A complete overview of Canada’s Accessibility Laws

Accessibility law in Canada isn’t academic. About 27 percent of Canadians aged 15+ live with a disability (roughly 8 million people), which means barriers show up everywhere: buildings, services, and the digital experiences most organizations now treat as “the front door.”

The problem is that Canada’s requirements are a patchwork. Some obligations come from federal law, others come from provincial frameworks, and many of the practical “what do we actually build to?” details live in regulations and standards, not the headline acts.

This guide summarizes the major federal and provincial accessibility laws (and the standards they reference) so you can quickly determine what may apply to your organization, what’s in force today, and which timelines to watch.

Note: This article provides general information, not legal advice. You should validate scope and obligations against the official texts for your sector and jurisdiction.

Federal law and regulations

Canada’s federal accessibility framework has two layers: law/regulations and technical standards. Accessibility Standards Canada (ASC) announced that it adopted the European information and communication technologies (ICT) accessibility standard EN 301 549:2021 and released it as a National Standard of Canada: CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 (available free of charge).

This standard is voluntary unless it’s referenced by regulation, procurement, or policy. For web content, EN 301 549 ties directly to WCAG. WCAG 2.1 Level AA is treated as equivalent to meeting the standard’s web requirements.

Why this matters: The federal government has proposed amendments to the Accessible Canada Regulations that would require federal public sector organizations and medium/large federally regulated private businesses to make certain new/updated web pages, mobile apps, and digital documents conform to the most recent CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 on phased timelines beginning in December 2027 (for federal public sector organizations) and December 2028 (for large and medium-sized businesses).

The Accessible Canada Act (Bill C-81)

On June 20, 2018, the Honourable Kirsty Duncan (then Minister of Science and Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities) introduced Bill C-81 in Parliament. The Accessible Canada Act (ACA) received Royal Assent on June 21, 2019, and came into force on July 11, 2019.

The Act’s goal is to achieve a barrier-free Canada by 2040 by identifying, removing, and preventing barriers in seven areas, including ICT, employment, the built environment, and procurement. The ACA applies to the federal government and organizations under federal jurisdiction.

To comply, regulated organizations must consult persons with disabilities, publish accessibility plans, maintain a feedback process, and publish progress reports (as set out in the Accessible Canada Regulations).

Web accessibility note: The ACA doesn’t hard-code a single web standard, but many organizations align with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Canada has also adopted CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 for ICT. For web content, WCAG 2.1 AA is treated as equivalent to meeting EN 301 549’s web clauses. Proposed federal amendments (pre-published Dec 21, 2024) would move digital accessibility requirements closer to the CAN/ASC-EN approach.

Provincial regulations

Separately, several provinces have adopted their own accessibility laws, some of which provide clarity on the actual technical standards for those jurisdictions.

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act

Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) became law in 2005 and established a standards-based framework to identify, remove, and prevent barriers across major areas of daily life. The Act set a target of achieving accessibility in Ontario on or before January 1, 2025.

Building on earlier provincial legislation (including the Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2001), the AODA relies on that apply differently depending on sector and organization size.

Ontario businesses and non-profits with 20+ employees must file an accessibility compliance report every three years (next deadline: December 31, 2026); designated public-sector organizations report on a different cycle (most recent deadline: December 31, 2025).

Website accessibility note: Under Ontario’s Information and Communications requirements, designated public sector organizations and businesses/non-profits with 50 or more employees must make their public websites and certain web content conform to WCAG 2.0 Level AA, with limited exceptions (notably captions [live] and audio descriptions [pre-recorded]).

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act

The Accessibility for Manitobans Act (AMA) became law in December 2013 and establishes a standards-based approach to identifying, preventing, and removing barriers. Manitoba describes the AMA as having five standard “building blocks” focused on key areas such as customer service, employment, information and communication, transportation, and outdoor public spaces (which is still in development).

Web accessibility note: Manitoba’s Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation includes requirements for accessible web content and applications. It uses WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the benchmark, but it applies on a phased compliance timeline across sectors (with all organizations required to comply by May 1, 2025) and includes defined exceptions (e.g., technical feasibility, undue hardship, lack of control).

The Nova Scotia Accessibility Act

Nova Scotia’s Accessibility Act was passed on April 27, 2017, and received Royal Assent on April 28, 2017, making Nova Scotia the third province in Canada to pass accessibility legislation.

The Act sets a goal of an accessible Nova Scotia by 2030 and establishes a process to create accessibility standards (regulations) across six areas, including information and communication (which covers access to information and digital communications, including websites).

Nova Scotia has begun enacting these standards; the built environment accessibility standard is now law, and additional standards are still under development.

In February 2024, the province began recruiting members for the Information and Communication Standard Development Committee to develop recommendations for the Accessibility Advisory Board—work intended to support the sixth standard under the Act. Once enacted as a regulation, this standard should provide clearer requirements for organizations on accessible information and digital communications.  

Web accessibility note: Information and Communication (including websites) is a planned standards area under the Act, but Nova Scotia has not yet enacted a binding technical web standard; clearer digital requirements are expected once the Information and Communication standard is developed and adopted as a regulation. 

The British Columbia Act

The Accessible British Columbia Act received Royal Assent on June 17, 2021. It applies to the British Columbia (B.C.) government and organizations prescribed in regulation.

