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Making Accessible Presentations with Canva

This video and post will provide an overview of how to use Canva AI to create a presentation, export it to PDF, and then make it accessible.

Utilizing Canva for Accessible Presentations

Canva, a popular design tool, offers the ability to create presentations. The process starts by selecting a blank presentation and utilizing Canva’s magic Design button. A small window prompts the user to describe the presentation topic.

Canva Magic AI

By selecting a theme around “accessibility section 508 design principles,” Canva provides a choice of styles. The creator can select one that passes color contrast requirements and create the presentation.

The created presentation in the video covers various aspects such as:

  • Introduction to accessibility in Section 508 design principles.
  • The law of Section 508 and its necessity.
  • Principles of design include text alternatives for non-text content, keyboard interface functionality, and effective use of color and contrast.
  • Techniques to ensure accessibility, benefits of designing for accessibility, and the importance of various elements like high contrast colors, alternate text images, descriptive link tags, keyboard navigation, and using headings and lists.

Making a Canva Presentation Accessible with PDF/UA

After creating a presentation in Canva, the file can be downloaded as PDF standard. The accessibility review involves opening the tags panel and addressing the tags within the document. The initial steps may involve:

  • Reordering and labeling content appropriately.
  • Artifacting irrelevant images.
  • Creating headings and lists as needed.

Accessibility checkers like Adobe’s can be utilized. Any errors identified may require manual adjustments such as creating artifacts, fixing the bounding boxes, or other logical structures. The process may also involve adding the PDF/UA identifier, and the result is a document that meets PDF/UA requirements and passes WCAG 2.1.

This comprehensive guide demonstrates how to create an AI-based presentation in Canva and make it accessible, embodying the principles of inclusivity and design thinking.

More Canva Posts

How to create a Doc in Canva and make it accessible

This post will go over how to create a doc in Canva.com and export it to PDF. Then, we will make it accessible! Overview Please follow the steps in the video on how to create a document in Canva. The export to PDF option seems to be improving over time. Below you will find some…

by Shawn Jordison

How to create a Doc in Canva and make it accessible

This post will go over how to create a doc in Canva.com and export it to PDF. Then, we will make it accessible!

Get accessible Documents Now

Overview

Please follow the steps in the video on how to create a document in Canva. The export to PDF option seems to be improving over time. Below you will find some directions on how to fix tables and list items. For more detailed posts on PDF remediation, please check out this page:

Creating the Basic Structure

Starting with Canva’s new feature that allows users to create documents, we’ll be adding various elements to test accessibility. This includes adding headers, tables, bulleted and numbered lists, and more. Our primary goal is to ensure that the document, although simple in design, complies with accessibility standards.

Exporting and Accessibility Check

Once the basic design is complete, we’ll move on to exporting the document as a PDF and conducting a comprehensive accessibility check. This involves cleaning up tag structures, making proper use of header tags, handling list items, and addressing table-related challenges.

Here’s a closer look at the process:

  1. Adding Headers: We’ll use heading level one and two to organize the content.
  2. Inserting Tables: A two by three table will be added, with cells merged as needed.
  3. Working with Lists: Both bulleted and numbered lists will be added to test them.
  4. Image and Design Elements: Random designs and images can be added to beautify the document.
  5. Exporting the File: The document will be downloaded as a PDF, following the standard procedure in Canva.
  6. Accessibility Checks in Adobe Acrobat: Extensive checks and modifications will be performed to ensure complete accessibility.

Table tag breakdown

  1. Table Parent Tag <Table>
  2. Table Row Child tag <TR>
  3. Table Header Cell <TH>
  4. Table Data Cell <TD>
  5. Table on Page
Table Parent Tag <Table> Table Row Child tag <TR> Table Header Cell <TH> Table Data Cell <TD> Table on Page

Setting the Scope of Table Headers

With the reading order tool open, right-click on the table and select “Table Editor.” Select all table header cells at the top of the table, right-click and select “Table Cell Properties,” and change the scope from none to “Column.” If you have table headers on the row side, you can set the scope to “Row” as needed.

  1. Launch Reading order tool
  2. Right-click inside of the table and select Table editor
table editor
  1. Select the cells you want to set the scope for
  2. Right-click and select table cell properties
  3. Adjust the scope to either row, column, or both
setting the scope

How to tag a list in adobe acrobat pro

  1. List Parent Tag <L>
  2. List Item Child Tag <LI>
  3. Label <Lbl>
  4. List Body child Tag <LBody>
  5. Contents of First list item
  6. List item content on page
List Parent Tag <L> List Item Child Tag <LI> Label <Lbl> List Body child Tag <LBody> Contents of First list item List item content on page

Step 1: Prepare the PDF and Create a Blank List Tag

Open your PDF document in Adobe Acrobat Pro.

