Accessible Courses

Accessibility checkers provide a quick indication of potential problems that you can fix in your course or website. Keep in mind that there are many accessibility issues that cannot yet be identified by an automated checker. The rest of this document covers those issues.

Web Content Accessibility Checkers

Ally's Accessibility Report

The Ally Accessibility CANVAS app automatically scans course content for accessibility issues, provides guidance to instructors on how to fix them, and offers alternative formats to support diverse learner needs.

CANVAS Accessibility Checker

Canvas's built-in Rich Content Editor accessibility checker scans content for common accessibility issues and provides in-line suggestions to help instructors create more accessible learning materials.

WAVE by WebAIM

The WAVE app by WebAIM is a web accessibility evaluation tool with a browser extension that visually highlights accessibility issues directly on a webpage and provides detailed guidance for remediation.

How to access Accessibility Checkers in CANVAS

1. From your course navigation, click Ally Course Accessibility Report to drill down through your course content, locating problem items, and guided fixes.
2. When you're editing content in your CANVAS course the Rich Content Editor Accessibility Checker can be accessed below the text editor. The Ally Accessibility dial is located above the text editor. Clicking on both tools is recommended as they can identify different issues.

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Document Accessibility Checkers

Ally's Accessibility Report

The Ally Accessibility CANVAS app also scans course document files for accessibility issues. Ally provides a convenient way to download the document to remediate it, then re-upload it.

Microsoft Accessibility Checker

Microsoft's built-in Accessibility Checker reviews documents and presentations for accessibility issues and offers suggestions to improve content for users with disabilities.

Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker

Acrobat's Accessibility Checker analyzes PDF files for compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG and PDF/UA, flagging issues and suggesting fixes.

PDF Accessibility checker by Grackle Go

Grackle Go PDF Accessibility Checker is a browser-based tool that scans PDFs for accessibility issues and generates a report with actionable guidance to help ensure compliance with accessibility standards.

Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.)

Headings provide an outline within a page that tools such as screenreaders can use to navigate your content just as you would visually skim a page.

1. Canvas pages already have an H1 tag, so your first heading should be H2, and follow sequentially as needed for your content structure.
2. Empty headings are still read by screenreaders, so don't use them to create visual space.
3. Fake headings (bold only) will be missed by screen readers, so don't use them.
4. Headings should have some content below them that is relavent to the heading.
5. Heading order should be logical.

MORE: Heading information by WebAIM

Descriptive Links

1. Avoid uninformative link phrases (e.g., click here).
2. Avoid raw URL links, use informative text instead.

MORE: Link Text information by WebAIM

Color

1. Ensure that the contrast between text and background is distinct. Use the Contrast Checker by WebAIM to confirm your contrast ratio's are at least 4.5:1.
2. Ensure that your content does not require color vision (e.g., click on the "red" button.)

MORE: Contrast and Color Accessibility information by WebAIM

Lists

1. List structure should be used wherever a logical list is present.
2. Don't create "fake lists" that don't include proper HTML structure (e.g., manually typing a numbered list).

MORE: List information by WebAIM

Tables

1. Avoid using Tables for "layout".
2. Ensure that data tables are scoped with proper heading syntax and captions.
3. If you must use a table, keep the stucture simple. No merged cells.

MORE: Table information by WebAIM

Clean HTML code

1. W3C HTML Validator is free and helpful for finding errors in your syntax.
2. HTML Washer strips out styles and other tags so you have clean HTML.
3. CANVAS Clear Formatting feature within the "Rich Text Editor" strips out some tags to help clean HTML.

CANVAS Module Layout

1. Use unique, simple naming conventions. Be consistent.
2. Simplify navigation where possible... for example: combine PowerPoints and Videos that cover the same content into one module item instead of two. Also, post one version of a document instead of multiple versions and instead rely on ALLY's Alternative Format feature.
3. Use Text Header and indention to improve readability by creating a hierarchical structure.

MORE: Mastering Modules: A Guide to Organizing Your Content in Canvas

• Informative images: Images that graphically represent concepts and information, typically pictures, photos, and illustrations. The text alternative should be at least a short description conveying the essential information presented by the image.

• Decorative images: Provide a null text alternative (alt="") when the only purpose of an image is to add visual decoration to the page, rather than to convey information that is important to understanding the page.

• Functional images: The text alternative of an image used as a link or as a button should describe the functionality of the link or button rather than the visual image. Examples of such images are a printer icon to represent the print function or a button to submit a form.

