefit from Durga Antivirus Pro's Compliance with AODA standards. The product's WCAG AA compliance meets Ontario requirements and all Accessible Canada Act requirements.

flowchart TD
  A[AODA] --> B[Applies to]
  A --> C[Requirements]
  A --> D[Deadlines]
  A --> E[Penalties]
  B --> F[Ontario organizations with 50+ employees]
  B --> G[All public sector]
  C --> H[WCAG 2.0 Level AA]
  C --> I[Accessibility policy]
  C --> J[Multi-year accessibility plan]
  C --> K[Accessibility statement]
  D --> L[Private sector 50+: phased]
  D --> M[Public sector: earlier deadlines]
  E --> N[100k per day for directors/officers]

What Is AODA?

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act was passed in 2005. Its goal is to make Ontario accessible by 2025. The Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) establishes specific requirements for information and communications.

Who Must Comply

All Ontario government agencies and public sector organizations. Private sector organizations with 50 or more employees in Ontario. Smaller organizations must comply with some requirements.

Web Accessibility Requirements

Websites and web content must conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. New websites must comply from the start. Existing websites must be updated.

Other Requirements

Organizations must publish an accessibility policy. Create a multi-year accessibility plan. Provide accessibility training to employees. Establish a feedback Process for accessibility issues.

function checkAODARequirements(employees, sector, hasOntarioPresence) {
  const requirements = [];
  if (!hasOntarioPresence) {
    return ['AODA does not apply (no Ontario presence)'];
  }
  if (sector === 'public') {
    requirements.push('WCAG 2.0 AA compliance');
    requirements.push('Accessibility policy');
    requirements.push('Multi-year accessibility plan');
    requirements.push('Annual status report');
    requirements.push('Staff accessibility training');
  }
  if (sector === 'private' && employees >= 50) {
    requirements.push('WCAG 2.0 AA compliance');
    requirements.push('Accessibility policy');
    requirements.push('Multi-year accessibility plan');
    requirements.push('Staff accessibility training');
  }
  return requirements;
}

console.log(checkAODARequirements(200, 'private', true));

Expected output:

['WCAG 2.0 AA compliance', 'Accessibility policy', 'Multi-year accessibility plan', 'Staff accessibility training']

Penalties

Directors and officers can be fined up to 100,000 dollars per day for non-compliance. Organizations face additional fines. The Ministry reviews compliance and can order compliance.

Accessible Canada Act

The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) is federal legislation that applies to federally regulated organizations including banks, telecoms, and transportation. It references WCAG 2.0 AA and requires accessibility plans and progress reports.

Common Mistakes

1. Assuming AODA Only Applies to Public Sector

Private sector organizations with 50 or more employees in Ontario must also comply.

2. Targeting Only WCAG 2.0

AODA currently requires WCAG 2.0 AA. Future updates may require WCAG 2.1 or 2.2. Stay ahead by targeting the latest version.

3. Ignoring Non-Web Requirements

AODA also covers customer service, employment, transportation, and built environment. Web accessibility is one part of a broader law.

4. Not Having an Accessibility Plan

A multi-year accessibility plan is required. It must be published and updated every five years.

5. Forgetting Staff Training

AODA requires accessibility training for all employees. Training records must be maintained.

6. Confusing AODA with ACA

AODA is Ontario provincial law. ACA is federal Canadian law. Both may apply to your organization.

7. Not Filing Status Reports

Public sector organizations must file annual accessibility status reports. Missing deadlines is a compliance violation.

Practice Questions

1. What WCAG standard does AODA require?

WCAG 2.0 Level AA for websites and web content.

2. What is the maximum penalty for AODA non-compliance?

Up to 100,000 dollars per day for directors and officers.

3. What organizations must comply with AODA?

Ontario government agencies, public sector organizations, and private sector organizations with 50 or more employees in Ontario.

4. What is the difference between AODA and ACA?

AODA is Ontario provincial law. ACA is federal Canadian law applying to federally regulated organizations.

5. Challenge: Determine if your organization must comply with AODA. If yes, create a compliance timeline including accessibility policy, plan, training, and web compliance.

FAQ

Mini Project

Create an AODA compliance plan for a fictional Ontario-based company with 100 employees. Include an accessibility policy, multi-year plan, training schedule, and web WCAG 2.0 AA compliance timeline.

What's Next

Learn about the Equality Act 2010 in the United Kingdom. Then explore the DDA in Australia.