"Usability is core to a website design success. While pretty designs are great, if the user cannot navigate throughout the website with ease, the design is not doing its job properly."
Elaine Horon
Upanup Web Designer
of
Estimated reading time
2 minutes
Bill 6, or the Accessible British Columbia Act, is a law as of June 17, 2021, that will ensure better accessibility in B.C. over the next ten years. The government will be taking the lead to first implement accessibility measures and encourage other organizations to do the same. (View our news post What Is Web Accessibility to learn more about the importance of accessibility and why it factors into everything we do.)
By implementing these laws, the Province of B.C. is helping increase the awareness of accessibility, supporting accessibility in mainstream products and services, and accelerating the implementation of accessibility.
Here is everything we know about this new law and how it will affect your website (you can also check out this overview video of the Accessible B.C. Act (ASL) available on YouTube):
- Deadlines: Unlike the AODA in Ontario, there will be no deadlines for compliance associated with this law. The Province of B.C. felt these deadlines did not speed up the removal of barriers and are instead leading by example.
- Organizations: The bill does not specify which organizations need to follow it at this time. However, in the future, regulations will be made to identify organizations that will also need to follow the new law. Organizations that will have regulations around this new law will be determined based on their size and their impact on people with disabilities.
- Regulations: While the regulations have not been determined yet, it is expected that regulations will follow Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), similar to the AODA. Read What is WCAG learn more about the guidelines.
- Penalty: Those that do not take the steps to create an accessible website once regulations are in place and enforced could be fined up to $250,000.
- Timeline: The Province released a timeline for implementation in June 2021. Then, further updated that in early 2026 in the 2025-26 to 2027-28 Accessible-BC Plan Summary—including the following, "Priority 2 Information and Communication: This focuses on ensuring everyone can access and understand our communications materials. It considers the different ways people consume and engage with informational resources. This includes the use of assistive devices and technologies. It aims to ensure that everyone has timely access, regardless of differences or abilities. Some key commitments include: Achieve digital accessibility by meeting current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) AA; Improve information and communications accessibility, including: Web content, Documents, Forms."
If you aren't sure about your website's accessibility, contact us to request a free site scan and report. Also, view our articles on the benefits of accessibility and website redesign project timelines for more information.
We bake accessibility into each website we design and develop with the open-source Drupal CMS and we provide accessibility services including accessibility training (sign up for our free webinars to continue learning about accessibility and industry trends), audits, and website updates. If you are ready to make the switch to an accessible website, get in touch with us today to begin the journey.