51ÁÔÆæ

Course materials, regardless of where they reside (Canvas, Microsoft OneDrive, the web or from a textbook), should be created with accessibility in mind. Follow these steps to ensure your course content is accessible.

Use the Accessibility Checker in Canvas

When creating new resources in Canvas, such as pages, assignment descriptions, discussion posts, announcements or quizzes, use the built-in to identify and fix accessibility issues.

Check Microsoft Documents

If you use Microsoft Word, Excel or PowerPoint, be sure to use the to detect and correct any accessibility issues in your documents. 

Minimize PDF Usage

Distribute PDFs only when necessary. To make PDFs accessible:

• Create accessible source materials in Word or other software before converting them to PDFs.
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  • PDFs provided by 51ÁÔÆæ Libraries should already be accessible.
  • To eliminate the use of a PDF, consider transferring the information from the PDF directly into the Canvas page.

Test Web Pages Outside of Canvas

If you manage websites outside of Canvas, use the or its browser extension to test the accessibility of web pages.

Provide Transcripts for Recordings

Use speech-to-text software to generate transcripts for audio recordings.

Provide Captions for Videos in Canvas

in Canvas for Remember to review and for accuracy once generated.

Ensure Publisher Content is Accessible

Courses regularly include interactive activities or textbook publisher platforms (e.g. McGraw-Hill Connect, Pearson MyLab, Wiley). Before using it, ask the publisher to verify if the activity, book, lessons and exams are fully WCAG 2.1 AA-compliant. If the publisher can’t guarantee they are or say they will make information accessible as needed, don’t use it.

Regularly Check Course Materials with UDOIT

Instructors regularly re-use course materials from past semesters. It is always good to check the entire course for accessibility by reviewing pages and  integrated with Canvas. UDOIT will help instructors identify potential issues, and in many cases will help fix the issue. Several times a semester, use UDOIT to check up on your course’s accessibility health.

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These techniques are the first step to making a course accessible, but accessibility isn’t a destination. It is an iterative process. Always keep accessibility in mind and be proactive, not reactive. 

Instructors are welcome to learn more about 51ÁÔÆæ’s instructional standards for and  in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning’s Knowledgebase. CETL and the Accessibility Resource Center have also teamed up to offer self-paced Universal Design and Accessibility training. CETL and ARC may also offer live Accessibility or Universal Design workshops. Check the CETL event calendar for upcoming Accessibility or Universal Design workshops.

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