Canvas Accessibility Training

Canvas Accessibility Training

Start

Navigation Tutorial

Learning Objectives

At the end of this training, you will be able to:

• Understand the importance of accessibility and its uses in Canvas
• Navigate the accessibility checker and report and utilize them in various ways
• Identify and fix accessibility issues in content uploaded to Canvas

Why is Accessibility in Canvas Important?

Learn More

When Should the Accessibility Tools Be Used?

• When uploading files, images, and modules into Canvas
• To make sure that assignments are accessible and can be completed by all students
• Once all course content is uploaded to ensure that the course itself is accessible as a whole

Table of Contents

Module 1: The Accessibility Report

Module 7: Document Headers

Module 2: Best Practices for Accessibility

Module 8: Table Headers

Module 3: Alternative Text

Module 9: HTML Header Structure

Module 4: Color Contrast

Module 10: Links

Module 5: Tagging Untagged Documents

Module 11: Titles

Module 6: Tagging Scanned Documents

Module 12: Languages

Table of Contents

Canvas Accessibility Report

• Gives your course an overall accessibility score
• Shows which files have problems and identifies each issue
• Organizes content by problem type and severity
• Can itemize content and show individual accessibility scores for individual files
• Identifies and shows you accessibility issues, but does not resolve them

Using the Course Accessibility Report

Moving the Accessibiltiy Report into Your Toolbar

Accessibility Checker for Files

Accessibility Checker for Assignments

Table of Contents

Best Practices

The Best Practices for Digital Accessibility file gives general guidelines over how to produce accessible content.

Click Here for a Tutorial on How to Access Our Best Practices Resource

Click Here to visit the Texas A&M AgriLife EDE homepage

Table of Contents

Alternative Text

• Giving images an alternative description gives them more context
• Images that have descriptions make searching within documents easier
• Students with visual or cognitive impairments are able to access images and diagram content when they have a complete and accurate description

Alt Text - Images in Files

Alt Text - Individual Images

Table of Contents

Alternative Text in Canvas

• Images with a description are more accessible to students with visual impairments
• Screen readers are able to convey the content of an image when the image has alternative text

Fixing HTML Alternative Text

Table of Contents

Color Contrast

• The difference in the brightness between the text color and its background influences legibility
• Sufficient contrast is essential for students with color vision deficiency
• A minimum contrast of 4.5:1 ensures that those with visual imparments can access content

Color Contrast

Color Contrast Resources

Click Here to Access the Hex Value to RGB Converter

Click Here to Access the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker

Color Contrast in Canvas

• An adequate contrast ratio between text color and background color
• Allows for students with visual impairments or colorblindness to be able to access content
• A minimum ratio of 4.5:1 makes colored text accessible in Canvas content

Fixing HTML Color Contrast

Table of Contents

Tagging

• Tagged PDF files are readable by a screen reader in a logical order and structure
• Structured tagging allows for easier navigation
• A PDF that has been tagged will adapt to best fit the device it is open on

Tagging

LinkedIn Learning - Creating Accessible PDFs

Below is a link that will take you to a LinkedIn Learning course that will take you through the steps of producing an accessible pdf file

Click Here to Access the "Creating Accessible PDFs" LinkedIn Learning Course

Table of Contents

Scanned Documents

• Scanned paper-based documents are digitized using a scanner, and when uploaded are simply identified as an image of the text
• Tagging scanned documents allows for searching within the document
• Makes the document usable for students with visual impairments
• Tagged content can be copied and pasted for studying purposes

Scanned Documents

Table of Contents

Document Headers

• Indicating text as a heading provides structure clarity
• Screen readers are able to navigate documents more easily with headings
• Headings make navigation easier between document sections

Setting Headers

Table of Contents

Table Headers

• Tables with headers ensure that readers can understand table organization
• Indicated headers make tables easier to format
• Visually imparired students need table headers to interpret table organization correctly

Tables Without Headers

Table of Contents

HTML Header Structure

• Heading structure within Canvas pages that is structured correctly is more accessible with a screen reader
• Correctly indicates sections of content and separates it into logical segments

Fixing HTML Header Structure

Table of Contents

Working Links

• Links are used to communicate access to another file, resource, or page.
• Correctly working links ensure that students can get to the designated file or resources.
• Links that have meaningful text can be read by a screen reader and allow for easier keyboard navigation

Links

Table of Contents

Titles

• Title are helpful to students with visual impariments, as PDF files that have titles are easier to distinguish from each other when multiple files are open.
• Screen readers are able to distinguish between different files.
• Navigation is easier and quicker within PDF files with well-defined titles.

Titles

Table of Contents

Setting Languages in a Document

• Adding the correct language to a document or a paragraph ensures that it can be checked correctly for grammar and spelling issues.
• A document with the correct language will allow screen readers to read the text in the correct language.

Languages

How to Find Best Practices Resource:

Accessibility in Canvas ensures that all students have equal access to the course content that is housed in Canvas. Ensuring accessibility in the Canvas platform creates a learning environment that is easier to utilize for every student, regardless of their abilities.

Image Source: Canvas Brand Website