Website Accessibility Compliance for AODA, ADA, and WCAG 2.1
Ontario AODA enforcement is escalating. US ADA lawsuits hit 4,500+ in 2024. Audit your site, fix what's broken, sleep better. Audits from $400.
The 2026 enforcement reality.
AODA has been law in Ontario since 2005. Web requirements applied to medium and large private organizations starting January 2021. Enforcement is now ramping up as the Ontario government targets full compliance by 2025–2026. US ADA web lawsuits more than doubled between 2018 and 2024. The "we're too small to be a target" defence is no longer reliable for either jurisdiction.
Where you stand by jurisdiction.
Ontario, Canada
AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act)
January 1, 2021, already in force for businesses with 50+ employees. December 31, 2025 was the previous compliance milestone. Ongoing compliance required.
WCAG 2.0 Level AA
Up to CA$100,000 per day for corporations; CA$50,000 per day for directors/officers personally.
United States
ADA Title III (Americans with Disabilities Act)
Always, interpreted by courts as applying to commercial websites since the 2017 Domino's Pizza case.
WCAG 2.1 Level AA (de facto)
Civil lawsuits common. 2024 saw 4,500+ ADA web accessibility lawsuits filed. Settlements typically $5,000–$50,000+ legal costs.
Quebec, Canada
Loi 25 + Standard SGQRI 008
Public sector sites already required. Private sector: increasing scrutiny under Bill 96 + Loi 25.
WCAG 2.0 AA + French language
Up to CA$25M or 4% of worldwide turnover under Loi 25 (privacy provisions overlap accessibility).
The four issues we find on 90% of small business sites.
Colour contrast
Light grey text on white. The most common AODA failure. We test every text/background combo to WCAG AA (4.5:1 for body text, 3:1 for large text).
Keyboard navigation
Can a sighted keyboard-only user (no mouse) reach every button, form, and menu? Most small business sites fail at the mobile menu and modal close buttons.
Screen reader compatibility
Missing alt text, unlabeled buttons, divs masquerading as buttons, ARIA misuse. We audit with NVDA and VoiceOver, not just automated tools.
Form labels + error states
Placeholder text isn't a label. Red borders alone aren't accessible error states. Every form field needs a programmatically associated label and a screen-reader-friendly error message.
Accessibility audit: $400.
- Full WCAG 2.1 AA audit of homepage + 5 key templates
- Automated scan (axe-core, WAVE) + manual testing (NVDA, keyboard-only, colour contrast tools)
- Prioritized issue report (Critical / Serious / Moderate / Minor)
- Remediation cost estimate per issue
- Accessibility statement template (legally required in Ontario)
- Compliance roadmap with realistic timeline
- Re-audit credit if you remediate within 90 days ($200 value)
Audit + remediation packages.
Audit Only
Businesses with internal devs who can do their own remediation.
- Full WCAG 2.1 AA audit
- Prioritized report
- Remediation estimates
- Accessibility statement template
Audit + Remediation
Most small businesses. We do the audit and the fixes in one engagement.
- Everything in Audit
- We fix Critical + Serious issues
- Re-audit included
- Final accessibility statement
- Compliance certificate
Build Compliant from Day One
If you're building a new site with us, this is automatic. No upcharge.
- WCAG 2.1 AA built-in
- Semantic HTML, proper headings
- ARIA labels where needed
- Colour-tested design system
- Free accessibility statement
Typical compliance timeline.
Week 1: Audit
Automated + manual testing across your site. Detailed report delivered.
Weeks 2–4: Remediation
We fix Critical and Serious issues first (legal exposure), then Moderate.
Week 5: Re-audit
Verify all critical issues resolved. Update accessibility statement.
Ongoing: Monitor
Quarterly automated scans (included in Pro maintenance plans). New content reviewed for compliance.
Compliance is cheaper than the alternative.
An audit + remediation package runs $1,200–$3,500. A single ADA lawsuit settlement averages $20,000–$50,000 with legal fees. AODA non-compliance fines hit $100,000/day for corporations. The math is not subtle.
Accessibility compliance FAQ.
How we work
Elevate builds websites from scratch on our Lovable + Cloudflare stack. Ongoing services like maintenance, SEO, and booking integrations are available only for sites built by Elevate. If you have an existing site elsewhere, we rebuild from scratch, often faster and cheaper than patching a site we don't own. GBP, Google Ads, and audit services are available to any business regardless of where your site is hosted.
Stop being a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Get a WCAG 2.1 AA audit, prioritized issue list, and a real remediation plan. From $400, delivered in 5 business days.
or call (647) 362-9754