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Best Practice

Fri Apr 25 2025

Understanding AODA Website Compliance With Checklist

Learn what AODA compliance means, why it matters for your Ontario business, and how to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards with simple tools and checklists. Avoid fines and boost accessibility.

Illustration of men staring at an AODA compliant website

AODA compliance isn’t just the law—it’s smart business. Accessible websites help you reach more customers, improve your SEO, and build a stronger brand. In Ontario, private and non private businesses with more than 50 employees are legally required to meet AODA standards. Not compliant? You could face fines of up to $100,000 per day. But the good news? Becoming compliant is easier than you think—and it benefits everyone. We have a AODA compliance checklist that makes it easier than ever to be compliant.

What Is AODA Website Compliance Look Like?

AODA stands for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It’s a law in Ontario that says businesses need to make their services accessible to everyone—including people with disabilities.

That includes your website!

If your site is hard to use for someone who is blind, has trouble hearing, or can’t use a mouse, you could be breaking the rules—even if it’s not on purpose.

And here’s the thing: if your business has 50 or more employees, you must follow these rules. But even if you’re smaller, making your site easier to use is a smart move. It helps more people connect with your business and shows you care.

What Does It Mean To Be AODA Website Compliant?

To be AODA compliant, your website must meet the standards of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA—a set of accessibility guidelines that make web content easier to use for everyone, especially people with disabilities.

Here’s a checklist of what that means for your website:

1. Perceivable (People can see and hear your content)

  • Add text descriptions to all images (alt text).
  • Add captions to videos.
  • Add audio descriptions for videos when needed.
  • Make sure your content looks good when made simpler.
  • Use strong contrast between text and background (so it’s easy to read).
  • Let people make text bigger (up to 200%) without breaking the page.
  • Don’t only use color only to show important info.
  • Make sure content is in the right reading order.
  • Don’t give directions that only use color or shape (like “press the red circle”).

2. Operable (People can use your website with a keyboard)

  • Everything on your site works with just a keyboard.
  • Let people stop or pause things that move or blink.
  • Add a “skip to main content” link at the top of the page.
  • Use the same navigation menu on each page.
  • Don’t use flashing content that could cause seizures.
  • Make sure people can see which button or link they are on.
  • Give clear labels and tips for filling out forms.
  • Let users change time limits or get more time if needed.

3. Understandable (Your content makes sense)

  • Write in clear, simple words.
  • Keep menus and buttons in the same place on every page.
  • Help people fix mistakes in forms (like missing info or wrong format).
  • Add clear labels to all form fields.
  • Warn people before the page changes or something big happens.

4. Robust (Your site works with tools like screen readers)

  • Use clean, correct HTML code.
  • Make sure your website works with screen readers (software that converts what’s on the screen into audio or braille output) and other helpful tools.
  • Use ARIA roles the right way when needed (for advanced users/tools).

Useful Tools For AODA Compliance

You don’t have to do everything by hand! These free tools can help you check if your website follows WCAG 2.0 Level AA rules:

  • WAVE – Shows you what’s missing or hard to use on your page.

  • Google Lighthouse – Gives your site a score for accessibility and helps fix problems.

  • Accessibility Insights – A tool made by Microsoft that checks your site step by step.

  • axe DevTools – Great for developers. Finds and explains issues in your code.

  • Color Contrast Checker – Makes sure your text is easy to read against your background.

Examples of Non-Compliant Websites

Not all websites meet AODA rules. Here are a few common problems that can make a site hard to use for people with disabilities:

  • No image descriptions (alt text)
    _Example: Take a look at nymag.com. This site features no alt text on their images makes it hard or people for users with disabilities to perceive their content.

  • Low contrast between text and background
    Example: While some find it stylish, having a white background with light grey text is a low contrast nightmare and makes text hard to read. Low Contrast website violating WCAG 2

Making Your Website Accessible Helps You Grow

Did you know that 27% Canadians have at least one disability? That’s over 8 million people who may struggle to use a website that isn’t accessible. Making your site easier to navigate, read, and use helps everyone—including older adults, people with low vision, and those with temporary injuries.

And it’s not just about doing the right thing—it’s good for business.

Make Your Website AODA Complaint

Being AODA compliant means your website is easy for everyone to use. It also helps you reach more people, avoid fines, and build trust with your customers.

By following WCAG 2.0 Level AA rules and using helpful tools, you can make your site better for everyone.

Need help? We offer services to check and fix your website so it’s fully AODA compliant.

Contact us today to get started!