Burnaby Website Accessibility Requirements

Civil Rights and Equity British Columbia 3 Minutes Read · published May 24, 2026 Flag of British Columbia · By Daniel Roy

Burnaby, British Columbia requires municipal websites and online services to meet accessibility standards and provide accessible information and complaint routes for residents. This guide explains what the City of Burnaby states about accessibility, how enforcement and complaints work, typical obligations for web teams, and practical steps to comply.

Penalties & Enforcement

The City of Burnaby publishes an accessibility statement and guidance for its own services and sets expectations for service delivery and communications; however, explicit municipal fines or statutory penalty amounts for website noncompliance are not specified on the cited page[1]. For bylaw enforcement and offences generally, Burnaby maintains consolidated bylaws and enforcement procedures but the cited bylaws page does not list a specific fine for website accessibility failures and instead directs to enforcement frameworks[2].

If a fine or specific monetary penalty is required, Burnaby's consolidated bylaws specify the process rather than a universal online-access penalty amount.
  • Enforcer: By-law Enforcement and the department responsible for the service or information (e.g., Communications, IT, or Licensing).
  • Inspection & complaints: complaints are handled via the city's accessibility or general contact pages and routed to the responsible service.
  • Fines: not specified on the cited page for website accessibility; see official bylaws and enforcement pages for applicable offence schedules.
  • Non-monetary sanctions: the city may issue compliance orders, require corrective action, or pursue legal remedies where bylaws permit.
  • Appeals: appeal routes depend on the enabling bylaw or administrative decision; time limits are not specified on the cited pages and must be checked on the specific enforcement or bylaw notice.

Applications & Forms

There is no separate, published municipal form specifically for claiming website accessibility noncompliance on the cited accessibility page; complaints are accepted through general contact and by-law complaint channels[1].

Responsibilities and Common Violations

Municipal web teams and contractors should aim for WCAG conformance (commonly WCAG 2.0 or 2.1 AA) for content, PDFs, forms and interactive services. Common violations include unlabeled form controls, inaccessible PDFs, missing alt text, insufficient colour contrast, and keyboard navigation failures.

  • Accessible content and documents: provide tagged PDFs and HTML alternatives.
  • Forms and applications: ensure labels, instructions and error handling are accessible.
  • Interactive features: ensure keyboard operability and focus management.
Prioritize the most-used services and critical transactions when planning accessibility fixes.

Action Steps

  • Run an automated audit (axe, WAVE) and manual testing with assistive technologies.
  • Prepare a remediation plan with timelines and responsible teams.
  • Accept and triage accessibility complaints via the city contact or accessibility page.
  • Record costs for remediation and consider procurement clauses for accessible deliverables from vendors.
Document test results and remediation steps to demonstrate good-faith compliance efforts.

FAQ

Who enforces website accessibility for Burnaby municipal services?
The responsible City department or By-law Enforcement handles complaints and compliance; the city's accessibility statement and bylaws outline procedures.[1]
Are there fixed fines for failing to make a website accessible?
Specific monetary fines for web accessibility are not listed on the cited city pages; enforcement follows applicable bylaws and administrative processes.[2]
How do I report an accessibility issue on a city site?
Use the City of Burnaby accessibility or contact pages to submit details and requests for accommodation; the city will route the complaint to the appropriate service.

How-To

  1. Inventory public-facing webpages, PDFs and forms and note highest-traffic services.
  2. Run automated accessibility scans and manual tests with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation.
  3. Prioritize and schedule remediation, assign owners and estimate costs.
  4. Publish an accessibility statement with contact and complaint instructions and update it after remediation.
  5. If unresolved, submit a formal complaint via the city's contact channels and retain documentation of requests and responses.

Key Takeaways

  • Burnaby expects accessible municipal services and provides contact routes for complaints.
  • Specific fines for website accessibility are not published on the cited pages; check applicable bylaws for enforcement processes.
  • Document audits and remediation to show good-faith compliance.

Help and Support / Resources

  1. [1] City of Burnaby - Accessibility
  2. [2] Burnaby - Consolidated Bylaws

Categories

General Governance and Administration Public Safety Public Health and Welfare Land Use and Zoning Housing and Building Standards Transportation Environmental Protection Parks and Public Spaces Business and Consumer Protection Taxation and Finance Labor and Employment Education Civil Rights and Equity Elections and Campaign Finance Events and Special Uses Signs and Advertising Utilities and Infrastructure Technology and Data
Daniel Roy

Daniel Roy

Municipal Bylaw Analyst

Daniel analyses municipal bylaws across Canadian provinces and territories. He checks every guide against official municipal and provincial sources.