The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) was established in 2005 with the goal of making Ontario inclusive and accessible by 2025. The mandates by the AODA require all public sector organizations to adhere to the accessibility standards it has set. This impacts all businesses, non-profit organizations, and government entities.
With these accessibility standards set by the AODA, the intention is to help all individuals with disabilities that are either cognitive or physical be able to fully engage with all aspects of society just as anyone else. Organizations must produce an accessibility compliance report to ensure they are meeting these standards. Ensuring accessibility compliance, including being AODA compliant, involves making information available in accessible formats and maintaining an AODA website compliance. Public sector organizations must also meet the customer service standard and complete AODA compliance reporting regularly. It is important to understand that the AODA differs from the ADA as well as it is more proactive.
Regardless of laws, accessibility is crucial in today’s world, including the online realm. It is imperative that you ensure that your entity complies with the AODA standards or face penalties in the form of extremely hefty fines.
Accessibly can help with that, as a leading accessibility widget provider that specializes in helping businesses effortlessly increase AODA compliance. We offer a range of services and tools to ensure your website and digital content adheres to these guidelines.
What is the AODA? (Meaning)
The AODA stands for the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. It consists of a set of legislation enacted in 2005 which make the province of Ontario more accessible by developing, implementing, and enforcing better accessibility standards.
The AODA is divided into five main areas which cover the basic aspects of daily life: customer service, information and communications, employment, transportation, and design of public spaces.
It applies to all organizations in Ontario, including the public and private sector, as well as non-profits. This means that any entity that provides goods, services, facilities, or employment in Ontario must comply with the AODA standards to ensure people with disabilities are given equal opportunities.
The Significance of AODA Compliance and Its Impact on Businesses
While disabilities include people who require wheelchairs or have other physical disabilities, there are some disabilities that are not visible. In other words, you can’t always tell who has a disability from someone who does not.
Disabilities can include vision disabilities, being deaf or hard of hearing, learning disabilities, intellectual or developmental disabilities, and mental health disabilities. Even though you can’t see every disability, it is only fair and proper to improve accessibility for everyone. Being differently abled should not affect someone’s chances of living a full and quality life.By making Ontario websites accessible to those who have disabilities, it helps everyone. This is why designing a website for accessibility can only improve your business.
Overview of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, or AODA, was created to help all people with disabilities. The goal is to identify, remove, and prevent any barriers that may get in the way for anyone who has a disability. This law went into effect on June 13, 2005, and it applies to all government agencies at all levels, non-profit organizations, and private sector businesses in Ontario, Canada with one or more employees, regardless of whether those employees are full-time, part-time, contract, or seasonal.
The AODA provides set requirements that every organization must meet. It also includes deadlines specific to each type and size of organization. It differs from the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) in that the ACA is a federal-level law that applies to all geographic areas of Canada. The ACA only affects areas under federal jurisdiction, including governmental organizations; federally regulated sectors like banking, telecommunications, and interprovincial transportation; and state-owned enterprises or Crown corporations.
The ACA relates to the AODA in that it also applies these laws to technological platforms. Essentially, this means that all websites connected to these types of industries must do their part to be compliant and accessible for all.
Accessibility Requirements Outlined in the AODA
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) provides important guidelines that are intended to ensure services are accessible to any person with a disability. These mandates urge adherence to standards on web content, with assistive technologies, and in the application of designing with inclusivity in mind.
Here is a look at how each of these areas are affected by the AODA rules.
Web Content Guidelines
The AODA has a section devoted to information and communication standards. Within this section, it mandates that all web content must adhere to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA, excluding criteria 1.2.4, which applies to live captions, and 1.2.5 which applies to audio descriptions.
All web pages must be perceivable with a user interface and information components that all users can access. A prime example of this is having alternative text for images. Additionally, user interface components and navigation must be operable for all, either through the keyboard or with navigation support.
Information provided on web content needs to be understandable through readable text content and robust enough to be understood and interpreted through various user agents, including assistive technologies.
Assistive Technologies
In addition to meeting the web content guidelines, assistive technologies should be available. These include alternative keyboards, screen readers, and closed captioning. Every website is required by the AODA to ensure that it is compatible with these assistive technologies that make it possible for people with disabilities to effectively interact with the content.
