This document will help you prepare your Canvas pages to be accessible for all users. Please also refer to the Canvas resource we used to create this document.
Various state and federal laws have requirements aimed at making education accessible to as many people as possible. For instance, making sure that classrooms are wheelchair accessible would be an effort to comply with these laws and policies. Online class materials need to be accessible as well. This document outlines some general best practices when designing a course for accessibility concerns.
Adding Content to Pages Layout and Design
Generally, the layout of a page should be simple, clean, and uncluttered. Navigation should be clear and consistent from page to page. When adding content, keep content organized and chunked together in short paragraphs so users can scan your content easily.
Use Headings
Each page in Canvas has a title and titles are automatically generated as a H1. THe Page title will automatically be a Heading Level 2. Headings should always include descriptive section headings. Section headings allow for a quick scan of the content for sighted and non-sighted users. Start your Canvas Sections with Heading Level 3.
Add Alt Attributes to Images
Alternative (alt) text is required to provide a textual alternative to non-text content in web pages. This text will be read aloud to a person using a screen reader. By default, Canvas includes the image name as the alt text, which should be changed to something more descriptive when embedding images. Alt text is not the same as the image title, which generates text when users hover over the image. Learn how to embed images and modify the alt attribute in the Rich Content Editor.
Add Captions to Videos
Videos should always have the option to view captions.If you created your video with Panopto, you can request captioning services from Panopto, by contacting Instructional Technology at instcom@stedwards.edu. For external videos, check with the video provider for caption availability. Learn how to Caption YouTube Videos owned by you.