Overview

This page will show you how to make sure all of your Canvas pages (and assignments, discussions, quiz pages) are accessible.

You have a choice as to how to engage with the material in this lesson. Remember, the key concepts are always addressed in the text. If you need more info or learn by watching, the videos and resources are great supplements.

Read: Creating Accessible Canvas Pages

The Rich Content Editor

The rich content editor in Canvas is one tool that you should become very familiar with. These icons above the pages where you add text, allow you to add headings to your page (much like you do in Word), add images, add tables, videos, lists, etc.

Page Structure

Just as you do in Word, you add structure to a Canvas page by using headings. The page title is Heading 1, so any section heading in Canvas will begin with Heading 2. To add headings, you simply highlight the line of text, then select the appropriate heading.

Accessible Canvas headings2.gif

You check how text has been formatted by highlighting or clicking on a section of text (while in edit mode). At the bottom of the editing pane, you will see a p, h2, or h4 appear. These stand for paragraph (normal text, such as this text), heading 2 (section titles), heading 3 (sub-section), or heading 4 (sub-sub section).

Alt Text for Images

You're probably sick of hearing about alt text, but guess what - you need it in Canvas, too! Luckily, Canvas makes it easy to add alt text - prompting you to add it when you first add your image (if you're using the rich content editor).

Alt-Tag Images in Canvas Rich Content Editor

If you're adding alt text to exiting images, click on the image, then click on the image editor icon in the rich content editor to access the alt text field.

Adding Alt Text in the Canvas Rich Content Editor
If the image is decorative, enter " " into the alt text field (quotation, space, quotation) - this will ensure that a screen reader skips over it. The default alt text is the file name, which can be quite confusing. Leaving the alt text field blank is problematic, as some screen readers will announce that there is an image or graphic, but it will not have any info to convey the purpose of the image.

Tables

Canvas now allows you to edit tables in such a way that you can use the rich content editor to add headings to them (as opposed to going into the HTML to do it!). As discussed with Word, tables should have captions and headings to assist screen readers in reading the data correctly. Tables should not be used to format/control the layout of your page.

Once you've made your table, do the following to make it accessible:

Click on the table to select it. Then, click on the table icon in the rich content editor.
Select Table properties and check "caption". Click "Ok".
Click at the top of your table to type a caption for the table.
Highlight the cells of the header row (or column).
Select "Cell", then "cell properties" from the table menu in the rich content editor.
Select "header cells" from the Cell type dropdown menu.
Select "columns" (if the headings are by column as below. If it's arranged by row, select rows. If you do both, select both options.) from the scope dropdown menu. Click "Ok".

Demonstrating the steps to make a Canvas table accessible

Review the Canvas Guide for step by step instructions on making accessible tables

Captions/Transcripts for Media

Another fun function in Canvas is the ability to easily add in audio and video recordings to each page using the rich content editor. However, if you have a student that is deaf, hard of hearing, or simply doing classwork in a noisy environment, you'll want to make sure you also provide captions or a transcript.

I've learned over the years that my recordings are smoother, clearer, and stick to the point when I use a script. And what's even better - that script can now be used to create captions (for a video) or a transcript (for audio).

The next lesson will go over how to caption videos (in Canvas and YouTube), but in the meantime, feel free to review the Canvas Guide on adding captions to Canvas videos (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

Watch: Making Accessible Canvas Pages

Using Heading Tags to Improve Accessibility (3 mins)

A short demonstration from Bellingham Tech on how to use headings in Canvas.

Watch: Making Accessible Canvas Pages

Addin Alt Text Tags

Alt text (3 mins)

In this video, Tom Gibbons will walk you through how to add alt text for images.

Style Your Syllabus for Accessibility (11 mins)

Another video from South Seattle College's Tom Gibbons! In this video, you'll learn how to format your Canvas syllabus to be accessible for students with disabilities.

Explore: Canvas Accessibility Guides

Canvas Guide: General Accessibility Guidelines (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. (includes links to adding alt text, descriptive hyperlinks, checking color contrast)
Canvas Guide: Accessible Tables in Canvas (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Canvas Accessibility (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. - Provides a good break down of how and why to use the elements discussed above.
Five Ways to Make Your Canvas Course More Accessible (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.