Meeting Ontario’s website accessibility requirements
Beginning January 1, 2021, all web content posted after January 1, 2012 will need to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA guidelines. Content includes any information found on a web page, including text, PDFs, Word files, images, forms and video.
The January 2021 deadline is the latest in a series of requirements that are being phased in as part of the province’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) that became law in 2005. The goal of AODA was to identify, remove and presvent barriers to accessibility throughout the province by 2025.
All content on Mohawk’s public website, mohawkcollege.ca, will need to meet the WCAG 2.0 Level AA guidelines by the end of December 2020. Mohawk’s Marketing team is developing a plan to ensure that website editors and content owners have the tools and support needed to make their web content accessible by the deadline. Watch for more information in the coming months around tips, resources, training and more.
What is WCAG 2.0?
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) describes Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 as a guideline for making web content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities, including visual, auditory, physical, speech, cognitive, language, learning, and neurological disabilities. WCAG 2.0 covers a wide range of issues; however, it does not address the needs of people with all types, degrees, and combinations of disability. Following WCAG 2.0 also makes web content more accessible to people with changing abilities due to aging, and often improve usability for users in general. Read more on w3.org.