Page list

Accessibility Fundamentals

Discover the principles behind accessible digital products and services. These principles remove barriers for people living with disabilities and ensures ease of use for all.

Accessibility in your role

We all have a role to play in accessibility. Learn more about job-specific accessibility tips and how to integrate them into your day-to-day work.

Accessibility standards

Stay up to date on all the latest accessibility standards and regulations in the government.

Accessibility Testing 101

For anyone wanting to create accessible content, we encourage you to use automated accessibility testing tools. These testing tools will help content creators as they build their content by finding errors and offering suggestions to improve the accessibility of their product, application or web site. On this page a list of recommended accessibility testing tools has been made available

Accessible Excel workbooks in Microsoft 365

Accessible practices for Microsoft Excel document creation.

Accessible Excel workbooks in Office 2016

Accessible practices for Microsoft Excel 2016 document creation.

Accessible PDF documents in Microsoft 365

Accessible practices for PDF document creation.

Accessible PDF documents in Office 2016

Accessible practices for PDF document creation.

Accessible PowerPoint presentations in Microsoft 365

Accessible practices for Microsoft PowerPoint document creation.

Accessible PowerPoint presentations in Office 2016

Accessible practices for Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 document creation.

Accessible virtual events

Learn how to host accessible virtual meetings such as a training session, a meeting, or an open-door event.

Accessible Visio drawings in Microsoft 365

Accessible practices for Microsoft Visio diagram creation.

Accessible Visio drawings in Office 2016

Accessible practices for Microsoft Visio 2016 diagram creation.

Accessible Word documents in Microsoft 365

Accessible practices for Microsoft Word document creation.

Accessible Word documents in Office 2016

Accessible practices for Microsoft Word 2016 document creation.

Additional Resources

Resources and useful tools for web accessibility for employees of the Government of Canada.

Alternative text and long description – Best practices

Alternative text (or alt text) is text that describes and conveys the meaning of a visual non-text item like an image, flowchart, graph and so on. This document will guide you to determine the type of alt text needed and provide you with tips on writing an alt text and long descriptions for simple and complex images, like charts, maps and so on.

Audio Description Guidelines

Audio description allows any user with a visual disability or cognitive disability to receive a very detailed and descriptive experience of what is happening on the screen for every aspect of the video.

Auditory Disabilities

Auditory disabilities are sensory disabilities that range from partial to complete hearing loss.

Best practices for accessible virtual events

This guide is all about planning events, covering a broad range of activities like conferences, meetings, and presentations. It includes common barriers faced by people with disabilities during events and a suggested timeline for organizing your event. The goal is to work together to create more inclusive and accessible experiences.

Canada School of Public Service (CSPS)

The Canada School of Public Service leads the government's enterprise-wide approach to learning by providing a common, standardized curriculum that supports public servants through key career transitions, ensuring that they are equipped to serve Canadians with excellence. Multiple teams at the School support accessibility with the goal of creating a barrier free learning environment for its learners.

Captioning Checklist

Making sure you did not forget anything with your captions.

Cognitive Disabilities

Cognitive impairments take many forms, including short and long-term memory impairments, and perceptual differences. Language impairments, including dyslexia and temporary impairments associated with those trying to learn new languages, are also common cognitive problems.

Community Directory

Learn more about the organizations, projects, and people working on accessibility within the Government of Canada.

Contact us

Interested in learning more? Reach out and get connected to our team.

Create document

Find the core steps needed to create accessible documents and specific instructions for common document types.

Create forms

Learn about the essential steps for creating accessible forms.

Create web content

Discover resources and job aids that help you create accessible web content.

Design a course

Learn about the roles and processes involved in designing and developing an accessible course.

Designing accessible services

With these tips, learn what you need to know to design for different disability categories.

Designing for users of screen readers

What to do - and what not to do - when designing for users of screen readers.

Designing for users on the autism spectrum

What to do - and what not to do - when designing for users on the autism spectrum.

