Canvas Accessibility Checker

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Purpose

Test Canvas pages for accessibility and utilize features for fixing any accessibility issues identified.

Description

The Canvas Rich Content Editor includes an accessibility tool that checks common accessibility errors within a Canvas page, assignment, discussion, or quiz. You can use the Accessibility Checker to ensure accessibility while designing course content. NOTE: This tool only verifies content created within the Canvas Rich Content Editor. You may use other accessibility tools to verify additional content in Canvas.

The Canvas Accessibility Checker does not catch all errors. See limitations of the tool as documented by UTS.

How to Use

  1. Select the Canvas Accessibility Checker icon Canvas Accessibility Checker Icon which appears below the Rich Content Editor in the toolbar along the bottom right.
  2. The Accessibility Checker fly-out menu will appear on the right hand sign of the screen, allowing you to navigate through any found issues.
  3. Accessibility errors are presented in the fly-out menu, and each displayed error will also be highlighted in the Canvas content area with a blue overlay.
  4. The Accessibility Checker menu will explain the nature of any issues encountered, and offer guidance on how to make corrections.
  5. To correct an issue, complete the task as noted in the fly-out menu.
    1. For instance, if the issue requires that alternative text be added to an image, the sidebar displays a text field for you to enter alt text.
  6. When you are finished with your changes, click the Apply button. The Accessibility Checker will apply the fix, and display information for the next issue found.
  7. Continue to review and fix any detected issues within the editor.
  8. Confirm Fix: when all issues have been fixed, or if no issues are detected in the Rich Content Editor, the Accessibility Checker indicates that no issues exist.
  9. Click the X at the top of the fly-out menu to close the Accessibility Checker.

Guides and Tutorials

Canvas Community documentation: How do I use the Accessibility Checker in the Rich Content Editor as an instructor?

Support

To request Help, contact the Canvas Support Hotline from the Help link in the Canvas Global Navigation Menu along the left, which is visible when you are logged into Canvas.

Tool Information

  • Functionality
    • Accessing the Canvas Accessibility Checker is easy. When in editing mode, click on the tool icon Canvas Accessibility Checker Icon under the editing box.
    • The Canvas Accessibility Checker does not check everything. What it checks:
      • Table captions, header cells, and header scope.
      • Sequential headings, and headings with too much text (120 characters is the limit).
      • Images: An error is shown either if alt text is not present, or if alt text is present, but is the same as the image file name and/or is longer than 120 characters.
      • Adjacent links with the same URL.
      • Color contrast of text against the background
        • NOTE: Large text is tested at a different ratio of contrast than small (body) text. To learn more, go to the WebAIM Contrast Checker.
  • Technical
    • Works with all operating systems and web browsers that work with Canvas.
    • If the interface is constrained on small monitors, toggle off the course navigation bar.
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