The Accessible British Columbia Regulation came into force on September 1, 2022, and currently identifies 750+ public sector organizations (phased in by effective dates). must establish an accessibility committee, publish an accessibility plan, and provide a way for the public to give accessibility feedback.

B.C. is also developing accessibility standards under the Act (including draft work on Employment Accessibility and Accessible Service Delivery). Enforcement provisions, including monetary penalties up to $250,000, exist in the Act, but the Act’s enforcement/appeals parts are not yet in force, as of December 9, 2025.

Web accessibility note: The Act requires governance (plans, feedback, committees) for regulated organizations, but it does not currently prescribe a province-wide technical web standard such as WCAG; any detailed digital requirements would be expected through future standards/regulations.

The Newfoundland and Labrador Accessibility Act

Newfoundland and Labrador introduced its Accessibility Act in October 2021, and it received Royal Assent and became law on December 3, 2021. This enables legislation that sets the province’s framework to improve accessibility by preventing, identifying, and removing barriers that limit full participation by persons with disabilities.

Accessibility plans (who must do what): The Act requires public bodies (e.g., provincial government bodies, municipalities, and public/private educational institutions) to prepare and publish an accessibility plan within two years of the Act coming into force and update the plan every three years. The Act outlines what an accessibility plan must address (preventing, identifying, and removing barriers in a public body’s policies, programs, practices, and services) and anticipates measures and processes to support ongoing barrier removal and evaluation.

Web accessibility note: The Act currently focuses on accessibility planning for public bodies and does not set a province-wide technical web standard (e.g., WCAG) for organizations in general; specific digital requirements would depend on future standards/regulations.

The Accessible Saskatchewan Act

Saskatchewan’s accessibility framework is set out in The Accessible Saskatchewan Act, which received Royal Assent on May 17, 2023 and came into force on December 3, 2023. The Act is designed to improve accessibility by preventing and removing barriers and gives the province authority to develop accessibility standards and regulations over time.

The government has indicated that accessibility standards and regulations may be developed across areas, including the built environment, information and communications, employment, transportation, service animals, procurement, and service delivery.

Accessibility plans (current requirements): Saskatchewan’s first regulations focus on accessibility planning for prescribed public sector bodies. Under The Accessible Saskatchewan Regulations, these organizations must consult persons with disabilities, publicly post their accessibility plan, and provide a way for the public to comment. The province set deadlines of December 3, 2024, for the government of Saskatchewan’s plan and December 3, 2025, for other prescribed public sector bodies’ first plans, with updates at least every three years.

Web accessibility note: While “information and communications” is a standards area under the Act, Saskatchewan has not yet enacted a province-wide technical web standard (e.g., WCAG) under this framework. Expect specifics to come later through standards/regulations informed by the Accessibility Advisory Committee.

The New Brunswick Accessibility Act

New Brunswick’s Accessibility Act received Royal Assent on June 7, 2024, and is designed to achieve a more accessible New Brunswick by 2040 by identifying, preventing, and removing barriers through accessibility standards across areas, including information and communications.

Parts of the Act came into force on August 30, 2024 (including the structures for standards development), while key enforcement and contravention sections will come into force later by proclamation.

Accessibility plans (what’s concrete today): The Act requires prescribed public sector entities to prepare and publish accessibility plans online, consult persons with disabilities when creating and updating them, and update the plans every three years.

Website accessibility note: The Act includes information and communications as a standards area, but it does not set a specific technical web standard (like WCAG) on its own. Instead, it enables future regulations to incorporate standards by reference and require compliance (which is the pathway for WCAG/EN 301 549 style requirements later).

Québec accessibility legislation (E-20.1)

Québec’s primary accessibility framework is set out in the Act to secure handicapped persons in the exercise of their rights with a view to achieving social, school, and workplace integration (chapter E-20.1). The statute has roots dating back to 1978 and was substantially updated in 2004. The Act’s objective is to secure the rights of persons with disabilities and, through the involvement of government departments, municipalities, and public/private agencies, support their social, school, and workplace integration.

Accessibility plans (what’s required today): Under section 61.1, every Québec government department or public agency with at least 50 employees and every local municipality with at least 10,000 residents must adopt an action plan that identifies barriers and reports on measures taken and planned. This must be prepared and published annually.

Website accessibility note: Québec does not set a universal WCAG requirement for all organizations through E-20.1. However, Québec public bodies are subject to the government’s web accessibility standard SGQRI 008 2.0, which is based on WCAG 2.0 and requires Level AA success criteria (with limited exceptions, including live captions and prerecorded audio descriptions).

Conclusion

Canada is moving toward a more consistent accessibility baseline, but today, it’s still a jurisdiction and scope exercise: federal vs. provincial, public vs. private, and (often) size thresholds or “prescribed organization” lists. The regulations you’ve just reviewed also share a pattern: even when technical web standards aren’t explicitly mandated yet, governments are increasingly requiring governance (plans, feedback mechanisms, progress reporting) and using regulations/standards to define the technical bar over time.

If you want to stay out of trouble (and avoid expensive rework later), treat accessibility like an ongoing program, not a one-time remediation project:

• Confirm which laws apply (jurisdiction, sector, and organization size/prescription).
• Track the “standards pipeline” (regulatory amendments and referenced standards change faster than Acts).
• Operationalize evidence (document plans, decisions, testing, and progress so you can show due diligence when requirements tighten).