On this page

• Introduction
• What the new digital accessibility rules require organisations to do
• Summary of the rules
• Violations
• Benefits of the changes

Introduction

Regulations are rules made by the government. They control the way people and organizations do things. Regulations made under the Accessible Canada Act provide details on how to follow that law.

What the new digital accessibility rules require organizations to do

The changes create a new part to the Accessible Canada Regulations that has rules for digital accessibility.

The goal of the rules is for persons with disabilities to have equitable access to:

• jobs
• programs
• services

Who has to follow the rules

• All federal public sector organizations like Employment and Social Development Canada
• Private businesses, like some banks, with 500 or more employees that are under federal responsibility (or "large businesses")
• Private businesses, like some feed, flour or seed mills, with 100 to 499 employees that are under federal responsibility (or "medium-sized businesses")

Who does not have to follow the rules

• Private businesses that are under federal responsibility with 99 or fewer employees do not have to follow the rules
• First Nations Band Councils do not have to follow the rules until December 2033
  • This gives the Government of Canada time to work with First Nations Band Councils on a possible tailored approach to accessibility

Summary of the rules

The rules require organizations to make the following things accessible for persons with disabilities:

• new and updated web pages
• new mobile applications
• new and updated digital documents

To do this, organizations have to follow the most recent version of CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 set by Accessibility Standards Canada. In this summary we call it the "digital standard".

The digital standard says how to design things like web pages so persons with disabilities can easily use them.

Rules for web pages

Web pages are sources of information that you can consult on the internet. They're part of websites or online tools. One example is the Government of Canada website.

Federal public sector organizations, large and medium-sized businesses must make their new and updated web pages follow the digital standard.

This rule applies to any new web page they publish or update for the public or for their employees starting:

• December 5, 2027 for federal public sector organizations
• December 5, 2028 for large and medium-sized businesses

Rules for mobile applications

Mobile applications are tools on phones or tablets that help people do everyday things like banking or shopping.

Federal public sector organizations and large businesses must make their new mobile applications follow the digital standard.

• This rule applies to any new mobile application they publish for the public starting December 5, 2028
• By December 5, 2028, they also must assess the accessibility of their already existing mobile applications which are for the public, based on the digital standard

Rules for digital documents

A digital document is a file that was never on paper. For example, a PDF.

Federal public sector organizations and large businesses must make their new and updated digital documents follow the digital standard.

• This rule applies to any digital document they publish starting December 5, 2028
• The rule is only for digital documents they publish on their websites, and on their mobile applications for the public

Exceptions to the rules for web pages, mobile applications and digital documents

These rules do not cover some specific digital items. Historical items, content created by users, and content created on teamwork platforms for employees do not have to follow the digital standard.

Alternative ways to give equitable access

Organizations might not always be able to follow the digital standard. This could be because:

• there is no available technology that follows the digital standard
• the organization has major problems using available technology even though it has been trying very hard
• the organization does not have enough control over the technology

If they can't follow the digital standard and this creates barriers for people, organizations must give other ways of access to persons with disabilities.

Organizations must make sure that persons with disabilities always have equitable access to their online programs and services.

Exemptions for alternative ways to give equitable access

Online maps, mapping tools, technical drawings and images must follow the digital standard as much as possible.

However, if an organization can't follow the entire digital standard, they are not required to provide other ways to access online maps, mapping tools, technical drawings, and images.

Accessibility statements

An accessibility statement is a public message from an organization that explains how it makes its digital technologies accessible for people with disabilities.

• Federal public sector organizations must publish an accessibility statement for their websites by December 5, 2027. By December 5, 2028 the statement must also include their mobile apps and digital documents
• Large businesses must publish their first accessibility statement by December 5, 2028. It must cover their websites, mobile apps, and digital documents

Organizations have to make sure their accessibility statements explain accessibility features of their digital content. The statements must also describe different means of access for items that don't follow the digital standard.

Organizations must update their accessibility statement every year.

Rules for buying digital products and services

Starting December 5, 2028, federal public sector organizations and large businesses must check if things they buy related to mobile applications and web pages follow the digital standard.

Training

Federal public sector organizations, large and medium-sized businesses must train their employees on digital accessibility by December 5, 2027.

• This training is for employees who develop, support, or buy digital technologies
• After the first training, organizations have to give refresher training every 3 years

Keeping records

Federal public sector organizations, large and medium-sized businesses must keep an electronic copy of their:

• accessibility assessments
• accessibility statements
• digital accessibility training

They must keep these records for 4 years.

Violations

If an organization doesn't follow any of these rules, it could get a minor violation.

The penalty amount for minor violations could be as small as $250 and as big as $75,000.

Benefits of the changes

These rules help Canadians, including employers, employees and persons with disabilities. For example:

• persons with disabilities can save time by doing more online instead of going in person
• employers benefit because employees with disabilities can work more easily and be more productive

Even though it may cost organizations to follow the rules, the benefits for organizations and Canadians are greater than these costs.