Issue link: https://essentialaccessibility.ufcontent.com/i/1422374
2 | essentialaccessibility.com AODA Accessibility Requirements The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was enacted in 2005, mandating that organizations in Ontario comply with standards to become more accessible to people with disabilities. As of January 1, 2021, all public sector organizations and all private organizations with 50+ employees must make web content accessible to WCAG 2.0 AA standards (excluding live captioning and pre-recorded audio descriptions). Failure to comply can result in severe financial penalties: • A corporation/organization can be fined up to $100,000 per day • Directors and officers of a corporation/organization can be fined up to $50,000 per day 1 Our interactive checklist will help you prepare and protect your organization from legal and financial risk. Who must comply? You are required to follow WCAG 2.0 AA standards to ensure compliance with AODA if you are: • a public sector organization (government, municipalities, educational institutions) • a private organization with 50+ employees (business, non-profit, private education) The organization that controls the website must meet the accessibility requirements. 1: https://accessibilitycanada.ca/aoda/ What is WCAG? Developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide technical specifications to improve the accessibility of web content, websites and web applications on desktop computers, laptops, tablets and mobile devices for people with a wide range of disabilities, including auditory, cognitive, neurological, physical, speech and visual disabilities. Though not legally mandated, WCAG is widely considered the benchmark for achieving web accessibility. Adhering to these guidelines will ensure that your website is accessible, not just in Ontario, but around the world, thus reducing the amount of resources needed to meet geographic specific standards. What content must be accessible? Any information found on a web page or web application, including text, images, forms and sounds must be accessible.