Site Owners

If you own or manage a University of Guelph website, you will need to familiarize yourself with the AODA web standards that apply to your website. Once you understand the specific standard of accessibility that your website must achieve by specific dates, you must communicate these requirements to any designers, developers, or content managers working on your website.

Read the AODA Web Standards

Before making any significant changes to an existing website, make sure you are aware of the standards required by Section 14 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). In particular, be aware of the following requirement for designated public sector organizations, including the University of Guelph:

  • By January 1, 2021, all internet websites and web content must conform with WCAG 2.0 Level AA, other than, success criteria 1.2.4 Captions (Live), and success criteria 1.2.5 Audio Descriptions (Pre-recorded).

Except where meeting the requirement is not practicable, this section applies, to websites and web content, including web-based applications, that an organization controls directly or through a contractual relationship that allows for modification of the product; and to web content published on a website after January 1, 2012.

In determining whether meeting the requirements of this section is not practicable, organizations may consider, among other things, the availability of commercial software or tools or both; and significant impact on an implementation timeline that is planned or initiated before January 1, 2012.

Monitor your Website for Accessibility Issues

The University of Guelph monitors the accessibility of its websites using an online web governance service called SiteImprove.

  • If you would like to monitor your University of Guelph website using SiteImprove, contact the University of Guelph Digital Accessibility Resource Centre. Be ready to provide the URL of the website you wish to monitor and the name of the department associated with the website. Once a site is added to SiteImprove, the service will check the site for accessibility issues, broken links, and spelling mistakes that can be found through automated means.

Register for a SiteImprove Web Accessibility Course

Visit SiteImprove Academy to register for a SiteImprove web accessibility certification course. These courses are free for anyone from the University of Guelph.

Use an Accessible Web Template

Accessible templates that follow University of Guelph branding are available for use by web designers and developers on campus. Ensure that your web developer is aware of these University of Guelph accessible templates.