Screen readers allow those who have visual impairments the ability to comprehend digital content while closed captioning and visual alerts work in tandem with audio information for those who have hearing impairments.
Inclusive Website Design
One of the most central points to AODA compliance are the inclusive design principles. These ensure that every product, service, and environment is made accessible to everyone by considering the physical, cognitive, and sensory differences each person may have. Public sector organizations, in particular, must adhere to accessibility standards that promote web accessibility to ensure that their digital content is usable by all.
Inclusive website design involves creating solutions that adapt to different users and their own unique needs. These requirements must be implemented to provide equal opportunities and access for people with disabilities to align with the AODA. An AODA accessibility compliance report can help organizations assess their current status and identify areas for improvement, ensuring they meet the necessary accessibility laws.
By focusing on employee support practices and creating public spaces that are accessible and inclusive, organizations can actively work to remove barriers that hinder participation. This commitment not only fosters a culture of accessibility but also strengthens the aim of becoming a fully accessible province for all residents.
The Benefits of AODA Compliance for Businesses
It is required by law to adhere to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. However, it also provides many benefits for businesses. When you make your website accessible, you can open the door for untapped market opportunities while boosting the reputation of your brand.
Here is a look at how complying with AODA standards can fully benefit your business.
Greater Market Reach
When you comply with AODA standards, you have a way to expand your market. Millions of people in Ontario and throughout Canada will have access to your brand, and they all have spending power. You will now attract a wider audience to your products and services and have greater potential for earning higher revenue because you are giving access to this market segment.
Building Brand Reputation
As you are likely aware, image is everything, and the image your brand projects should be cast in a positive light. Compliance with the AODA contributes to a positive image. When you make your brand accessible, you align with social responsibility. You also become inclusive, allowing everyone the chance to be a part of your brand in the name of diversity.
How to Choose the Right Accessibility Solution Provider for Your Organization
The rules set by the AODA are necessary, though they can be complex. Even if you have every intention of making sure you follow these regulations, you may miss a key metric that could put you at risk for incurring fines and penalties for not being compliant.
It is imperative that you choose the right accessibility solutions, which are offered by accessibility solution providers. However, you should focus on choosing the one with expertise and experience. These providers should have a proven success record on delivering solutions that fully comply with AODA standards.
Take a look at their credentials and confirm that they are recognized by industry associations for their work on compliance. Testimonials and case studies can also give you a look at how others have found their services. Ideally though, you need a company that can provide customized solutions to fit your specific industry as well as give you the support you need.
When you take all of these factors into consideration, remember that the solutions you choose must work with your organization’s current systems and infrastructure. They should also be cost-effective yet comprehensive and scalable, able to grow with your company’s needs. Most importantly, the user experience should be enhanced through these solutions. This is why the overwhelming majority of organizations in Ontario and Canada choose Accessibly to become fully compliant with the AODA and provide inclusive access for everyone.
How Accessibly’s Services Ensure AODA Compliance for Your Website and Digital Content
Accessibly features an array of services that are specifically customized to ensure that every website and all digital content adheres to the regulations set by the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act. The comprehensive app allows users to adjust your website’s design according to their needs and keep current with the applicable laws.
If you need any assistance, you can contact Accessibly’s customer support team to walk you through any difficulties you may be experiencing and guide you to the right solutions. You’ll get help with everything from coding and content to ensure your full compliance with the AODA compliance checklist with complete ease.
Why Choose Accessibly for AODA Compliance
The biggest advantage of using Accessibly is because of the innovative accessibility widget. This handy tool allows for immediate functionality adjustments to benefit every user. It can help enlarge text size and contrast alterations without you needing to change your website’s code.
The Accessibly widget also features screen reader optimization that ensures anyone with visual impairments can easily navigate your website through their preferred means of technology. Visitors can customize their options to tailor their browsing experience to meet their own needs as well. It’s an excellent tool that can help with compliance though it is not intended to replace manual audits or content adjustments.
How to Get Started with AODA Compliance
Websites must be AODA compliant by adhering to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA. This means that every website must be structured with headings, lists, and descriptive links to help with navigation and understanding for the inclusivity of all users. Captions and audio descriptions in media content can help those who have visual or auditory disabilities.
For each of these metrics, it is essential to do things the right way or risk missing a crucial detail that can cost dearly in fines. Accessibly provides everything you need to easily integrate and update for AODA compliance.
