# Accessible Canada Act (ACA)-Oriented Accessibility Guidance

Situate accessibility issues in the ACA ecosystem, including ACR and ASC standards.

## Scope

Use this guidance when:

- The organization is federal (departments, agencies, Crown corporations) or federally regulated private sector (banks, telecom, interprovincial transport).
- The work touches accessibility plans, feedback processes, or progress reports.
- Teams are aligning digital work with ACA's goal of a barrier-free Canada by 2040.

If the entity is provincial/municipal, provincial laws (like AODA) likely apply instead of or alongside ACA.

## Key Concepts

- **Who is covered**: Federal public sector, Parliament, Crown corporations, federally regulated private-sector organizations.
- **Priority areas**: ICT, communications, procurement, and program/service delivery.
- **Digital obligations**: Accessibility plans, feedback processes, and progress reports must be published in WCAG Level AA conformant formats.
- **Standards**: CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 adopts EN 301 549:2021 as national standard (WCAG 2.1 AA-based). CAN-ASC-6.2 covers accessible AI systems.
- **Key dates**: ACA in force since 2019. ACR regulations since 2021. CAN/ASC-EN 301 549:2024 published. Goal: barrier-free Canada by 2040.

## How to Apply in Reviews

1. Clarify whether the organization is federal or federally regulated.
2. Anchor findings in WCAG 2.1 AA / EN 301 549.
3. Treat accessibility plan/feedback/reporting UIs as high-risk.
4. Recommend CAN/ASC-EN 301 549 and WCAG 2.1 AA as the build/test checklist.

All guidance is informational only, not legal advice.

## Common Mistakes

- Assuming ACA applies to all Canadian organizations (it is federal and federally regulated only).
- Treating dates as enforcement predictions rather than planning context.
- Not prioritizing plan/feedback/reporting surfaces as high-risk artifacts.
- Failing to anchor fixes in WCAG 2.1 AA / EN 301 549 technical expectations.
