The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is a law that was established by the government of Ontario in Canada to develop and enforce accessibility standards for government, businesses, nonprofits, and public sector organizations. It creates and sets accessibility standards that organizations from public, private, and non-profit sectors must follow and to make an accessible province for all Ontarians.

Its purpose is to improve accessibility standards for Ontarians with physical and mental disabilities and requires all businesses, and organizations in Ontario with 50+ or more employees, in both the public, private and non-profit establishments, to be fully accessible to people with disabilities by 2025.

The five accessibility standards developed by committee representatives for ease of understanding are:
1. Information and communications
2. Customer service
3. Transportation
4. Employment
5. Design of public spaces

All organizations with 1 or more employee(s) in Ontario must comply with the AODA. The AODA applies to all municipalities in the province, as well as ministries and agencies of the Ontario government, nonprofits, and businesses. The AODA includes mandatory requirements and deadlines which began as of January 1, 2010.

1. Cultivates an inclusive environment for your potential consumers.
2. Eliminates legal risks related to accessibility
3. Enhanced overall user experience
4. Improved search engine optimization (SEO) resulting in more exposure.

The possible risks of having a website that is not AODA compliant:

1. Possible accessibility related lawsuits due to discrimination on the basis of disability.
2. Miss out on prospective clients
3. Poor user experience
4. Unsatisfactory reviews for brand which negatively affect brand image
5. Decreased search presence

Here are some steps to ensure AODA compliance for your digital content:

1. Scan your website with a Free AODA website Compliance Checker and see where your web pages score in terms of accessibility.
2. Develop an accessible framework based on AODA Compliance Checklist before starting your project.
3. Get an AODA Compliance Audit for your digital content
4. Begin AODA Website Remediation– Arrange for consultation with accessibility experts to rectify any accessibility violations and implement accessible features.
5. Provide Digital Accessibility Trainings– Train teams involved in design and development on Accessibility, its implementation and its importance.