Accessible Canada Act, SC 2019, c. 10 · Accessible Canada Regulations, SOR/2021-241
Accessible Canada Act: the plan, the progress report and the 1 June date.
If you are federally regulated and have 10 or more employees, the Act asks for three things on a fixed rhythm: an accessibility plan every three years, a progress report every year in between, and a public feedback process. The AODA comes back every three years; this one comes back every June.
The rhythm, in order
First accessibility plan
Large private organizations, 100 or more employees, published their first plan by 1 June 2023. Small ones, 10 to 99 employees, by 1 June 2024.
Progress report every year between plans
Published by 1 June, describing what was done, the feedback received and how persons with disabilities were consulted.
Updated plan every three years
The second planning cycle starts three years after the first plan: 2026 for large organizations, 2027 for small ones.
Notify the Commissioner
Within 48 hours of publishing a plan or a progress report, with the link to where it is published.
Keep the feedback process running
Published, reachable in several formats, with a named receiver. Every piece of feedback feeds the next progress report.
| Organization | First plan | Progress reports | Updated plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private, 100 or more employees | 1 June 2023 | 1 June 2024 and 2025 | 1 June 2026 |
| Private, 10 to 99 employees | 1 June 2024 | 1 June 2025 and 2026 | 1 June 2027 |
| Private, fewer than 10 | Exempt | Exempt | Exempt |
What we prepare
Plan or progress report
Written from your real actions and feedback, in the headings the regulations set.
Consultation record
How persons with disabilities were consulted, documented the way the report must state it.
Feedback process
Description to publish and a hosted channel that logs every message.
ICT test and record
Website and app tested at WCAG 2.2 AA, signed by Goldman Services INC.
Questions federal organizations ask
Who is covered by the Accessible Canada Act?
Federally regulated organizations: banks, telecommunications and broadcasting companies, interprovincial and international transportation such as airlines, rail, bus and marine, postal and courier services, and the federal public sector. Private organizations with fewer than 10 employees are exempt from plans and reports.
What is due every year?
A progress report in each year between accessibility plans, published by 1 June, with the Accessibility Commissioner notified within 48 hours of publication. The plan itself is updated every three years.
What must a plan cover?
Your policies, programs, practices and services in the areas the Act lists: employment, the built environment, information and communication technologies, communication other than ICT, procurement of goods, services and facilities, design and delivery of programs and services, and transportation where it applies. It must say how you consulted persons with disabilities.
Do we need a feedback process?
Yes. You must publish a description of how people can send feedback on accessibility, including the name or title of the person who receives it, and accept it in several formats. We host it and log every message.
What are the penalties?
The Accessibility Commissioner can issue compliance orders and notices of violation. Penalties go up to 250,000 dollars per violation, depending on the severity, the size of the organization and any history of violations.
Does the ACA require WCAG?
The plans and reports themselves must be published in accessible formats. Newer federal regulations on information and communication technology phase in web conformity by organization size. We test at WCAG 2.2 AA so your record is ready either way.
Get the next 1 June ready
Included in the Canada plan: 890 CAD a year, together with the AODA file if you also employ people in Ontario.