Accessible Canada Act (ACA)
The Accessible Canada Act sets the goal of a Canada without barriers by 2040. From December 2027, new and updated web content from federally regulated organizations must meet CAN/ASC-EN 301 549.
Dec 2027
Federal ICT requirements begin
Penalties up to $250,000 per violation
Who is covered?
The ACA applies to the federal government and to federally regulated organizations. Provincial and municipal bodies follow provincial law instead, such as the AODA in Ontario.
Federal public sector
- Government of Canada departments, including canada.ca
- Crown corporations
- Parliamentary entities
Transportation
- Airlines and airports
- Interprovincial rail, bus and ferry
- Overseen by the Canadian Transportation Agency
Communications
- Broadcasters
- Telecommunications providers
- Overseen by the CRTC
Other federally regulated business
- Banks
- Postal and courier services
- Small businesses are exempt from the ICT rules
Key dates
July 11, 2019
Accessible Canada Act comes into force, with the goal of a Canada without barriers by January 1, 2040
2022 onward
Federally regulated organizations publish accessibility plans, feedback processes and progress reports
March 2, 2026
Treasury Board Standard on Web Accessibility (WCAG 2.0 AA) rescinded for federal departments
December 5, 2027
Most ICT requirements take effect: new and updated web content must conform to CAN/ASC-EN 301 549
December 5, 2028
Remaining ICT requirements take effect
What the new ICT rules require
Regulations amending the Accessible Canada Regulations (SOR/2025-255) add an information and communication technologies part. Accessibility Standards Canada publishes the referenced standard, CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024.
- New or updated web pages must conform to CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024
- The standard builds in WCAG 2.1 Level AA for web content
- Mobile apps and electronic documents are covered too
- Employee-facing pages and tools are in scope for federal bodies
- Content that is not new or updated after the start date is not covered
Who enforces it
- Accessibility Commissioner (Canadian Human Rights Commission): inspections, orders and administrative penalties.
- Canadian Transportation Agency: federally regulated transportation.
- CRTC: broadcasting and telecommunications.
- Penalties: up to $250,000 per violation, and a continuing violation counts separately for each day.
Know where you stand before December 2027
Compliable measures your web estate against WCAG 2.1 AA and maps every finding to the exact page element, so your team can fix what matters first and document the progress. Automated scanning finds part of all barriers; our expert audits cover the rest.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Sources: Accessible Canada Act, S.C. 2019, c. 10; SOR/2025-255; Accessibility Standards Canada.