AODA Complete Compliance Checklist — WCAG 2.1 AA Guide for Ontario (2026)
⚠️ AODA Penalties: Fines up to $100,000 per day for corporations, $50,000 per day for directors. Compliance is mandatory — not optional.
✅ Test Your AODA Compliance
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Test Your Website →Who Must Comply with AODA?
| Organization Type | Size | Compliance Required | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private/Non-profit | 50+ employees | ✅ Yes | Jan 1, 2021 |
| Private/Non-profit | Under 50 employees | ❌ Exempt | — |
| Public sector (municipalities, universities) | All sizes | ✅ Yes | Jan 1, 2014 |
📌 AODA Information & Communication Standard
This checklist covers the Information and Communication Standard — which applies to websites, web content, and web applications. The technical standard is WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Complete AODA Compliance Checklist — WCAG 2.1 Level AA
👁️ Perceivable — Can users perceive the content?
All images, icons, and graphics have alt text descriptions. Decorative images use alt="".
All prerecorded videos have synchronized captions.
Live video content (webinars, streams) has live captions.
Proper HTML headings (H1, H2, H3), lists, and table headers used — not visual styling only.
Content makes sense when read in code order (matches visual order).
Color alone not used to convey information. Include text labels or icons.
Normal text: 4.5:1 contrast ratio. Large text (18pt+): 3:1 ratio.
Text resizes up to 200% without loss of content or functionality.
Avoid images of text. Use real HTML text instead.
Content reflows to one column at 400% zoom — no horizontal scrolling.
UI components (buttons, icons) have 3:1 contrast against adjacent colors.
Line height: 1.5. Paragraph spacing: 2x font size. Letter spacing: 0.12x.
⌨️ Operable — Can users navigate and interact?
All functionality works with keyboard only (no mouse required).
Keyboard focus never gets stuck in any component (modals, menus).
Users can turn off, adjust, or extend time limits.
Moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating content has pause controls.
No content flashes more than 3 times per second (seizure risk).
"Skip to main content" link at top of each page.
Each page has a unique, descriptive title in the <title> tag.
Keyboard focus order preserves meaning and operability.
Link text describes destination (not "click here").
Multiple ways to find content (search, sitemap, navigation menu).
Headings and labels describe their purpose clearly.
Keyboard focus indicator is visible at all times.
Visible label matches accessible name (what screen readers announce).
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Scan Your Website →📖 Understandable — Can users understand the content?
Default language declared in HTML: <html lang="en">
Language changes within content are declared using lang attribute.
Focusing an element doesn't cause unexpected changes.
Changing form values doesn't cause unexpected changes.
Navigation menus consistent across all pages.
Same components identified consistently across pages.
Input errors are clearly identified and described.
All form fields have visible labels or instructions.
Error messages include suggestions for correction.
Legal/financial transactions are reversible, checked, or confirmed.
🤖 Robust — Can assistive technologies read the content?
HTML is valid — complete start/end tags, no duplicate attributes.
Custom components expose name, role, and value to assistive technology via ARIA.
Status messages announced by screen readers without focus change.
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AODA Documentation Requirements
📋 What to Document:
- ✅ Accessibility policy (in writing)
- ✅ Multi-year accessibility plan
- ✅ Training records for employees/volunteers
- ✅ Accessibility compliance reports
- ✅ Feedback process for accessibility issues
- ✅ Web accessibility testing results (scan reports, audit results)
How to Complete AODA Compliance — Action Plan
1 Run an automated WCAG scan
Use AccessiTool's free ADA checker — identifies violations automatically.
2 Fix Level A (Critical) violations first
Alt text, keyboard access, focus indicators, form labels — these are must-haves.
3 Fix Level AA violations
Color contrast, heading structure, consistent navigation, resizable text.
4 Test manually
Keyboard navigation test, screen reader test (NVDA/VoiceOver).
5 Document everything
Save scan reports, audit results, and fix records for legal defense.
6 Publish accessibility statement
Provide a clear way for users to report accessibility issues.
7 Annual re-testing
Run scans annually and after major website updates.
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Scan Your Website →Internal Links — More Compliance Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Final Thoughts
AODA compliance is mandatory for Ontario organizations with 50+ employees. The deadline has passed — you need to be compliant now. Use this checklist to assess your website, identify gaps, and prioritize fixes.
Start with a free accessibility scan, fix critical violations first, document everything, and re-test annually.
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