Calgary Web Accessibility Bylaw Guide

Civil Rights and Equity Alberta 3 Minutes Read · published February 11, 2026 Flag of Alberta

Calgary, Alberta requires municipal digital services to consider accessibility when publishing information and delivering online services. This guide summarizes how the City approaches web accessibility, who enforces standards, how to report barriers, and practical steps for municipal teams and contractors to improve compliance.

Scope & Standards

The City of Calgary follows accessibility principles and references Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) levels where practical for city websites and digital services. Municipal sites should aim for perceivable, operable, understandable and robust content and document key compliance steps, testing and remediation timelines.

Compliance & Reporting

If a resident or employee encounters an inaccessible city web page or digital service, report the barrier to the City of Calgary’s accessibility contact or digital services team. For issues that may involve discrimination in services, the Alberta Human Rights Commission provides complaint pathways.[1]

Report accessibility barriers promptly to the City so they can be prioritized.

Penalties & Enforcement

The City’s public information pages and digital policies describe commitments and remediation processes but do not publish municipal fine schedules for web accessibility on the cited pages; specific monetary penalties are not specified on the cited page.[2]

  • Enforcer: City of Calgary digital services and accessibility officers (department-level oversight).
  • Inspection & complaints: file a report via the City accessibility or 311 contact channels; include page URL, expected behaviour and assistive technology used.
  • Appeals/review: where an administrative order or remediation notice exists, appeals follow municipal review processes or provincial human rights complaint routes; time limits are not specified on the cited page.
  • Monetary fines: not specified on the cited page; refer to enforcement contacts for clarification.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: orders to remediate content, public notices, and potential court actions are possible mechanisms described generally by city policy language.
If you receive a remediation notice respond within the timeline stated in the notice to preserve appeal rights.

Applications & Forms

The City does not publish a standardized "web accessibility permit" form. For reporting barriers or requesting reasonable accommodations, use the City accessibility contact form or 311 process where provided; individual project documentation and procurement records are used for compliance tracking.

Common Violations

  • Missing alt text on images.
  • Insufficient headings and landmark structure.
  • Videos without captions or transcripts.
  • Interactive controls not keyboard-accessible.

Practical Steps for Municipal Teams

  • Audit existing pages using automated and manual testing methods.
  • Allocate budget for remediation in procurement and project planning.
  • Document fixes and maintain an accessibility statement on the site.
Small content fixes often resolve the majority of reported barriers.

FAQ

Does Calgary have a specific municipal web accessibility bylaw?
No single municipal bylaw for web accessibility is published on the City’s public pages; accessibility obligations are set through city policies and service-level commitments.
How do I report an inaccessible City web page?
Report the issue to the City accessibility contact or 311 with the page URL, browser and assistive technology details so the digital services team can reproduce and prioritize remediation.
Can I file a human rights complaint about web access in Calgary?
Yes. If the barrier amounts to discrimination in services, you may consult the Alberta Human Rights Commission for complaint options.

How-To

  1. Document the problem: capture the page URL, a clear description, screenshots, and assistive technology details.
  2. Report to the City via the accessibility contact or 311 with the evidence gathered.
  3. Follow up with the digital services contact for status, remediation timeline and confirmation of fixes.
  4. If service discrimination is suspected, contact the Alberta Human Rights Commission to discuss complaint options.

Key Takeaways

  • City websites should aim for WCAG-based accessibility and maintain a public accessibility statement.
  • Report barriers to the City quickly with clear evidence to speed remediation.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City of Calgary accessibility information
  2. [2] Alberta Human Rights Commission

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