The Accessible Canada Act (S.C. 2019, c. 10) is Canada's federal accessibility law, with the goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040. For federally regulated organizations, it has now moved from planning into concrete technical requirements for websites, mobile apps, and digital documents. This page explains who is covered, the standard that applies, the penalties and deadlines, and how to comply.
Enacted in 2019, the ACA aims to identify, remove, and prevent barriers for people with disabilities across federal jurisdiction. It is enforced by the Accessibility Commissioner, while Accessibility Standards Canada develops the technical standards. Unlike the United States, where digital accessibility is driven largely by private lawsuits, Canada's model is regulator-led: a public authority monitors compliance and can impose penalties directly.
The ACA applies to organizations under federal jurisdiction, including:
Many of Canada's largest and most consumer-facing organizations therefore fall within scope. Businesses operating only at the provincial level are instead covered by provincial laws such as Ontario's AODA, which has its own requirements and deadlines.
The technical benchmark is CAN/ASC-EN 301 549, Canada's adoption of the European standard EN 301 549, which incorporates the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines at Level AA. This standard became effective for federally regulated organizations on 31 May 2024 and covers web pages and web applications, mobile applications, and digital documents — as well as related duties such as procurement and training. Because EN 301 549 is expected to move toward WCAG 2.2, the most future-proof approach is to target WCAG 2.2 Level AA now and avoid remediating twice.
Meeting WCAG is only part of the law. Covered organizations must also:
The Accessibility Commissioner can impose administrative monetary penalties of up to CA$250,000 per violation, with the amount scaled to the severity of the breach. These penalties are designed to promote compliance rather than to punish. Separately, individuals who face digital barriers can bring complaints under the Canadian Human Rights Act to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, which can order remedies — an additional enforcement pathway beyond the ACA itself.
| Milestone | Timing |
|---|---|
| ICT standard (CAN/ASC-EN 301 549) effective for federally regulated organizations | 31 May 2024 |
| Accessibility plans, feedback processes, and progress reports | Already in force, on a recurring cycle |
| Federal government websites and mandatory staff training conform | By 2027 (phased) |
| Public-facing websites, mobile apps, digital documents, and procurement conform (large and medium organizations) | By 2028 (phased) |
Deadlines are phased and have been refined through regulation; confirm the exact date for your organization's size and sector against the current Accessible Canada Regulations.
Corpowid is an end-to-end digital accessibility and compliance partner — not a standalone overlay. We combine AI automation with expert human remediation to bring your websites, mobile apps, and documents to CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.2 AA, keep them there with continuous monitoring, and provide audit-ready reporting and accessibility statements that support your ACA plans and progress reports.
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The ACA applies to the federal public sector and federally regulated private-sector organizations, including banks, telecommunications providers, interprovincial and air transport, broadcasters, and postal services.
The standard is CAN/ASC-EN 301 549, Canada's adoption of the European EN 301 549, which incorporates WCAG Level AA across web, apps, and documents. Because it is expected to move toward WCAG 2.2, targeting WCAG 2.2 AA now is the safest choice.
The Accessibility Commissioner can impose administrative monetary penalties of up to CA$250,000 per violation. Organizations may also face complaints under the Canadian Human Rights Act as a separate route.
Planning and reporting duties are already in force, and the ICT standard took effect on 31 May 2024. Phased digital conformance deadlines fall in 2027 for federal government sites and training, and in 2028 for public-facing websites, apps, documents, and procurement at large and medium organizations.
Yes. Covered organizations must publish accessibility plans, run a feedback process, and release progress reports on a recurring cycle, in addition to meeting the ICT technical standard.
Corpowid has been recognized by Gartner, a leading global research and advisory firm, for our innovation and performance in digital accessibility. These badges reflect our commitment to creating inclusive, AI-powered web experiences.
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