Canada’s digital accessibility plan: what you need to know
Introduction
Imagine you wake up, check your phone, browse the news, order coffee, send an email, and start your day. Now imagine that most of those tasks are impossible because the websites and apps you rely on weren’t designed for you to use. For millions of Canadians with disabilities, this isn’t hypothetical—it’s reality. But that’s about to change. Efforts to include digital accessibility under the Accessible Canada Act represent a major shift toward inclusion for all in digital spaces.
As a person who lives with multiple disabilities (including a mobility disability, blindness, and a neurodevelopmental disability), assistive technology like screen readers, optical character recognition (OCR), and text-to-speech allow me to participate in our digital world. Without digital accessibility, I could not work, chat with friends, use social media, play games, shop, or even identify the cans in my pantry independently. But with accessible tools, all of these things are possible.
Over the last 15 years, I’ve worked in roles across the accessibility space. I’ve helped organizations develop accessibility plans, participated in think tanks, helped test physical spaces, developed consumer products, connected people to services, and helped test and develop tools and technology that make digital spaces like websites, applications, and games accessible. Today, I am proud to work as the co-founder of Easy Surf, a disability-led digital tech consultancy, that bridges the gap between usability and digital accessibility regulations.
Why does digital accessibility matter?
According to a 2024 WebAIM study of a million websites, 95.9% had accessibility failures on their homepage. This means that only 4.1% of the websites tested would be considered accessible to end-users.
For you, this may mean poor contrast that makes you strain your eyes to read content or an inability to find what you are looking for on a website. For me, it may mean hearing “button” with no context for what the button does or hearing content in the wrong order.
Digital inaccessibility can bog down technical support lines creating inefficiencies for both businesses and consumers. It can also reduce productivity when trying to complete tasks like accessing government forms or researching for work.
The financial impact is also significant. While many organizations forgo accessibility due to perceived implementation costs, research conducted by the Government of Canada suggests that over 10 years, the net benefit of including digital accessibility is almost 900 million dollars. It even suggests a lower turnover rate for employees across organizations.
Making digital content accessible improves the experience for everyone, but for those with disabilities, it ensures equitable access.
What is the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), and what is changing?
The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) was a law passed in 2019 that aims to create a barrier-free Canada by 2040. This means equitable access for disabled Canadians to jobs, programs, services, and spaces.
Under The ACA, the Accessible Canada Regulations were passed in 2021 to establish concrete accessibility rules federal organizations must follow. The upcoming changes would add a new section to the regulations titled “Information and Communication Technologies.” This would address new accessibility requirements for digital technologies like new web pages, mobile applications, and digital documents.
These requirements would conform to the international digital accessibility standards outlined in CAN/ASC-EN 301 549; standards shared by EU nations.
Who is affected?
These rules would apply to federal agencies like the RCMP, and Canada Post for all new web pages starting June 1, 2027, and for new mobile applications and documents beginning June 1, 2028. On June 1, 2028, these requirements would also extend to private businesses in federally regulated industries like banking and transportation. Businesses with 100 or more employees would need meet these requirements for new web pages, and businesses with 500 or more employees would also need to ensure accessibility for new mobile applications and digital documents on their websites.
How to prepare
For organizations and businesses that are mandated to implement digital accessibility under the ACA, we recommend looking at your accessibility practices early. It can take time and interdepartmental collaboration to identify barriers and confirm compliance.
For specific guidance, consider consulting with organizations that specialize in digital accessibility or accessibility audits and remediation. Also, be sure to involve those who use assistive technology in content development to ensure it is usable and accessible.
Further, consider providing updated accessibility training for content creators and web developers can also help ensure digital assets meet legislative standards. Finally, create mechanisms to handle accessibility feedback and systems to monitor ongoing maintenance, as these will help ensure long-term success.
Conclusion
Accessibility is fundamental to a productive, and efficient digital experience. While regulation changes may initially seem daunting, they will ultimately benefit all Canadians regardless of ability or disability. These changes will take us one step closer to an equitable and barrier-free Canada.
Learn more
Untapped Accessibility and Easy Surf often partner to support clients to reach beyond compliance with accessibility legislation to create truly inclusive websites and organizations. Contact us to talk about your accessibility goals.
Tamara Vandendool Cable (she/her) has over 15 years of experience as an accessibility consultant, writer, lecturer, and advocate. She brings her expertise and lived experience of disability to help clients embed accessibility into their physical products, digital touchpoint, and workplaces.
She is Co-Founder and Business Development Lead of Easy Surf, Untapped’s preferred digital accessibility partner for audits and web design.