Is accessibility a legal requirement in Canada?
by Riley Claire Senior Software Test EngineerDisabled Canadian citizens should be able to read the same online information, shop in the same places and participate in societal activities, as it is their fundamental right. These rights are enforced and protected by writing accessibility laws.
Canada’s provincial and federal legislature has made it a point to regularly pass disabled-specific laws to website owners so that they know that equal accommodations should be provided to disabled people. There are specific Canadian accessibility standards to achieve this legal requirement pertaining to accessibility. In this article, you will learn about the specific legal acts that make accessibility a legal requirement in Canada.
Yes, accessibility testing is a legal requirement in
Canada; hence, Canadian businesses should conform to WCAG (Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines). There are specific Canadian accessibility standards
that organizations in Canada can implement to achieve their accessibility-related
goals.
Businesses in
Canada need to be aware of two significant pieces of legislation: Accessible
Canada Act (ACA) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act
(AODA).
What is ACA?
This piece of legislation was bought into effect in 2019.
The objective of ACA (Accessible Canada Act) is to create workplaces, communities
and services that allow all citizens to fully participate in societal
activities without any barriers.
All the necessary tasks, such as ordering groceries or filing your taxes, can be done online. The Internet has become a trusted resource for people across the globe and hence this specific need to address inclusion in online spaces is recognized by governments worldwide.
The obligation
of ACA:
It is a federal-level law and hence it is applicable to
almost all the geographic locations of Canada. Businesses in Canada might be
interested in knowing how this act can impact their online business presence.
Important factors are covered by the ACA that guides businesses to serve the requirements of disabled people judiciously, which is in line with Canadian accessibility standards. It is relevant to digital and physical spaces, as both comprise public accommodation.
Process of
complying with ACA:
The document can be a bit tricky as there is a lack of specific and detailed regulations related to online accessibility. The aim is to create an inclusive space and remove barriers.
The Following
are the two steps to comply with ACA:
1. Accessibility
plans: Every
three years, specific reports need to be updated that describe the specific
company strategies and plans for improving their accessibility standards.
2. Progress Reports: These reports do not have specific timeframes to complete. The idea is that the company should release the documents that explain the implementation details of a specific accessibility plan.
What is AODA?
The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) ensures that WCAG 2.0 Level A standards should be met by private and non-private organizations in Ontario. By January 2021, web content and public websites in Ontario were required to meet WCAG Level AA criteria.
Process of
complying with AODA:
The AODA rules and regulations are based on the WCAG 2.0 guidelines.
However, total compliance cannot be achieved by simply following the WCAG 2.0
standards, as there are a few exceptions. For example, a complex diagram is
featured on the website and cannot be made accessible. There should be another
version for it, even if the quality is not that good.
Business owners in Ontario must sincerely comply with
AODA. Otherwise they should be prepared to pay a hefty fine.
The two acts as mentioned above play a crucial role according to Canadian accessibility standards; hence, due consideration should be given to accessibility testing.
Conclusion: If you are looking forward to
implementing accessibility testing for your specific project, get connected
with top-notch software testing Services Company that will provide you with
well-defined testing strategies and solutions that align with your project-specific
requirements.
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Created on Nov 30th 2022 01:14. Viewed 240 times.