What is AODA Compliance?

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) compliance is a critical aspect of ensuring equal access and opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the province of Ontario, Canada. Enacted in 2005, the AODA is a landmark piece of legislation aimed at creating a barrier-free Ontario by 2025. This comprehensive law mandates accessibility standards across various sectors, including customer service, information and communications, transportation, employment, and built environments. With the overarching goal of fostering inclusivity and removing barriers, AODA compliance is imperative for organizations operating within Ontario to accommodate the diverse needs of individuals with disabilities.

AODA compliance represents a proactive approach to fostering inclusivity and ensuring accessibility for all members of society. By adhering to the standards outlined in the legislation, organizations demonstrate their commitment to diversity, equity, and social responsibility. Moreover, AODA compliance is not only a legal requirement but also a moral imperative, reflecting an organization’s dedication to promoting equality and respect for individuals with disabilities.

One of the key components of AODA compliance is the implementation of accessible customer service practices. Under the Customer Service Standard of the AODA, organizations are required to establish policies, practices, and procedures that are accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes providing accessible formats and communication supports upon request, accommodating service animals and support persons, and ensuring accessible facilities and services for customers with disabilities.

Furthermore, the Information and Communications Standard of the AODA mandates that organizations make their information and communications accessible to individuals with disabilities. This encompasses a wide range of formats, including websites, electronic documents, and multimedia content. Organizations must ensure that their digital platforms are designed and maintained in a manner that is accessible to individuals with various disabilities, such as visual impairments, hearing impairments, and motor disabilities.

In addition to customer service and information accessibility, the AODA also addresses accessibility in the built environment. The Built Environment Standard outlines requirements for making public spaces and buildings accessible to individuals with disabilities. This includes provisions for accessible parking, entrances, washrooms, and other facilities to ensure that individuals with mobility impairments can navigate public spaces independently and safely.

Moreover, AODA compliance extends to the realm of employment, requiring organizations to accommodate the needs of employees with disabilities. Under the Employment Standard, employers are obligated to provide accessible employment practices, such as accessible job postings, workplace accommodations, and accessible communication with employees. By fostering an inclusive work environment, organizations can harness the talents and contributions of individuals with disabilities, thereby enriching their workforce and promoting diversity and inclusion.

Achieving AODA compliance requires a concerted effort on the part of organizations to assess their practices, policies, and facilities to identify and address barriers to accessibility. This may involve conducting accessibility audits, implementing training programs for staff, and investing in accessibility upgrades to facilities and digital platforms. While achieving full compliance with the AODA may pose challenges for some organizations, the benefits of fostering inclusivity and accessibility far outweigh the costs. By embracing AODA compliance, organizations can demonstrate their commitment to equality, diversity, and social responsibility, while also enhancing their reputation and fostering positive relationships with customers, employees, and the community at large.

AODA Compliance is an Ontario regulation filed June 3, 2011 under Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. While the AODA is specific to Ontario, almost every jurisdiction must take into consideration the accessibility of their websites, particularly if they are public sector resources. The World Wide Web Consortium Recommendation from 2008 plays a serious role in how web content accessibility guidelines are implemented. The recommendation states that educational or training institutions must provide the following:

Educational or training resources or materials in an accessible format that takes into account the accessibility needs due to a disability of the person with a disability whom the material is to be provided by
Procuring through purchase or obtaining by other means an accessible or conversion ready electronic format of educational or training resources or materials, where available, or
arranging for the provision of a comparable resource in an accessible or conversion ready electronic format, if educational or training resources or materials cannot be procured, obtained by other means or converted into an accessible format
Provide student records and information on program requirements, availability and descriptions in an accessible format to persons with disabilities.

The most impacted industries by AODA compliance are Entertainment, Finance, Education, Public Service, Non-Profit Sector, and Government. If you are running an eCommerce online store there are accessibility considerations that should take place. These include:

Buttons too close on Mobile
Missing Link Text
Low Contrast on Text
Empty Form Labels
Missing ALT Text on Images
Ambiguous Buttons or Text Links

Meeting AODA Compliance requires keeping up with necessary technical aspects of web maintenance. Managing digital assets for accessibility is not only good for users, but it will also enhance the performance of any eCommerce website. When users can access content in different ways (Voice search, for example) the search engines rely on the same web elements required for AODA Compliance. Whatever the accessibility guidelines are in your region, it is important to always consider them during the design process.

Why does it matter if Links are Missing Text?

Keeping in mind that most websites do not consider users’ accessibility needs, the most practical reason why links missing text are bad is that they have no context. Most users looking at a link make a few assumptions about it before they click. However, with visual or auditory impairments these processes we take for granted become incredibly detrimental to user experience. Having descriptive text for links not only helps people understand what they are when they are visiting the page using an accessibility reader, but it also indirectly improves SEO opportunities such as voice search.

Practical Accessibility Considerations

Links too close are hard to touch if you have big fingers
Buttons too close together create challenges in reaching appropriate links
Ambiguous text is difficult to interpret, requires user to guess the destination
Low contrast on text is the most common accessibility issue on the Internet, negatively impacting low vision or color blind users.

How can I consider for Accessibility on my site?

Take into consideration Visual accessibility improvements that can be made for users, such as individuals with blindness, low vision or color-blindness.
Take into consideration Auditory accessibility improvements that can be added for users, such as individuals with deafness and hard of hearing.
Take into consideration Motor accessibility improvements that can be added for users, such as individuals with an inability to use a mouse, have slow response time, or limited fine motor control.
Take into consideration Cognitive accessibility improvements that can be featured for users, such as those with learning disabilities, distractibility, or an inability to remember or focus on large amounts of information.
Read more on WebAIM’s Accessibility Page

Following a well-designed website that takes AODA into practice, will include visual, motor, cognitive, and seizure considerations when developing web pages.

View the AODA Website here.

Why do we have AODA Standards?

Building a better web means creating accessible experiences for all users. This preserves the dignity, independence and equal opportunity for all individuals with disabilities to apply for jobs, participate in social media and experience the Internet as much as possible.

Here are links to more resources:

Looking for help or a more comprehensive conversation? Contact our team for affordable advice.