Services
AODA Website Audits and Fixes
A plain list of what fails WCAG 2.0 AA on your site, and the fixes, priced up front.
Ontario's AODA requires businesses and non-profits with 50 or more employees, and designated public sector organizations, to make their public websites meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA. The organization that controls the website is responsible, even when an agency or a platform built it. We test your site against those success criteria, tell you in plain words what fails and why it matters to a real visitor, and fix it.
What the rule says
Section 14 of Ontario Regulation 191/11, the Integrated Accessibility Standards, sets the website rule. Since January 1, 2021, covered organizations' public websites must meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA, except for live captions (1.2.4) and pre-recorded audio descriptions (1.2.5). It applies to websites and web content published after January 1, 2012, and it does not cover internal sites such as an intranet. Content includes text, images, forms and sounds.
Businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees also file an accessibility compliance report every three years, and the current deadline is December 31, 2026. Offences under the Act carry fines of up to $50,000 a day, or $100,000 a day for a corporation. This page is a summary of Ontario's published rules, not legal advice.
What an audit covers
We test the pages people actually use: the homepage, your main service or product pages, every form, the checkout if you sell online, and a sample of posts. That means keyboard-only navigation, a screen reader pass, colour contrast, headings and page structure, image descriptions, form labels and error messages, link text, captions on video, and zoom to 200%. Automated scanners catch maybe a third of real problems, so we use them as a starting point, not the answer.
You get a short report ranked by impact: what a blind, low-vision, deaf or keyboard-only visitor runs into, which WCAG criterion it fails, and what the fix is. Nothing in it is written for auditors only.
Fixes on any platform
Most failures are content and settings, not code: missing alt text, headings used for size instead of structure, low-contrast colours, vague link text, unlabeled form fields, autoplaying slideshows. Squarespace, Wix, Shopify and WordPress all let you fix most of these yourself once you know where, and we can do them for you. Theme-level problems such as menus that trap the keyboard or missing focus outlines need template or code changes, which we quote separately.
We do not sell accessibility overlay widgets. A script that adds a toolbar to your site does not make the underlying pages meet WCAG, and it can get in the way of the screen readers people already use.
What you get
- Audit against WCAG 2.0 Level AA, the AODA standard
- Keyboard, screen reader, contrast, forms and checkout tested by hand
- A plain-language report ranked by impact
- Fixes on Squarespace, Wix, Shopify, WordPress or custom sites
- No overlay widgets
- Fixed price, quoted after a first look
Tell us what you need
Three quick questions and we'll come back within one business day with a clear next step and a fixed price. If it turns out we are not the best people for it, we will point you at who is.
Your move
Tell us what you run. We'll show you the play.
A written plan and a fixed price, back within one business day. No retainers you did not ask for.
FAQ
Website Accessibility Audits (AODA / WCAG) — Common Questions
Does my small business have to follow the AODA website rules?
The website rule applies to businesses and non-profits with 50 or more employees in Ontario, and to designated public sector organizations. If you have fewer than 50, the rule does not require it, but an accessible site is still easier for every customer to use, and organizations with 20 or more employees still file a compliance report.
When is the next AODA compliance report due?
For businesses and non-profits with 20 or more employees, Ontario lists the deadline as December 31, 2026. Reports are filed every three years.
Which WCAG version does the AODA require?
WCAG 2.0 Level AA, except success criteria 1.2.4 (live captions) and 1.2.5 (pre-recorded audio descriptions). Newer versions such as WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 add criteria, and meeting them is good practice, but the Ontario regulation names 2.0.
Can a Squarespace, Wix or Shopify site meet AODA?
Usually, yes. The platforms provide the basics, such as keyboard focus outlines and labeled checkout fields, but you are responsible for your content: image descriptions, headings, colour choices, link text and captions. Some templates have problems you can only fix with code.
Will an accessibility widget make my site compliant?
No. Overlay widgets add a toolbar on top of the page, but the page underneath still has the same missing labels, contrast and structure problems. We fix the page itself.