Accessibility For Ontarians

Here is a great some great #curratedcontent from The BestMedia about New #Accessibility requirements coming to #Ont.

Way back in 2005, the government of Ontario enacted the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act( AODA).

The purpose of this legislation is to implement accessibility standards that relate to “goods, services, facilities, accommodation, employment, buildings, structures and premises” so that Ontarians with disabilities can access these things just like everyone else.

 This act also includes AODA standards that apply to websites and web content, which are detailed in the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

These guidelines are extremely detailed, many of them are very complicated, and implementing them is going to be an unwelcome expense for many business owners.

But the cost of not making these changes will be much more, as a compliance deadline for many of the standards has been set for January 2021, and businesses that don’t comply are facing some seriously heavy fines (up to $100,000 per day).

However, achieving AODA compliance for your website offers many benefits to your business and everyone who uses your website, not just those with disabilities, who make up 15 per cent of Ontario’s population.

In any case, meeting the AODA standards gives you the chance to avoid fines and potential lawsuits, bring in more business, increase people’s recognition and trust of your brand by showing that you care, and gain loyal customers by providing people with whatever they need to access your services.

So, instead of seeing this as a burden, you should treat it as an opportunity for your business to show corporate responsibility and make more money by ensuring your web content is accessible to everyone. 

Article Courtesy of The Best Media