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Market focus · Canada

Accessibility law in Canada: are you provably compliant?

Federally (ACA) fines run up to CAD 250,000 per violation; Ontario (AODA) has a theoretical ceiling up to CAD 100,000 per day.

  • Law: Accessible Canada Act (federal) + AODA (Ontario)
  • In force: ACA since 2019; AODA web requirements (WCAG 2.0 AA) since 2021. Federal digital web rules phased from Dec 2027/2028.
  • Standard: WCAG 2.0 AA (AODA) → EN 301 549/WCAG (federaal, 2027/2028)

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Enforcement: what's happening now

Provincially (AODA) WCAG 2.0 AA has applied for years to larger Ontario organisations. The federal digital web requirements only take effect in 2027/2028, no fines issued under them yet.

Since 2017 only about 45 enforcement orders have been issued under Ontario's AODA and the maximum $100,000/day penalty has never been used, though the law mandates WCAG 2.0 AA for websites (AODA review). Government of Ontario. Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) / Third Legislative Review of the AODA

Cross-border trade

Selling to here from abroad?

If you serve Canadian customers, the federal and provincial accessibility rules may apply to your service.

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Why this matters

Accessibility isn't a checkbox for a regulator, it decides whether roughly 1 in 6 people (WHO) can use your site at all. For them, an inaccessible store isn't a minor annoyance but a closed door. Fix the error in your own code and you remove that barrier and make your site cleaner for search engines, the same fix, double the gain.

Know where you stand, before the regulator does.

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Sources: Canada Gazette. Digital Technologies Accessibility Regulations (2025) · Blakes, federal digital accessibility regulations finalized

This is information and tooling, not legal advice.

Facts last verified: June 2026

Accessibility law in other countries