New Digital Accessibility Requirements

Summary#

These are proposed amendments to the Accessible Canada Regulations under the Accessible Canada Act that would add new digital accessibility rules for web pages, mobile apps and downloadable documents. The proposal (published December 21, 2024) sets deadlines for compliance (see below), has a 60‑day comment period, and would require training, accessibility statements and procurement checks while exempting small businesses and delaying rules for First Nations band councils until December 31, 2033.

What it does#

• Creates a new “Information and Communication Technologies” part in the Accessible Canada Regulations that uses the national ICT standard CAN/ASC‑EN 301 549 (kept up‑to‑date automatically).
• Sets accessibility requirements for three priority digital areas:
  • web pages (including web apps),
  • mobile applications, and
  • non‑web digital documents (for example, PDFs and Word files).
• Staggers who must comply and when:
  • federal public sector web pages: must meet the rules for content created or updated after June 1, 2027;
  • most other requirements (private‑sector sites, mobile apps, documents): apply to new or updated products created on or after June 1, 2028;
  • some mobile‑app and document rules apply only to larger employers (see Who’s affected).
• Requires organizations to:
  • provide basic digital‑accessibility training to staff who develop, maintain or buy digital tech (refresher training at least every three years),
  • publish accessible, plain‑language accessibility statements and update them yearly,
  • get accessibility conformance assessments when buying relevant products or services,
  • keep records (training, assessments, statements) for four years.
• Exempts small federally regulated businesses with 99 or fewer employees from these digital requirements.
• Extends the current planning/reporting exemption and delays digital requirements for First Nations band councils until December 31, 2033 to allow tailored engagement.
• Limits how the rules apply to Transportation Service Providers and Broadcasting and Telecommunications Organizations because other federal regulators (CTA, CRTC) already have rules in those areas.
• Treats breaches as “minor” violations under the existing enforcement framework; the Accessibility Commissioner (part of the Canadian Human Rights Commission) would handle compliance.

Who's affected#

• Federal public sector organizations (federal departments, agencies, Crown corporations, Parliamentary entities, RCMP, Canadian Armed Forces).
• Federally regulated private sector organizations, split by size:
  • Large businesses (higher thresholds — many procurement, mobile app and document rules apply),
  • Medium-sized businesses (fewer requirements: mainly web pages, training, record keeping),
  • Small businesses (federally regulated firms with 99 or fewer employees) — exempt from these digital rules.
• First Nations band councils — explicitly delayed until December 31, 2033 (and their related entities on reserve, with some exceptions for businesses they operate).
• People who work on or buy digital products: IT teams, procurement staff, vendors and suppliers of websites, apps and document services.
• People who use federal services online, especially persons with disabilities (see Why it matters).
• Note: Transportation and broadcasting sectors keep some separate obligations under other regulators; the proposed rules focus on other federally regulated sectors.

Why it matters#

• Digital access is central to daily life: the government notes about 27% of Canadians aged 15+ reported a disability in 2022, and about 45% of people with disabilities have encountered digital barriers with federal organizations. Making web pages, apps and documents accessible can reduce those barriers.
• Expected public‑policy tradeoffs: a 10‑year analysis in the proposal estimates implementation costs at $309.95 million (present value) and projected benefits at $1,209.78 million, giving a net present benefit of $899.83 million. Those figures come from the government’s cost‑benefit work and reflect time savings, productivity gains and reduced service burden.
• Practical outcomes for users: fewer phone calls and in‑person trips, easier access to services and job applications, and better workplace tools for employees with disabilities.
• Practical outcomes for organizations: new procurement practices, more training, some upfront costs to make or buy accessible tech, and public reporting through accessibility statements.
• This is a proposal, not law yet. The public can comment within 60 days of the Canada Gazette publication (published December 21, 2024). The final rules, if adopted, would come into force on the dates noted above.