Designing for users who are deaf or hard of hearing

What to do - and what not to do - when designing for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Designing for users with cognitive disabilities

What to do - and what not to do - when designing for users with cognitive disabilities.

Designing for users with low vision

What to do - and what not to do - when designing for users with low vision.

Designing for users with physical or motor disabilities

What to do - and what not to do - when designing for users with physical or motor disabilities.

Digital accessibility in the Government of Canada

Learn more about the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility standards, including the EN 301 549, which includes WCAG 2.1 level A and AA, when purchasing goods or services or designing a project, roles, and teams related to the Government of Canada.

Digital Accessibility Toolkit project

About the project, who we are and what is our goal.

Do’s and Don’ts for developing online courses

Do’s and don’ts for writing, designing and developing online courses.

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC)

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) works to improve the standard of living and quality of life for all Canadians. We do this by promoting a labour force that is highly skilled. We also promote an efficient and inclusive labour market. ESDC has multiple teams working in digital accessibility with the goal of creating a barrier free environment for Canadians and employees!

Find out how to make accessible digital forms

With this guide, find out what the best format is and other helpful tips for making accessible digital forms.

Global Accessibility Standards

A set of guidelines to ensure digital content is accessible worldwide for people living with disabilities and frameworks for creating accessible digital products, services, and more.

How to create accessible documents in Microsoft 365

Accessible practices for digital document creation.

How to create accessible documents in Office 2016

Accessible practices for digital document creation in Office 2016.

How to’s

Tips and core steps to help make all your digital products and content, such as documents, meetings, accessible.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility Requirements

This page is to share some of the work that Shared Services Canada (SSC) has done for the piloting of the EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (2021-03) Harmonised European Standard Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services. This is not a full copy / paste / translation of either the EN 301 549 (2021) or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1.

Introduction to accessibility requirements for audio-video

This document is a great introduction on how to make accessible video for a communication advisor audience which are in between the web author and the content expert.

Language of Audio/Video Content

When to use sign language interpretation and bilingual videos, tools and samples of accessible videos.

Learning and Development

Discover a curated collection of learning products to enhance your understanding of accessibility. Whether you're a developer, designer, or enthusiast, explore our links to courses, tutorials, and tools. Join us in creating a more inclusive digital world.

Live Broadcast

Live Broadcasts are defined as a facilitator presenting a PowerPoint via videoconference. Here we have defined each type and their respective accessibility requirements.

Making Accessible Emails

Accessible email is important for people with disabilities but also for everyone. Find out how to create an accessible email in outlook.

Mapping between Revised Section 508 and EN 301 549 (2014, 2018, 2019 and 2021)

As the EN 301 549 standards continue to evolve and release updates, this document shows the progression of the EN 301 549 standard from 2014 through the proceeding updates of 2018, 2019 and 2021. This information is important as the Government of Canada (GC) is moving towards adopting the EN 301 549 (2021) as its accessibility standard for ICT. The GC, as part of the solicitation process, may ask suppliers to provide accessibility conformance reports based on the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT®). Each VPAT® is based on a specific technical standard – Revised Section 508, EN 301 549, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Suppliers, technical authorities and contracting authorities need to understand the differences between these standards to ensure that the accessibility requirements are properly addressed.

Microsoft document compliance checklist

Here you can find different questions to help you to know if your Word document is accessible or not.

Mobility, Flexibility, and Body Structure Disabilities

Mobility impairment includes people with upper or lower limb loss or disability, challenges with manual dexterity, disability in co-ordination with different organs of the body, or with a broken skeletal structure. Physical and mobility disabilities restrict the ability of the body or one or more limbs to move independently and purposefully.

Most Common Types of Disability

Learn more about the most common types of disabilities in the workplace and their related accessibility considerations.

PDF accessibility checklist

Here you can find different questions to help you to know if your pdf document is accessible or not.

Personas with Disabilities for inclusive user experience (UX) design

The case to include disabilities into user personas, the types of technologies they use, and sample personas with disabilities.