• Images of text: Readable text is sometimes presented within an image. If the image is not a logo, avoid text in images. However, if images of text are used, the text alternative should contain the same words as in the image.

• Complex images such as graphs and diagrams: To convey data or detailed information, provide a complete text equivalent of the data or information provided in the image as the text alternative.

• Groups of images: If multiple images convey a single piece of information, the text alternative for one image should convey the information for the entire group.

SOURCE: W3 Image Tutorial

Close Captions help users with Auditory Disabilities

• All video must provide closed caption transcripts.
• Upload or record video using Panopto Video within your CANVAS course to automatically generate your videos closed captions.
• Auto-captions MUST be reviewed by a human.

Audio Descriptions help users with Visual Disabilities:

• All video that present information only visually must include audio desciptions.

MORE: Captions, Transcripts, and Audio Description information by WebAIM

Preferred Option

ASK Yourself... Could the document be delivered as HTML content (i.e., is printing required)? If so, convert it to a Canvas module page. It is much easier to make the content accessible as HTML.

Common PDF Accessibility Fixes

If it's not possible to convert the content to HTML continue with these fixes:

1. Run Adobe's PDF Acessibility Checker
   
   Acrobat Pro > All Tools > Prepare for Accessibility > Check for Accessibility
2. Set Document Title
   
   Acrobat Pro > Menu > Document Properties > Description > Title
3. Set Language
   
   Acrobat Pro > Menu > Document Properties > Advanced > Language
4. Add Alt Text to Images
   
   Acrobat Pro > All Tools > Prepare for Accessibility > Add Alternate Text
5. Set Reading Order
   
   Acrobat Pro > All Tools > Prepare for Accessibility > Fix Reading Order
6. Identify Form Fields
   
   Acrobat Pro > All Tools > Prepare for Accessibility > Identify Form Fields / Auto tag form fields
7. OCR Scanned Text
   
   Acrobat Pro > All Tools > Scan & OCR > Recognize Text
8. Color
   
   Contrast 4.5:1
   Ability to see specific color should not be required to understand the content.
9. Tables
   
   Avoid tables for layout.
   Add headers if data tables are required.
10. DO NOT "Print to PDF"
    
    Do not save a PDF using Print feature. It strips accessibility features of the PDF.

MORE: Adobe PDF Accessibility Help

Preferred Option

ASK Yourself... Could the document be delivered as HTML content (i.e., is printing required)? If so, convert it to a Canvas module page. It is much easier to make the content accessible as HTML.

Common WORD Accessibility Fixes

If it's not possible to convert the content to HTML continue with these fixes:

1. Run Microsofts's Accessibility Checker
   
   Microsoft Word > Review > Check Accessibility
2. Built-in Headings and Styles
   
   Microsoft Word > Review > Check Accessibility > Navigation
3. ALT Text for Images
   
   Microsoft Word > Review > Check Accessibility > Alt Text
4. Reading Order
   
   EDIT CONTENT: Microsoft Word > Home > Styles > Heading # (use logical order)
   CHECK CONTENT: Microsoft Word > Review > Check Accessibility > Navigation Pane
5. Descriptive Links
   
   No "click here", No RAW URLs.
6. Color
   
   Contrast 4.5:1
   Ability to see specific color should not be required to understand the content.
7. Tables
   
   Avoid tables for layout.
   Add headers if data tables are required.

MORE: Microsoft's Accessible Word Document Help

Preferred Option

ASK Yourself... Could the document be delivered as HTML content (i.e., is printing required)? If so, convert it to a Canvas module page. It is much easier to make the content accessible as HTML.

Common POWERPOINT Accessibility Fixes

If it's not possible to convert the content to HTML continue with these fixes:

1. Run Microsofts's Accessibility Checker
   
   PowerPoint > Review > Check Accessibility
2. Slide Titles are Unique
   
   Screen readers navigate using unique slide titles
3. ALT Text for Images
   
   PowerPoint > Review > Check Accessibility > Alt Text
4. Reading Order
   
   PowerPoint > Review > Check Accessibility > Reading Order Pane
5. Descriptive Links
   
   No "click here", No RAW URLs.
6. Color
   
   Contrast 4.5:1
   Ability to see specific color should not be required to understand the content.
7. Tables
   
   Avoid tables for layout.
   Add headers if data tables are required.
8. Font Size
   
   Use 18+ pt Font.

MORE: Microsoft's Accessible PowerPoint Help