Does website accessibility law apply to my business in Canada?

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and Integrated Accessibility Standards (S.O. 2005, c. 11; O. Reg. 191/11, s. 14) applies to: Public sector and large organisations in Ontario (50 or more employees) for the website rule.

What accessibility standard must a website meet in Canada?

WCAG 2.0 Level AA for public websites and web content posted after 2012, with exceptions for live captions and pre-recorded audio description.

How is website accessibility enforced in Canada?

Ontario's Accessibility Directorate: compliance reports, inspections, orders and administrative penalties.

What are the penalties for an inaccessible website in Canada?

Administrative penalties; on conviction, fines of up to CAD 100,000 a day for a corporation.

Website accessibility law

Website accessibility law in Canada

Ontario's AODA requires larger organisations' websites to meet WCAG 2.0 AA. Federally regulated businesses fall under the Accessible Canada Act, and provincial human rights codes cover everyone else.

Moderate exposure for private websites. Mostly regulator-led. Ontario sets a clear web standard for larger organisations; human rights complaints are possible everywhere.

Quick answers

Does website accessibility law apply to my business in Canada?: Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and Integrated Accessibility Standards (S.O. 2005, c. 11; O. Reg. 191/11, s. 14) applies to: Public sector and large organisations in Ontario (50 or more employees) for the website rule.
What accessibility standard must a website meet in Canada?: WCAG 2.0 Level AA for public websites and web content posted after 2012, with exceptions for live captions and pre-recorded audio description.
How is website accessibility enforced in Canada?: Ontario's Accessibility Directorate: compliance reports, inspections, orders and administrative penalties.
What are the penalties for an inaccessible website in Canada?: Administrative penalties; on conviction, fines of up to CAD 100,000 a day for a corporation.

The laws

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and Integrated Accessibility Standards

S.O. 2005, c. 11; O. Reg. 191/11, s. 14

Who is covered: Public sector and large organisations in Ontario (50 or more employees) for the website rule.
Standard: WCAG 2.0 Level AA for public websites and web content posted after 2012, with exceptions for live captions and pre-recorded audio description.
Enforcement: Ontario's Accessibility Directorate: compliance reports, inspections, orders and administrative penalties.
What it can cost: Administrative penalties; on conviction, fines of up to CAD 100,000 a day for a corporation.
Key dates: WCAG 2.0 AA required from 1 January 2021.
Impact on your website: An Ontario business with 50 or more staff should have a WCAG 2.0 AA website and must file accessibility compliance reports.

What it means for your website

Ontario's rule is regulator-driven; private lawsuits like the US are rare.
Federally regulated sectors (banks, telecoms, airlines) have duties under the Accessible Canada Act.
Quebec and other provinces rely on human rights codes.

How Jralo helps in Canada

Daily checks against WCAG 2.2 A and AA with axe-core. Automated testing finds many, not all, problems.
A dated, independently timestamped record of what was checked and fixed, so you can show what you did and when.
Website Mechanic fixes problems in your code and opens a pull request for you to review.

Start free

Good to know

Check the current regulation for the exact definition of a large organisation.
Reporting duties start at 20 employees in Ontario and differ from the website rule.

Sources

General information, checked 9 October 2026. Not legal advice. Laws, guidance and enforcement change; speak to a qualified lawyer about your situation.