Canada Digital Accessibility Laws and Standards

• Posted by Riley Claire December 16, 2022 Filed in Technology #canada accessibility standards  #canadian accessibility standards  #accessibility standards canada  353 views
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  Digital accessibility is an ongoing process; hence strategic efforts need to be put in by the team to attain compliance. Canadian businesses and organizations can provide a compliance report describing the work protocols that can eventually meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards. Depending upon the business type, the compliance report can be prepared at specific intervals as decided by the management team. The accessibility testing team must have a well-defined strategy to ensure the website incorporates digital accessibility laws and standards coherently. In this article, you will learn about Canada’s digital accessibility laws and standards.
  
  

  

  The Canada accessibility standards take into consideration the following key points:

  • Private business or a public sector organization
  • Whether the business has been established or not
  • The business is limited to provincial or country-wide
  • Company size.

  In legal parlance, the requirements related to Canadian accessibility standards are served by WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). Accessibility conformance consists of three levels: A, AA, or AAA. Each of these indicates rising levels of compliance. The level of version and conformance required is specified by each law.

  Following are the two important Digital accessibility laws and standards of Canada:

  1. Canadian Standard on Web Accessibility:

  The Canada Standard on Web Accessibility (2011) states that all Government of Canada web applications and Websites should conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA. These specific laws may not be applicable to businesses outside of the government. For detailed information, you can visit https://www.tbs-sct.canada.ca/pol/doc-eng.aspx?id=23601§ion=html

  2. Accessible Canada Act (ACA, 2019):

  The federal Accessible Canada Act (ACA, 2019) was passed in line with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Canadian Human Rights Act. This act has a well-defined strategy and a broad vision to help disabled people and thus help in create a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

  The technological context and the built environment are focused and worked upon in this act. This act applies to the Government of Canada, parliament and all federally regulated private sector organizations, including financial institutions, Canadian Armed forces, transportation, telecommunications service providers and crown corporations.

  ACA is continually establishing specific regulations in consultation with disabled people and their various communities. Accessibility testing is an important aspect.

  The digital accessibility laws in line with ACA should cover the following important points:

  • Conformance of employee-facing tools such as internal learning resources, employees and intranets should be included in accessible workspaces
  • Content from vendors and conformance of digital tools should be included in the procurement services
  • Accessible services can include merchant paying machines, parking machines and kiosks.

  Provincial Laws:

  In 2005, Ontario formed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), serving as the first provincial accessibility law. After AODA, Manitoba’s Accessibility for Manitobans Act (2013) and Nova Scotia’s Access by Design 2030 (2018) followed.

  The Digital accessibility component is currently included in the AODA. Ontario government has created a web resource to help navigate the rules for digital accessibility.

  The AODA is applicable to those non-profit, private and public sector organizations that have 50+ employees. Those employees that are self-employed are not covered in this act. All websites that are public-facing or have been significantly refreshed since January 1, 2014, should comply with Level A.

  By January 1, 2021, all private and public sector organizations with 50+ employees are required to be WCAG 2.0 AA accessible. This means websites should be updated and any changes done should also comply with Level AA to maintain the accessibility compliance status.

  Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing accessibility testing for your specific project, get connected with a world-renowned software testing services company that will provide you with professional consultation and strategic advice along with effective testing solutions that aligns with your project-specific requirements.