Accessibility Statement

Is NorthCan legally captured? It depends on employee count, and here are the thresholds.

Under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, SO 2005, c 11 and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation, O. Reg. 191/11:

• s. 14 of the IASR requires designated public sector organizations and large organizations to make their internet websites and web content conform to WCAG 2.0 (Accessible Campus, IASR s.14).
• A "large organization" is an obligated organization with 50 or more employees in Ontario, other than the Government of Ontario.
• The compliance dates: by 1 January 2014, new websites to WCAG 2.0 Level A; by 1 January 2021, all websites and web content to WCAG 2.0 Level AA, excepting live captions and pre-recorded audio descriptions.

So:

• NorthCan has 50 or more employees in Ontario → s. 14 applies and the deadline passed on 1 January 2021, more than five years ago. The site is currently non-compliant and has been for the whole period. This is not a future obligation to plan for; it is an existing default, and the rebuild is the opportunity to cure it.
• NorthCan has fewer than 50 employees in Ontario → s. 14 does not apply. There is no legal obligation to meet WCAG 2.0 AA and no legal obligation to publish an accessibility statement.

** is the single fact that decides this and I do not have it. It is on the ask-list. Count carefully: the IASR counts employees, which includes full-time, part-time, seasonal and contract employees** in Ontario, and for a roofing contractor with a seasonal crew the number can cross 50 in July and sit below it in January. If NorthCan is anywhere near the line, treat itself as captured.

Two things are true regardless of the count, and they are the reason the recommendation does not change:

1. Other AODA obligations bite lower. Organizations with 20 or more employees must file accessibility compliance reports with the province, and there are training, feedback-process and accessible-format obligations that apply to organizations of any size under the IASR and the Customer Service Standard.
2. The Ontario Human Rights Code, RSO 1990, c H.19 obliges service providers to accommodate disability in the provision of services to the public with no employee threshold at all. A website that a blind property manager cannot use to request a quote is a service accessibility issue under the Code whether or not the IASR applies. The Code route has no 50-employee floor.

Recommendation: build to WCAG 2.1 Level AA. It is a superset of 2.0 AA, so it satisfies the IASR either way, it covers mobile and touch targets which 2.0 does not, and it removes the need to revisit this when the standard or the headcount moves. The incremental build cost over 2.0 AA is small when done during a rebuild and large when retrofitted.

Publish the statement in either case. If NorthCan is captured, it is part of demonstrating compliance. If it is not captured, it is a free trust signal to institutional clients, many of whom (school boards, municipalities, hospitals, banks) have accessibility requirements in their own procurement.

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Accessibility StatementNorthCan Roofing Inc.Last updated: Our commitment

NorthCan Roofing Inc. is committed to providing our services in a way that respects the dignity and independence of people with disabilities. We are committed to meeting the accessibility needs of people with disabilities in a timely manner, and to meeting our obligations under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (O. Reg. 191/11).

This website

We have built northcanroofing.com to conform with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA, which includes and exceeds the WCAG 2.0 Level AA standard required by section 14 of the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation.

This includes: - text that meets minimum contrast ratios against its background; - alternative text on images that carry meaning; - full keyboard navigation, with a visible focus indicator; - form fields with properly associated labels and clear error messages; - a logical heading structure and correct page language; - a layout that works when text is enlarged and on small screens.

Conformance statusAccessible formats and communication supports

If you need any information on this website, or any document we provide such as a quote, contract or warranty, in an accessible format or with communication support, contact us and we will work with you to provide it in a way that meets your needs, at no additional cost. Tell us what format works for you.

Tell us about a barrier

If you find part of this website difficult to use, or you have trouble getting information from us in a way that works for you, we want to know.

Email: Telephone: 416-456-0777 Mail: NorthCan Roofing Inc., 425 Alness Street, Toronto, Ontario M3J 2T8

We aim to respond within ** business days**. Tell us how you would like us to reply and we will use that method. Feedback about accessibility is welcome and is used to improve our services.

Our accessibility plan

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