An accessible website is one that people can use whether they see, hear, move or process information differently. That includes customers who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, captions or browser zoom. It also helps anyone squinting at a phone in bright sunlight.
This guide covers the standard most accessibility work is measured against, practical fixes you can make, and how Canadian rules fit in. Accessibility law is evolving, so treat the legal section as an overview and confirm your obligations with official sources or a lawyer.
What WCAG is
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, are published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The current version is WCAG 2.2, published in October 2023. Laws and policies often reference an earlier version, such as 2.0 or 2.1.
WCAG is organized around four principles. Content should be:
- Perceivable: people can see or hear it. Images have text alternatives and videos have captions.
- Operable: people can use it with a keyboard, mouse, touch screen or assistive technology.
- Understandable: text and interactions are clear and predictable.
- Robust: it works reliably across browsers and assistive technologies.
Each guideline has testable success criteria at three levels: A, AA and AAA. Level AA is the usual target in laws and contracts.
Practical fixes that make a real difference
You do not need to memorize WCAG to make meaningful progress. These fixes address many of the most common problems:
- Write useful alt text for meaningful images, and leave it empty for purely decorative ones.
- Check the colour contrast between text and background, especially pale grey text and text placed over photos.
- Make sure everything works with a keyboard. Press Tab through your site: can you reach every link, button and form field, and can you see where you are?
- Give every form field a visible label, and make error messages say exactly what went wrong.
- Use real headings in a logical order, so screen reader users can scan the page.
- Caption your videos and provide transcripts for audio.
- Write link text that makes sense on its own. See our roofing services beats click here.
- Check that pages still work when zoomed to 200 percent.
How to test your site
Start with free tools, then add human checks.
- Automated checkers such as WAVE, Lighthouse in Chrome or the axe browser extension flag issues like missing alt text, low contrast and unlabelled fields.
- Manual keyboard testing catches problems automated tools miss, such as menus you cannot close or focus that disappears.
- Screen reader testing with VoiceOver on Mac and iPhone, or NVDA on Windows, shows how your page actually sounds.
Automated tools catch only some issues, so do not treat a clean report as proof that a site is accessible.
Be wary of quick-fix overlays
Some products promise accessibility by adding a single script or toolbar to your site. A script cannot write meaningful alt text for you or untangle a confusing form, and some assistive technology users find these toolbars get in the way. Fixing the site itself is the dependable route.
The Canadian legal context
Canada does not have one accessibility law that covers every business website. What applies depends on who regulates you and where you operate.
The Accessible Canada Act applies to the federal government and federally regulated organizations, such as banks, telecommunications and broadcasting companies, and interprovincial transportation providers. Under the Accessible Canada Regulations, federally regulated private businesses with 10 or more employees must publish accessibility plans, progress reports and a description of their feedback process. Accessibility Standards Canada has published CAN/ASC-EN 301 549, a standard for accessible information and communication technology that ties its web requirements to WCAG. The federal government has also proposed amendments that would set specific digital accessibility requirements on phased timelines. Check accessible.canada.ca for the current status.
In Ontario, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) requires designated public sector organizations, and businesses and non-profits with 50 or more employees, to make public websites and web content meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA. The Ontario government lists exceptions for live captions and pre-recorded audio descriptions, and the rules apply to content published after January 1, 2012.
Other provinces have passed or are developing their own accessibility laws, and human rights law can also be relevant. If you serve customers in several provinces, get advice on what applies to you.
Why it is worth doing even if no law applies
Accessible sites are usually better sites. Clear headings, labelled forms, good contrast and keyboard support make pages easier for everyone, including older customers and people on small screens. Clean structure also helps search engines understand your content. And building accessibility in from the start costs far less than retrofitting it later.
Our recommendation
Set aside half an hour this week to test your own site: run an automated checker, tab through your main pages with a keyboard, and try your contact form without a mouse. Fix what you find. If you are federally regulated, operate in Ontario with 50 or more employees, or are planning a redesign, aim for WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA and ask your developer how they test for it. For your legal obligations, confirm with the official sources or a lawyer.
Written by Vishal Singh
Founder of Byte Harbor and a senior frontend and web platform engineer. He builds websites, custom software and AI automation for businesses across Canada and the US.
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