Noble Pixels ยท Accessibility
Meet AODA on the site you already have.
A manual WCAG 2.2 AA audit, fixes in the real code, and notes your staff can keep using. For Canadian nonprofits and associations whose members join, renew, and give online.
What the law asks
The deadline passed in 2021. Most sites still fail.
Ontario’s Integrated Accessibility Standards require covered organizations to meet WCAG 2.0 Level AA on their websites and web content. The failures that matter most are rarely on the homepage. They are in the renewal form, the event sign-up, and the donation flow.
Who is covered
- Designated public sector organizations in Ontario.
- Nonprofits, charities, and associations with 50 or more employees in Ontario.
- New or significantly refreshed websites and web content, including portals and forms.
- WCAG 2.0 Level AA, required since January 1, 2021.
How the sprint works
Audit, fix, retest, hand over.
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01
Audit by hand
Keyboard, screen reader, zoom, and contrast checks on your real templates and forms, measured against WCAG 2.2 AA. Automated scans are a starting point, not the report.
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02
Fix the real code
We fix the templates, components, and forms directly, starting with the barriers that block members from joining, renewing, or giving.
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03
Retest with assistive tech
Every fix is checked again with the tools your visitors use, so the report reflects the site as it ships.
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04
Hand over the notes
Plain-language guidance for staff who publish content, so new pages do not reopen old gaps. Care plans add monitoring after launch.
What WCAG 2.2 AA covers
Four principles, checked on every template.
Perceivable
- Alt text on meaningful images.
- Captions on video.
- 4.5:1 text contrast.
- Text resizes to 200% without loss.
- Nothing conveyed by colour alone.
Operable
- Everything works by keyboard alone.
- Visible focus that is never hidden behind sticky bars.
- Touch targets large enough to hit.
- Skip links and descriptive page titles.
- An alternative to every drag action.
Understandable
- Page language declared.
- Consistent navigation and help.
- Labels and clear errors on every form.
- Sign-in without memory puzzles.
- No re-entering information already given.
Robust
- Valid, well-formed HTML.
- Correct ARIA roles and states.
- Name, role, and value exposed on every control.
- Works with current assistive technology.
The shift
Members can join, renew, and give without asking for help.
The problem
- The homepage looks fine. The renewal form, the event sign-up, and the donation page do not.
- A funder or a member has asked, and the offer on the table is a plugin.
- Staff hesitate to publish, because a new page might open the gap again.
After the sprint
- Those forms work by keyboard and with a screen reader, because the code was fixed and checked again.
- You can show a funder what changed, on the pages members actually use.
- The people who publish have notes, so the next page does not undo the work.
Common questions
AODA, in plain language.
Does AODA apply to our nonprofit website?
The AODA website rule covers designated public sector organizations and any organization with 50 or more employees in Ontario, including nonprofits and charities. Smaller organizations are not bound by the website rule, but members, funders, and procurement teams increasingly ask for it anyway.
Which standard does AODA require?
WCAG 2.0 Level AA for new and significantly refreshed websites and web content, with exceptions for live captions and pre-recorded audio description. The deadline for most covered organizations was January 1, 2021.
Why do you audit against WCAG 2.2 AA instead of 2.0?
WCAG 2.2 AA includes the 2.0 criteria AODA asks for and adds checks for mobile, low vision, and cognitive access, such as focus visibility and target size. Meeting the newer standard covers the legal floor and the experience your members actually have.
Will an overlay or plugin make us compliant?
No. Overlays change what some visitors see without fixing the underlying code, and automated scans catch only part of the problems. The sprint fixes the real templates, forms, and components.
Does this cover our member portal and forms?
Yes. Registration, renewals, donations, and event sign-ups are usually where the worst barriers are, so they are in scope by default.
What are the penalties for non-compliance?
The Act allows fines on conviction of up to $100,000 a day for a corporation. The more common trigger is a complaint from a member or a funder asking for your accessibility status.
Related work
Accessible from the first build.
If the site needs replacing anyway, a custom site and portal is built to WCAG 2.2 AA from the start. If AI is coming to member-facing tools, the AI sprint includes an accessibility review before launch.
Next step
Send us the page your members use most.
Fifteen minutes is enough to confirm whether you are covered, and whether a sprint or solution consulting should come first.