Support For Accessibility Plan and Progress Reports

Web Accessibility & Compliance

Web accessibility is essential for creating inclusive digital experiences and meeting legal obligations in Canada.

If your company is federally regulated, ensuring your website meets accessibility standards is not optional. It’s the law. Accessible websites support assistive technologies (like screen readers) and provide a better user experience for everyone.

WCAG 2 and the Accessible Canada Act

Clear guidance for accessible Canadian websites

A practical overview of WCAG 2.1 and the Accessible Canada Act for teams that need inclusive websites, Accessibility Plans, and Progress Reports.

This page summarizes the core guidelines and legal expectations for web accessibility in Canada. It explains how WCAG 2.1 helps create sites that work with assistive technologies, and how the Accessible Canada Act (ACA) expects federally regulated organizations to remove digital barriers through Accessibility Plans and Progress Reports.

Why accessible websites matter

Accessible design is a usability and inclusion practice, not only a compliance checkbox. Canadian organizations increasingly find that accessibility improves outcomes for customers and staff. For additional context, see “Understanding The Importance Of Web Accessibility” by Lesa Seibert in Forbes.

Legal compliance and risk reduction

Federally regulated companies in Canada must comply with the ACA, which expects websites to meet recognized standards such as WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Non-compliance can lead to significant penalties and reputational harm. An accessible site helps you meet obligations and reduce legal risk.

Inclusive customer reach

About one in five Canadians aged 15 and over has at least one disability. Captions, transcripts, alt text, clear structure, and readable type help more people complete tasks successfully, which supports the ACA goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

Better experience for everyone

Accessibility improvements often help all users: clearer navigation, labeled controls, and stronger contrast improve assistive-tech use and everyday mobile reading in bright light.

SEO and performance benefits

Heading structure, descriptive links, semantic HTML, and faster pages help people and search engines. Accessibility work frequently overlaps with SEO and mobile-friendly design.

WCAG 2: the international accessibility standard

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0, 2.1, and 2.2) from the W3C define how to make web content usable across abilities. WCAG 2.1 is the widely recognized benchmark in practice.

The guidelines follow four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).

Key WCAG 2.1 Level AA practices include:

Text alternatives for images and non-text content
Keyboard accessibility for all key functions
Readable, understandable content with clear headings and consistent layouts
Colour contrast and adaptability, including resizable text
Time and media alternatives such as captions or transcripts
Assistive technology compatibility through clean, semantic HTML

Most organizations target WCAG 2.1 Level AA. ACA expectations align with that level in practice.

The Accessible Canada Act and Accessibility Plans

Canada’s Accessible Canada Act (2019) aims for a barrier-free Canada by 2040. Federally regulated organizations must address accessibility in operations, including digital services.

Organizations must publish an Accessibility Plan, update it at least every three years, consult people with disabilities, accept feedback, and issue Progress Reports. Accessibility is ongoing work, not a one-time project.

Achieving compliance and next steps

Start with an audit of barriers, train teams, and build accessibility into design and development. Keep checking as standards evolve, including WCAG 2.2 and beyond.

Rayova can help with accessibility audits and remediation aimed at WCAG 2.1 and ACA-minded delivery, without forcing a redesign that ignores your brand.

Contact us for an accessibility audit

Ready to make your website more accessible and welcoming? Contact Rayova for an audit against WCAG 2.1 criteria and ACA expectations, with a clear remediation plan.

Last updated: 13 August 2026

Colour contrast checker

Try proven palettes and client brand colours against WCAG AA and AAA

Use the tool below to test foreground and background pairs. Start from a proven combination or a client logo palette, then adjust colours until the contrast ratio meets the level your project needs.

Palette and colours

Palette

Click a swatch for text colour. Hold Alt and click for background.

Foreground (text)

Background

Add / remove palettes

New palette name Colours (hex, comma or space separated)

Import JSON

Built-in palettes are included in this section. Custom palettes stay in this browser and can be exported.

Preview and WCAG

Large heading sample

Body text should stay readable for all users. Contrast ratio matters for accessibility compliance.

Small UI text / captions (14px / about 10.5pt).

Palette matrix (normal text AA)

Rows = foreground, columns = background. Click a cell to load that pair.

Tip: Click a swatch for text colour. Hold Alt and click for background. Open Add / remove palettes inside the tool to save custom sets in your browser.