Accessible Canada Act (ACA)
Website Accessibility Compliance Guide
Overview
Website Accessibility Compliance in Canada
Digital accessibility in Canada is supported by the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), a federal law designed to identify, remove, and prevent barriers faced by people with disabilities.
The Act requires federally regulated organizations to improve accessibility across services, including digital platforms such as websites and mobile applications.
While the ACA does not prescribe detailed technical rules for websites, accessibility frameworks used in Canada align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
WebAbility helps organizations evaluate accessibility gaps and move toward compliance through WCAG-aligned audits, remediation planning, and continuous monitoring.
- WCAG-Aligned Accessibility Audits
- Manual + Automated Accessibility Testing
- Accessibility Documentation & Reporting
- Continuous Accessibility Monitoring
Check Your Website for ACA Compliance
Legal Framework
What is the Accessible Canada Act?
The Accessible Canada Act was enacted in 2019 to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040.
The Act focuses on identifying and removing barriers across multiple sectors, including:
- Information and communication technologies
- Employment
- Transportation
- Procurement
- Customer service
- Built environments
Digital accessibility is a key focus area because online services are essential for participation in modern society.
Who Must Comply
Who Must Comply with the Accessible Canada Act?
The ACA applies to federally regulated organizations in Canada, including:
Federal Government Departments
Departments and agencies of the Government of Canada.
Crown Corporations
Federally owned corporations delivering public services.
Federally Regulated Banks
Banks and financial institutions under federal jurisdiction.
Telecommunications Companies
Providers of phone, internet, and broadcasting services.
Airlines & Transportation Providers
Air, rail, and other federally regulated transportation services.
Federal Public Service Organizations
Organizations delivering services on behalf of the federal public service.
These organizations must identify accessibility barriers and implement plans to remove them.
Technical Standard
Accessibility Standards in Canada
Accessibility standards under the ACA are developed by Accessibility Standards Canada. This organization develops national accessibility standards across multiple sectors, with the goal of creating consistent accessibility expectations across Canada. Digital accessibility standards developed by Accessibility Standards Canada typically align with international accessibility frameworks.
For websites specifically, Canada generally uses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to measure accessibility. Most government digital services aim to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA, which defines measurable accessibility requirements for websites and digital services. Many organizations are beginning to align with WCAG 2.2 to future-proof accessibility compliance.
WCAG Alignment
Core Accessibility Principles (WCAG Framework)
Accessibility compliance is typically evaluated using four WCAG principles:
Perceivable
Users must be able to perceive website content. Examples include alternative text for images, captions for multimedia, sufficient color contrast, and adaptable layouts.
Alt TextContrastCaptions
Operable
Users must be able to navigate and interact with the interface. Examples include keyboard navigation, accessible forms, visible focus indicators, and a logical navigation structure.
Keyboard NavFocus Indicators
Understandable
Content and navigation must be clear and predictable. Examples include clear instructions, helpful error messages, and consistent navigation patterns.
Clear InstructionsConsistent Nav
Robust
Content must work with assistive technologies. Examples include screen reader compatibility, semantic HTML structure, and proper ARIA implementation.
Screen ReadersARIA
Governance
Accessibility Requirements Under the ACA
Organizations covered by the Accessible Canada Act must implement several accessibility governance measures, including:
Accessibility Plans
Organizations must publish accessibility plans outlining how they will identify and remove barriers.
Progress Reports
Entities must regularly publish reports describing progress toward improving accessibility.
Feedback Mechanisms
Organizations must provide ways for the public to report accessibility issues, promoting transparency and continuous improvement.
Federal vs Provincial
Relationship Between ACA and AODA
Canada has both federal and provincial accessibility laws. For example:
- The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) applies to federally regulated organizations.
- The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) applies to organizations operating in Ontario.
Organizations operating nationally may need to comply with both federal and provincial accessibility requirements.
Why It Matters
Why Accessibility Compliance Matters in Canada
27%
of Canadians live with a disability
Around 8.0 million Canadians aged 15+ reported a disability in 2022, according to Statistics Canada.
72%
experienced an accessibility barrier
Canadians with disabilities reported facing at least one barrier to accessibility in the past year.
$250K
maximum ACA penalty
Very serious violations of the Accessible Canada Act can draw administrative monetary penalties of up to $250,000.
86%
Improved User Experience
Companies report measurable gains in customer satisfaction after improving website accessibility.
How WebAbility Helps
From first scan to sustained conformance
Audit
Automated scanning, manual testing, keyboard-only validation, screen reader testing, and success criteria mapping.
- WCAG criteria map
- Severity-rated findings
- Evidence library
Prioritize
Issues classified by legal exposure, user impact, and remediation effort to tackle the right things first.
- Risk matrix
- Sprint-ready backlog
- Quick-win shortlist
Remediate
Developer-ready guidance with code patterns, ARIA recipes and pull-request samples.
- Code snippets
- Component patterns
- QA checklist
Validate & Report
Conformance-ready reporting, including VPAT/ACR, accessibility statement, and procurement evidence.
- VPAT 2.5 / ACR
- Accessibility statement
- Audit attestation
Monitor
Continuous scans prevent regression. Catch drift the moment it ships.
- Daily automated scans
- Regression alerts
- Quarterly expert review
Why WebAbility
Why Choose WebAbility for ACA Compliance
Professional ACA compliance requires defensible documentation, not superficial overlays. WebAbility's methodology is built on a WCAG 2.2–aligned framework that scales from small businesses to enterprise deployments, combining automated scanning with expert manual testing across keyboard-only and screen reader workflows.
Every audit maps findings to precise WCAG success criteria and produces compliance-grade reporting through transparent reporting dashboards designed for legal and procurement review, with risk-based prioritization so your team addresses what matters most first.
Manual Accessibility Testing
WCAG Success Criteria Mapping
Continuous Compliance Monitoring
Keyboard & Screen Reader Validation
Developer Remediation Guidance
Risk-Based Prioritization
Continuous Compliance
Continuous Accessibility Compliance
Accessibility should be treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time project. Websites constantly change through content updates, new features, design changes, and system integrations. Ongoing monitoring ensures that accessibility improvements remain effective, strengthening compliance, usability, and digital inclusion.
ACA compliance is a proactive strategy, whether your goal is to prevent litigation, improve usability, expand market reach, or strengthen procurement eligibility. WebAbility can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get answers to the most common ACA website compliance questions.