Procurement

Learn about, and access resources to support the inclusion of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility requirements into Government of Canada procurements and non-competitive contracts.

Recordings

Recordings typically fall into one of two categories, an in-person facilitated event (Standard Video) or an audio-only presentation. Here is a definition of each type and their respective accessibility requirements.

Research on our target audience

By developing a greater understanding of our users, we hope to build a responsive site architecture for all existing and future content hosted on the Digital Accessibility Toolkit’s website.

Resources and Tools

Explore the various guides and learning materials created by federal public servants working to advance digital accessibility.

Resources

Recommendations, links, and other resources to help us be the most accessible and inclusive we can be.

Statistics Canada (StatCan)

Statistics Canada, in collaboration with partners from Employment and Social Development Canada, will continue to develop and release products to better understand the accessibility experiences of Canadians. The Accessibility Data Hub provides a centralized location of topics related to accessibility and disability through data tables, articles, infographics and interactive data visualization tools.

Targeted Engagement: draft Standard on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility

The Digital Policy Division at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is seeking targeted input on Phase One of the Standard on Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Accessibility. This webpage is where you can provide feedback to help make the Government of Canada’s ICT usable by all.

Technical Summary of the EN 301 549 v3.2.1 (2021)

This technical summary provides the reader a simplified summary of the technical requirements from the EN 301 549 V3.2.1 (2021-03) Harmonised European Standard Accessibility requirements for ICT products and services. Each clause or group of related clauses have been re-worded in plain language and examples have been added to help readers understand the requirements at a high-level. This document is especially useful for those who would like an understanding of the EN 301 549’s requirements without having to read through the full standard.

Terms of Reference

Terms of Reference define the purpose and scope of the Digital Accessibility Toolkit project. It includes information regarding the structures of a project, key roles, membership, meeting, and more.

Test your products

Learn how to identify accessibility issues early and throughout the development process, when they are easier to address.

Tip sheet for Microsoft Outlook

Simple reference for creating accessible emails in Outlook.

Tip sheet for Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation

Easily reference accessible best practices for PowerPoint creation.

Tip sheet for Microsoft Word

Quick reference to accessible best practices for Word documents.

Tip sheets for Microsoft office

Learn to identify and correct common accessibility issues in the Microsoft office suite of software.

Tips for creating online courses

Tips and tricks for writing, designing and developing online courses.

Tools

Tips, recommendations, and learning materials to keep you informed about accessibility features that can be used every day in the federal public service.

Transcript Checklist

A tool to make sure you did not forget anything.

Transcript Guidelines

Guidelines on how to incorporate various aspects of audio and video into a transcript.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that avoids a ‘one-size fits all approach’ to learning materials. It encourages using multiple ways of engagement, representation and action and expression can meet the needs of a larger number of learners. Learn about the three main UDL principles, advantages, benefits and tips.

Virtual Meeting Platforms and Accessibility Features

The Microsoft Teams and Zoom virtual meeting platforms offer various accessibility features that meet different needs, including for meetings and conversations.

Visual Impairments

Visual disabilities are sensory disabilities that can range from some amount of vision loss, loss of visual acuity, or increased or decreased sensitivity to specific or bright colours, to complete or uncorrectable loss of vision in either or both eyes.

Web Accessibility Checklist

Checklist to verify the web page content if it is accessible or not

Website usage analytics

Provides an overview of website usage data, such as the number of visits, users, pageviews, and bounce rates. It also highlights the most frequently used devices and the top countries where users visit the site. The data is updated regularly to reflect the latest activity, helping us understand how people interact with the website and improve the overall experience.

What we heard report: Standard on Information and Communication Technology Accessibility (SICTA)

Between October 31 and November 30, 2022, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat - Office of the Chief Information Officer (TBS-OCIO) Digital Policy & Performance Division undertook a targeted engagement on the Standard on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Accessibility. This page details the key themes that emerged and next steps to be taken in relation to the standard.