Physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage clinics

People look up a physiotherapy, chiropractic or massage therapy clinic when something hurts or does not move the way it should. They want to book an assessment, choose a practitioner, complete an intake form and confirm whether the clinic direct bills their insurer. A person recovering from a concussion may find bright, busy pages hard to read. Someone with a shoulder or hand injury may be using a keyboard, voice control or one hand on a phone. If the booking tool or intake form does not work for them, they may give up or call instead.

About 27% of Canadians aged 15 and over reported one or more disabilities in 2022 (Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Disability 2022). Under the Accessible Information and Communication Standard Regulation, Man. Reg. 47/2022, organizations with one or more employees in Manitoba have been covered since May 1, 2025. Web content that is needed to access an organization's goods or services must meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA (s. 7(1) (opens in a new tab)).

Where websites in this sector usually fail

The patterns below come up often on rehabilitation clinic websites. They are typical issues, not findings about any particular business.

Third-party booking tools and the "no direct control" exception

Many clinics take bookings and intake through a third-party practice management or booking service embedded on their website. Section 7(2) (opens in a new tab) of Man. Reg. 47/2022 lists circumstances in which the WCAG requirement does not apply, and one of them concerns content the organization does not have direct control over. Others include where meeting the requirement is not technically feasible, where the technology is not readily available, or where it would cause undue hardship.

That exception needs careful handling. A clinic may not be able to change the code inside a vendor's booking widget, but it does choose which tool to embed, and it can ask vendors about accessibility when selecting or renewing one. It also controls everything around the tool: the page it sits on, the "Book now" link, the instructions, and whether there is another way to book. In our view, a clinic relying on the exception should document why it applies, raise the issues with the provider, and offer an accessible alternative such as phone or email booking, clearly stated next to the tool. How the exception applies to a specific situation is a legal question, and this is general information, not legal advice.

What else the regulation requires

Accessible formats (s. 5 (opens in a new tab)). Patients should be told they can request intake forms, exercise sheets and receipts in a format that works for them, such as an accessible electronic file or large print.

Feedback (s. 9 (opens in a new tab)). Patients need an accessible way to report barriers, such as a web form, email address and phone number.

Training (s. 4 (opens in a new tab)). Front desk staff, whoever maintains the website, and whoever chooses booking or intake software fall within the training requirement, as soon as reasonably practicable.

What we test first

1. Booking an assessment or treatment, including choosing a practitioner
2. Completing the intake and health history form
3. Checking insurance coverage and direct billing information
4. Reading practitioner bios and service descriptions
5. Finding hours, location, parking and entrance accessibility details

Each journey is tested with keyboard only, NVDA, VoiceOver, text resized to 200% and content reflowed at 320 CSS px, along with automated scans.

Fixing without a redesign

Most issues on the clinic's own pages can be repaired with the least visible change: descriptive alternative text for headshots, proper headings in bios, labelled and grouped form fields, slightly adjusted colours for contrast, and a clear alternative way to book beside any embedded tool. Read more about our services or see a sample report, then contact us for an audit and a fixed written quote.

Last reviewed October 2026. General information, not legal advice.