AODA Accessibility Compliance Checker
Verify your website meets the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requirements. Organizations with 50+ employees must conform to WCAG 2.0 AA.
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What Is the AODA?
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is Ontario, Canada's landmark accessibility legislation, enacted in 2005 with the goal of making the province fully accessible by 2025. The AODA establishes accessibility standards across five areas: customer service, information and communications, employment, transportation, and design of public spaces. For web accessibility, the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) under the AODA requires organizations to conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA (excluding criteria 1.2.4 Live Captions and 1.2.5 Audio Description). Ontario was one of the first jurisdictions in the world to legislate specific web accessibility standards, and the AODA has influenced accessibility legislation across Canada and internationally.
Who Must Comply with the AODA?
The AODA applies to all organizations in Ontario — both public and private sector:
- Government of Ontario and all public sector organizations — required full WCAG 2.0 AA conformance since January 1, 2021
- Large private organizations (50+ employees) — required WCAG 2.0 AA since January 1, 2021, for all internet and intranet websites and web content
- Small private organizations (1-49 employees) — required WCAG 2.0 Level A since January 1, 2014; AA requirements are less strict but still applicable for new content
The law applies to websites, web applications, intranets, and digital content published after January 1, 2012. Organizations must also file accessibility compliance reports with the Ontario government every three years. If your organization operates in Ontario and has employees there, the AODA applies to you — even if your headquarters is elsewhere.
AODA Penalties and Enforcement
The AODA has some of the steepest penalties for accessibility non-compliance in the world. Directors of the Accessibility Directorate of Ontario can issue compliance orders and monetary penalties:
- Individuals: Up to $50,000 per day of non-compliance
- Corporations: Up to $100,000 per day of non-compliance
- Directors and officers: Personal liability for corporate non-compliance
Enforcement begins with inspections and audits triggered by complaints or random selection. Inspectors can order organizations to conduct accessibility audits, develop compliance plans, and implement remediation within specified timelines. While maximum penalties have rarely been imposed, the Accessibility Directorate has increased enforcement activity, and the risk of significant fines is real for organizations that ignore their obligations. Additionally, non-compliant organizations face reputational damage in a province where 2.6 million people (nearly 1 in 4 Ontarians) have a disability.
Testing for AODA Compliance with CompliScan
CompliScan scans your web pages against WCAG 2.0 Level AA success criteria, which is the technical standard required by the AODA. The scanner checks for all 38 Level A and AA criteria (minus the two exempted live captioning requirements) and reports violations organized by impact severity. Each issue includes the specific WCAG criterion reference, making it easy to map findings to your AODA compliance report. Our AI engine suggests concrete fixes — from adding missing alt text to correcting heading hierarchies and improving form labeling. For organizations targeting best practices beyond the minimum, CompliScan can also evaluate against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 AA, preparing you for potential future updates to the AODA standard. Run regular scans to maintain compliance as your website content changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the AODA apply to websites hosted outside Ontario?
The AODA applies to organizations that have employees or operations in Ontario, regardless of where their websites are hosted. If your company has one or more employees in Ontario and provides goods, services, or information through a website, that website must comply with AODA requirements. A US company with an Ontario office, for example, would need its customer-facing website to meet WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
What is the difference between AODA and the ACA?
The AODA is Ontario's provincial law, while the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) is the federal law enacted in 2019. The ACA applies to federally regulated organizations — banks, airlines, telecommunications companies, and the federal government. The AODA applies to all organizations operating in Ontario. The two laws overlap for federally regulated organizations operating in Ontario. Other provinces including Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and British Columbia have their own accessibility legislation as well.
Has AODA been updated to require WCAG 2.1?
As of 2024, the AODA still references WCAG 2.0 AA. However, the Ontario government has conducted reviews recommending updates to align with WCAG 2.1, and the Accessible Canada Act's regulatory framework is expected to reference newer WCAG versions. Many accessibility professionals recommend targeting WCAG 2.1 AA or higher even under the AODA, as it provides better coverage for mobile users and people with cognitive disabilities.
Do I need to file an AODA compliance report?
Yes. Organizations with 20 or more employees must file an accessibility compliance report with the Ontario government every three years. The report asks whether you have met various AODA requirements including web accessibility standards. Filing is done online through the Ontario government portal. Failure to file can trigger enforcement action. Organizations with fewer than 20 employees are exempt from filing but must still comply with the substantive requirements.
Can the AODA penalties really reach $100,000 per day?
Yes, the maximum penalty for a corporation under the AODA is $100,000 per day of non-compliance. In practice, penalties at this level have been rare — the Accessibility Directorate typically starts with compliance orders and gives organizations time to remediate. However, the penalties accumulate daily, so prolonged non-compliance can result in very large total fines. The directorate has signaled increased enforcement, and the threat of substantial penalties is intended to motivate proactive compliance.
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