Overview

This page will show you how to make sure all of your Canvas pages (as well as assignments, discussions, quiz pages) are accessible.

You have a choice as to how to engage with the material in this lesson. Remember, the key concepts are always addressed in the text. If you need more info or learn by watching, the videos and resources are great supplements.

Read About It
Watch a Demo / Video
Explore Resources on the Web

Read: Creating Accessible Canvas Pages

The Rich Text Editor

Canvas Classic Rich Text Editor
Canvas Classic Rich Content Editor

New Canvas Text Editor.jpg
New 2020 Canvas Rich Content Editor

The rich content editor in Canvas is one tool that you should become very familiar with. These icons above the pages where you add text, allow you to add headings to your page (much like you do in Word), format content, add images, tables, videos, lists, etc. The instructions on this lesson currently use the Classic Rich Content Editor. To learn more about the New Rich Content Editor, go to the What is the New Rich Content Editor? Canvas Community resource.

Page Structure

Just as you do in Word, you add structure to a Canvas page by using headings. The page title is Heading 1 (called Header 1 in Canvas), so any section heading in Canvas will begin with Heading 2 (or Header 2 in Canvas). To add headings, you simply highlight the line of text, then select the appropriate heading.

screen cast of adding headings to canvas page using rich content editor

You check how text has been formatted by highlighting or clicking on a section of text (while in edit mode). At the bottom of the editing pane, you will see a div >> + p, h2, or h4 appear. These stand for paragraph (normal text, such as this text), heading 2 (section titles), heading 3 (sub-section), or heading 4 (sub-sub section).

Headings Tips

Headings do not need colons at the end. They are self-contained units.
Always use headings in order. Do not skip levels.
Headings provide structure, not just visual emphasis. After a heading or sub-heading there should always be paragraph text, a sub-heading, or a sub-sub-heading logically placed. Use bold and text size in paragraph text for for emphasis when a heading does not logically precede content.
Avoid underlining for emphasis. Underlined content should be reserved for links.

Alt Text for Images

You are probably sick of hearing about alt text, but guess what - you need it in Canvas, too! Luckily, Canvas makes it easy to add alt text - prompting you to add it when you first upload an image (if you're using add image to the right of the Rich Text Editor). You can also mark an image as decorative by checking the box.

Alt text option during image upload

If you're adding alt text to existing images, click on the image, then click on the image editor icon in the rich content editor to access the alt text field.

screen cast showing how to add alt text using the rich content editor in Canvas

If the image is decorative, remove all content from the alt text field and check the box to mark it as decorative -this will ensure that a screen reader skips over it. The default alt text is the file name, which can be quite confusing. Leaving the alt text field blank will render the image to be announced as "image", leaving screen reader users confused and wondering what they are missing.

Tables

Canvas now allows you to edit tables in such a way that you can use the Rich Text Editor to add headers to them (as opposed to going into the HTML to do it!). As discussed with Word, tables should have captions and header row/column to assist screen readers in reading the data correctly. Tables should not be used to format/control the layout of your page.

Once you've made your table, do the following to make it accessible:

Click on the table to select it. Then, click on the table icon in the rich content editor.
Select Table properties and check the Caption box. Click OK.
Click at the top of your table to type a caption for the table. TIP: If you do not want to caption to be seen, highlight the caption and change the font color to white.
Highlight the cells of the header row (or column).
Select Cell, then Cell properties from the table menu in the Rich Text Editor.
Select Header cells from the Cell type dropdown menu.
Select Columns (if the headings are by column as below. If it's arranged by row, select rows. If you do both, select both options) from the scope dropdown menu. Click OK.

You can also review the Canvas Guide for step-by-step instructions on making accessible tables.

Captions/Transcripts for Media

Another fun function in Canvas is the ability to easily add in audio and video recordings to each page using the Rich Text Editor. However, if you have a student that is deaf, hard of hearing, or simply doing classwork in a noisy environment, you will want to make sure you also provide captions or a transcript.

I have learned over the years that my recordings are smoother, clearer, and stick to the point when I use a script. And what's even better - that script can now be used to create captions (for a video) or a transcript (for audio).

The next lesson will go over how to caption videos (in Canvas and YouTube), but in the meantime, feel free to review the Canvas Guide on adding captions to Canvas videos.

Watch: Making Accessible Canvas Pages

Using Heading Tags to Improve Accessibility (3:10)

A short demonstration from Bellingham Tech on how to use headings in Canvas.

Alt Text (3:35)

In this video, Tom Gibbons from South Seattle College will walk you through how to add alt text for images.

Style Your Syllabus for Accessibility (10:44)

Another video from South Seattle College's Tom Gibbons! In this video, you will learn how to format your Canvas syllabus to be accessible for students with disabilities.

Explore: Canvas Accessibility Guides