Peradeo Blog · Canada · Published 2026-08-27 · 7 min read
The Accessible Canada Act: Federal Web Accessibility Requirements for a Barrier-Free Canada by 2040
By Vatsal Shah — Founder & CEO, IAAP WAS-Certified Accessibility Professional
While the provinces regulate most businesses, Canada's federal accessibility law — the Accessible Canada Act (ACA), in force since July 2019 — covers the organizations Canadians interact with most: banks, telecoms, airlines, and the federal government itself. Its stated goal is a barrier-free Canada by January 1, 2040, and digital accessibility is one of its seven priority areas.
Who must comply
The ACA applies to federally regulated entities, including:
- The Government of Canada, federal departments, agencies, and Crown corporations;
- Banks and federally regulated financial institutions;
- Telecommunications and broadcasting companies (also overseen by the CRTC);
- Interprovincial and international transportation — airlines, railways, marine and bus operators (also overseen by the Canadian Transportation Agency);
- The Canadian Forces and RCMP, and federally regulated private-sector employers.
Core obligations
Under the ACA and the Accessible Canada Regulations, covered organizations must publish and maintain three things:
- An accessibility plan, prepared in consultation with people with disabilities and updated at least every three years, covering information and communication technologies among other areas;
- A feedback process for receiving and acting on accessibility feedback;
- Progress reports in the years between plan updates.
These documents must themselves be accessible and available in alternate formats on request.
The digital standard: CAN/ASC - EN 301 549
Accessibility Standards Canada adopted CAN/ASC - EN 301 549 — the Canadian adaptation of the European ICT accessibility standard — as the benchmark for digital accessibility. For websites and web applications, EN 301 549 incorporates WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The Government of Canada has likewise moved its own web standard to EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA. If you are building or selling digital products to a federally regulated organization, this is the standard your product will be measured against — and buyers increasingly require an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR/VPAT) as part of procurement.
Enforcement
The Accessibility Commissioner (within the Canadian Human Rights Commission) enforces the ACA with inspection powers, compliance orders, and administrative monetary penalties of up to $250,000 per violation. Individuals who suffer harm from contraventions can also seek compensation. Since regulator attention began with plan-and-report obligations, digital accessibility failures are now squarely in scope: an inaccessible online banking flow or airline check-in is precisely the type of barrier the Act was written for.
How the ACA interacts with provincial laws
The ACA does not replace provincial laws — it fills the federal jurisdiction gap. A bank branch's website falls under the ACA; a provincial credit union falls under provincial law such as Ontario's AODA or Manitoba's AMA standard. Many organizations are covered by more than one regime, which is why auditing to the strictest common denominator — currently WCAG 2.1 AA, with WCAG 2.2 on the horizon — is the pragmatic strategy.
Practical steps
- Confirm whether your organization (or your customer) is federally regulated;
- Audit websites, apps, documents, and kiosks against EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA;
- Ensure your accessibility plan, feedback process, and progress reports are published, current, and accessible;
- Prepare ACR/VPAT documentation if you sell digital products into the federal space;
- Build accessibility into design and development rather than bolting it on before an audit.
How Peradeo can help
Peradeo is a web accessibility company based in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Our IAAP-certified specialists audit websites and web applications against WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2 AA using real assistive technologies (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), remediate the issues hands-on as developers, and prepare the compliance documentation — including VPAT® / Accessibility Conformance Reports and accessibility statements — that regulators and procurement teams ask for.
- Learn more about our web accessibility audit & remediation services
- Request a free accessibility check of your website
This article is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Requirements change over time — consult a qualified lawyer for advice about your specific obligations.