Today’s post documents a real-life audit of a Canvas course, providing a practical demonstration of how to identify and correct accessibility issues in a live educational environment. We analyze course elements like headings, lists, links, videos, images, and files to identify barriers and recommend solutions that improve accessibility.
Video Guide
Module-Based Accessibility Review
Spot-Check Process
The review begins in the “Modules” section by selecting random pages for inspection. This efficient method quickly identifies common accessibility issues without requiring a full course audit.
Heading Issues
In our example, many pages start with <h4> headings instead of <h2>, disrupting the page’s structure and confusing screen readers. Update all primary headings to <h2> to ensure consistent content organization and easier navigation.
Missing or Inconsistent Headings
Several pages lack headings, making it difficult for screen readers to communicate the page structure. Visual cues like color often indicate sections, but without proper heading tags, this structure remains hidden from non-visual users.
Assessing Content Structure
Lists and Grouped Items
In our example, the course misuses list structures, causing elements to appear as disconnected items. Proper HTML list tags maintain readability and clarity for assistive tools.
Text Labels and Dates
Task labels appear as plain text. Marking these as headings enhances clarity and supports assistive navigation.
Multimedia and Visual Accessibility
Video Captioning
Videos require proper captioning. Only human-reviewed captions ensure accurate comprehension for all learners. For example, when embedding YouTube videos, captions marked “English” meet accessibility standards, while those labeled “English auto-generated” do not.
Image Descriptions
Ensure all images contain alternate text. Images correctly marked as “decorative” skip unnecessary narration for screen reader users. This improves user experience, provided the image does not carry critical information.
Highlighted Text and Color Usage
Highlighting text without additional indicators (like an asterisk or bold formatting) relies solely on color, which can exclude users with visual impairments. Adding a secondary visual cue ensures all learners understand the emphasis.
Document Accessibility
Review all course files for accessibility. One PDF, when opened in Adobe Acrobat, contained no tags, rendering it unreadable by screen readers. Adding structural tags to PDFs is necessary to make documents accessible.
Final Observations and Recommendations
Ensuring accessibility in Canvas courses requires a deliberate approach. By maintaining correct heading structures, verifying multimedia accessibility, and using well-tagged documents, educators create inclusive, effective learning environments. Accessibility is not just a best practice, it’s a responsibility that benefits every student.
Let me be your champion for inclusion. I offer tailored solutions (and self-paced courses!) to ensure your documents meet and exceed compliance expectations. For more detailed insights, tutorials, and in-depth discussions on accessibility and related topics, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel: The Accessibility Guy on YouTube. Subscribe for regular updates!
