{"id":1486,"date":"2018-04-27T17:26:25","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T17:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pressbooks.library.ryerson.ca\/pwaa\/?post_type=chapter&p=1486"},"modified":"2019-08-12T20:17:32","modified_gmt":"2019-08-12T20:17:32","slug":"wcag-2-0-relation-to-international-web-accessibility-guidelines","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.library.torontomu.ca\/pwaa\/chapter\/wcag-2-0-relation-to-international-web-accessibility-guidelines\/","title":{"raw":"WCAG Relation to International Web Accessibility Guidelines","rendered":"WCAG Relation to International Web Accessibility Guidelines"},"content":{"raw":"The W3C Web Content Accessibility Guideline<\/a> (WCAG 2.0) has become broadly accepted as the definitive source for web accessibility rules around the world, with many jurisdictions adopting it verbatim, or with minor adjustments, as the basis for accessibility laws that remove discrimination against people with disabilities on the web. The following is a listing of some of the countries that have adopted WCAG 2.0.<\/span>\r\n

Canada<\/h2>\r\n

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)<\/h3>\r\nThis course has been created in the context of the AODA, which came into effect in 2005 with the goal of making Ontario the most inclusive jurisdiction in the world by 2025. Part of this 20 year rollout involved educating businesses in Ontario, many of which are now obligated by the Act to make their websites accessible, first at Level A between 2012 and 2014, and at Level AA between 2016 and 2021.\r\n\r\nThe AODA adopts WCAG 2.0 for its web accessibility requirements, with the exception of two guidelines:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  1. Ontario businesses and organizations are not required to provide captioning for live web-based broadcasts (WCAG 2.0 Guideline 1.2.4, Level A)<\/li>\r\n \t
  2. Ontario businesses and organizations are not required to provide audio description for pre-recorded web-based video (WCAG 2.0 Guideline 1.2.5, Level AA)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nOtherwise, AODA adopts WCAG 2.0 verbatim.\r\n
    Readings and References:<\/strong> For key information on the adoption of WCAG 2.0 in the context of the AODA, refer to The Integrated Accessibility Standards (of the AODA)<\/a>.<\/div>\r\n

    Canadian Government Standard on Web Accessibility<\/h3>\r\nIn 2011, the Government of Canada (GOC) introduced its most recent set of web accessibility standards, made up of four sub-standards that replace the previous Common Look and Feel 2.0 standards. The Standard on Web Accessibility adopts WCAG 2.0 as its web accessibility requirements, with the exception of Guideline 1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) in cases where \u201cessential images of text\u201d\u00a0are used, in cases where \u201cdemonstrably justified\u201d exclusions are required, and for any archived web content. The standard applies only to Government of Canada websites.\r\n
    Readings and References:\u00a0<\/strong>For full details of the Government of Canada accessibility requirements, read the Standard on Web Accessibility<\/a>.<\/div>\r\n

    Accessibility 2024<\/h3>\r\nIn 2014 the British Columbia government released Accessibility 2024, a 10-year action plan designed around 12 building blocks intended to make the province the most progressive in Canada for people with disabilities. Accessible Internet is one of those building blocks. The aim is to have all B.C. government websites meet WCAG 2.0 AA requirements by the end of 2016.\r\n
    Readings and References: <\/strong>For additional details visit the Accessibility 2024<\/a>\u00a0website.<\/div>\r\n

    United States<\/h2>\r\n

    Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)<\/h3>\r\nThe ADA does not have any specific technical requirements upon which it requires websites to be accessible; however, there have been a number of cases where organizations that are considered to be \u201cplaces of public accommodation\u201d have been sued due to the inaccessibility of their websites (e.g., Southwest Airlines, AOL), where the defendant organization was required to conform with WCAG 2.0 Level A and Level AA guidelines.\r\n\r\nThere is a proposed revision to Title III of the ADA (Federal Register Volume 75, Issue 142, July 26, 2010) that would, if passed, require WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA conformance to make web content accessible under ADA.\r\n
    Readings and References: <\/strong>See: Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability; Accessibility of Web Information and Services of State and Local Government Entities and Public Accommodations<\/a><\/div>\r\n

    Section 508 (of The Rehabilitation Act, U.S.)<\/h3>\r\nSection 508 is part of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act and its purpose is to eliminate barriers in information technology, applying to all Federal Agencies that develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Any company that sells to the U.S. Government must also provide products and services that comply with the accessibility guidelines Section 508 describes in the Act.\r\n\r\nThese guidelines were originally based on a subset of the WCAG 1.0 guidelines, which was recently updated to adopt WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA guidelines as new requirements for those obligated through Section 508.\r\n
    \r\n\r\nReadings and References: <\/strong>\r\n