  1. Right-click in the Tags panel
  2. Select “New Tag,”
  3. Create a blank List tag (capital “L”).

If you would rather an expert make your docs accessible for you instead – check this out.

Right-click in the Tags panel Select "New Tag," Create a blank List tag (capital "L").

Step 2: Create List Item Tags and Nest Them

Manually create list item (LI) tags and nest them within the List tag. To do this, right-click the List tag, select “New Tag,” and type “LI” (capital “L” and “I”).

LI tags

Step 3: Add Label and L Body Tags

For each LI tag, create Label (LBL) and L Body tags. Right-click each LI tag, select “New Tag,” and type “Lbl” for Label and “LBody” for LBody tags. Drag and drop these tags into their appropriate locations within the LI tags.

List tag

Canva PDFs are not accessible

This post aims to explore how Canva PDFs are not accessible to people with disabilities. It seems like such a basic need at this point for any modern website to allow for exporting with a structure in place. This simply is not the case for Canva PDFs.

Would you rather just have me make your Canva doc exports accessible for you?

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Video Overview of the Problem

The basic premise is that PDFs that are exported from Canva do NOT retain much of the style that is applied on the back end. The good news is that it seems with each passing month, the quality is getting better. As of now, there are multiple steps required to get the PDF ready before it can be made accessible.

The Errors / Problems with exporting

  • The PDFs come through with No tags in many situations.
  • The reading order tool can cause issues.
  • There is extra content that comes through that can be difficult to tag.

One Solution

This video will show how to get the PDF remediation ready. The secret tip is to use the Print to PDF functionality within Adobe Acrobat. Check it out:

This video provides guidance on how to get a tag structure into the document, how to move tags, how to artifact content, use the reading order tool, and adding a link.

Be sure to check out our PDF remediation section while your at it!

When a PDF is not accessible, it creates a variety of problems and barriers, particularly for individuals with disabilities. Here’s an overview of what happens and why it’s a concern:

  • Screen Reader Incompatibility: Individuals who are visually impaired often rely on screen readers to interpret the text within documents. If a PDF is not tagged correctly or lacks the proper structure, screen readers may be unable to read the content, or they may read it in the wrong order, rendering the information unintelligible.
  • Navigation Challenges: An inaccessible PDF might not support easy navigation, making it difficult for people to jump to specific sections, headings, or links within the document. This can be particularly problematic for individuals using assistive technologies.
  • Lack of Alternative Text for Images: If images within the PDF don’t have alternative text descriptions, individuals who are blind or visually impaired won’t have access to the information conveyed through those images.
  • Incompatibility with Assistive Technologies: Individuals with motor disabilities may use various assistive technologies to interact with digital content. An inaccessible PDF might not be compatible with these tools, making it difficult or impossible for these individuals to access the content.
  • Legal Compliance Issues: Many jurisdictions have legal requirements related to accessibility (such as the Americans with Disabilities Act in the U.S.), and failing to make content accessible can lead to legal consequences.
  • Loss of Audience: By not making PDFs accessible, content creators risk alienating a significant portion of their audience. This can lead to reduced readership, customer dissatisfaction, and potential harm to an organization’s reputation.
  • Educational Barriers: In educational settings, inaccessible PDFs can create barriers to learning for students with disabilities, hindering their academic progress and creating an unequal learning environment.
  • Workplace Inequity: In the workplace, inaccessible documents can prevent employees with disabilities from performing their tasks efficiently, leading to inequality and discrimination.
  • Difficulty in Editing and Repurposing Content: Inaccessible PDFs can also be more challenging to edit and repurpose, as the lack of structure and tagging may complicate the process of extracting and reusing content.
  • Negative SEO Impact: Search engines may have difficulty indexing the content within an inaccessible PDF, which can lead to lower search rankings and reduced visibility online.

In summary, an inaccessible PDF doesn’t just create challenges for individuals with disabilities; it can also have broader legal, social, and financial implications. Making PDFs accessible is not merely a matter of compliance or technical correctness; it’s about inclusivity, equality, and ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can access the information they need.

Making Accessible Presentations with Canva

This video and post will provide an overview of how to use Canva AI to create a presentation, export it to PDF, and then make it accessible. Utilizing Canva for Accessible Presentations Canva, a popular design…

by Shawn Jordison