AODA Website Accessibility Readiness Guide
AODA readiness helps Ontario organizations identify website issues that may need WCAG-aligned remediation and manual review.
This guide is for general accessibility-readiness planning. It is not legal advice, a certification, or a substitute for manual accessibility and compliance review.
Who this may apply to
- Ontario public-sector organizations
- Ontario businesses and non-profits with covered digital services
- Public websites, forms, and customer support journeys
- Teams preparing accessibility remediation roadmaps
WCAG relationship
AODA website guidance commonly references WCAG criteria. WCAG-based readiness signals help teams identify likely barriers before deeper review.
What the readiness check can surface
- Form-label and instruction issues on public service pages
- Heading and content-structure signals
- Image alternative and link-name readiness gaps
- Contrast and focus visibility issues
- Mobile navigation and interaction signals
What still needs manual review
- Whether an organization and content type is in scope
- Manual task testing across key user journeys
- Document, PDF, multimedia, and third-party content review
- Policy, statement, and process requirements
Common readiness issues
Public forms that are difficult to complete with assistive technology
Service content with unclear headings or link purpose
Images used as instructions without text equivalents
Low-contrast calls to action or error states
Menus and accordions that need keyboard review
Official sources
FAQ
Does AODA reference WCAG?
Ontario guidance commonly uses WCAG as the technical reference for accessible websites, while organizational scope needs separate review.
Can WARC confirm AODA readiness?
No. It can surface practical readiness signals, but manual accessibility and compliance review is still needed.
What AODA-related issues can automated checks find?
Automated checks can help find missing text alternatives, weak structure, form issues, contrast signals, and keyboard-readiness concerns.
How should Ontario teams use the scan results?
Use the results to prioritize likely barriers, assign fixes, and prepare a manual review plan for important public journeys.
Related standards
Start with the Website Accessibility Readiness Check
Scan a public URL to find practical accessibility, usability, forms, navigation, and mobile interaction signals before planning manual review.
Run the Website Accessibility Readiness Check