Creating an accessible course is not only a best practice but also a fundamental responsibility. At UC San Diego Extended Studies, our Instructor Excellence and Online Learning teams provide resources and support to help instructors build accessible courses with ease. Our Canvas course template and help articles are designed to meet accessibility standards, laying a strong foundation for compliance.
However, accessibility is a shared responsibility. While we provide the tools and structure, instructors play a crucial role in ensuring that the content they add or modify remains accessible. Simple actions—like using accessible PDFs and DOCX files, converting scans and images to text (OCR), and reviewing and editing video captions/transcripts—make a significant impact on student learning.
This guide outlines the most important steps instructors should take to maintain accessibility throughout their Canvas course.
Article Contents
- Run the Canvas Accessibility Checker
- Use the DES Canvas Course Template
- Use Accessible PDFs and DOCX Files
- Convert Scans and Images to Text (OCR)
- Review and Edit Video Captions/Transcripts
- How to Order New Machine-Generated Captions for Your Video Lecture
- Additional Accessibility Best Practices
- Conclusion
1. Run the Canvas Accessibility Checker
Canvas includes a built-in Accessibility Checker that helps identify and fix common accessibility issues within course content. Running this tool ensures that your text, images, tables, and other elements meet accessibility standards. Regularly using the checker simplifies compliance and improves the learning experience for all students.
Best Practice: Run the Accessibility Checker every time you create or edit a page, discussion, assignment, or quiz description.
Key Benefits:
- Identifies accessibility issues before publishing
- Provides guidance for correcting errors
- Supports WCAG compliance across course pages
- Helps ensure a more inclusive student experience
Read: How do I use the Accessibility Checker in Canvas?
2. Use the DES Canvas Course Template
The Canvas course template at UC San Diego Extended Studies has been intentionally designed to provide a branded, pedagogically sound, and accessible course structure. By adopting this template, instructors benefit from a consistent and user-friendly design that aligns with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and meets the Stevens Online Course Readiness standards for online courses as well as Instructure’s best practices for Canvas course design. Using the template significantly reduces the amount of accessibility remediation needed later.
Built-In Accessibility Features:
Pre-Formatted Heading Structure – The template uses a structured hierarchy of headings to enhance readability and ensure compatibility with screen readers.
Consistent Color Contrast – The template maintains a high-contrast design with black text on a white background, ensuring clarity for all learners, including those with visual impairments.
Accessible Navigation – Course layouts are designed with logical structure and clear labeling, making it easier for students using assistive technologies to navigate content efficiently.
Pre-Checked Content Areas – The template has been reviewed using accessibility checkers to ensure compliance with WCAG standards before instructors begin adding content.
Integration with Kaltura for Captioning – Videos uploaded to Kaltura automatically generate machine captions, providing a baseline for accessibility. Instructors are encouraged to review and edit these captions for accuracy.
Alt Text Reminders – We remind instructors to add descriptive text to images to ensure accessibility. Reminders are found in our course design resources and weekly reminders to active instructors.
- Document Compliance Reminders – We remind instructors to use accessibility checkers on documents posted to Canvas. We also encourage instructors to use PDFs when possible, as PDFs are often more easily read by screen reading tools.
Instructor Responsibility:
Even when using the template, accessibility must be maintained when adding:
- Images
- Documents
- Videos
- Tables
- External links
- Headers
- Text Content
Using the template gives you a strong foundation, but accessibility compliance depends on ongoing content review.
3. Use Accessible PDFs and DOCX Files
Ensuring PDF and DOCX files are accessible allows all students, including those using screen readers, to engage with course materials effectively. Generally speaking, PDFs are preferred for enhanced accessibility.
Best Practices:
- Use built-in Accessibility Checker tools in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat.
- Ensure text is selectable rather than an image of text, so it can be read aloud or searched.
- Use proper headings and reading order to support structured navigation and ease of use.
Helpful Resources:
- Improve accessibility with Microsoft Accessibility Checker
- Create and verify PDF accessibility (Adobe Acrobat Pro)
4. Convert Scans and Images to Text (OCR)
Scanned documents or image-based PDFs are often inaccessible because screen readers cannot interpret image-only text.
Use Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to:
- Convert scanned pages into readable text
- Make documents searchable
- Improve compatibility with assistive technologies
Best Practice:
Always review OCR output for accuracy, especially with older documents or complex formatting.
Read: How to scan and convert images to text using OCR
5. Review and Edit Video Captions and Transcripts
Videos must include accurate captions to support students who are deaf, hard of hearing, or benefit from text-based learning.
Best Practices:
- Review machine-generated captions for errors
- Correct punctuation, terminology, and speaker identification
- Provide transcripts whenever possible
- Ensure transcript documents are also accessible
Important:
Auto-generated captions are a helpful starting point, but they are rarely accurate enough without review.
Read: How to Edit Machine-Generated Captions
6. How to Order New Machine-Generated Captions for Your Video Lecture
If the existing captions for a video need to be regenerated or are missing or incomplete, instructors can request new machine-generated captions through Kaltura. New machine-generated captions provide a fresh starting point for creating an accurate and accessible caption track.
When to Order New Captions:
Order new machine-generated captions when:
- Existing captions were generated more than one year ago
- Existing captions are missing or incomplete
- The current caption track is inaccurate
Important:
After new captions are generated, instructors should review and edit them for accuracy, including punctuation, terminology, names, and speaker identification.
Read: How to Request Machine Generated Captions for your Recording
7. Additional Accessibility Best Practices
Add Alternative Text for Images
Alternative text (alt text) is a brief description that communicates the content and purpose of an image to students using screen readers or other assistive technologies.
Whenever you add instructional images to Canvas, include clear and meaningful alt text so all students can access the information being presented.
Best Practices:
- Describe the educational purpose of the image, not just its appearance
- Keep descriptions concise but meaningful
- Mark purely decorative images as decorative so screen readers can skip them
- Avoid phrases like “image of” or “picture of” unless necessary for context
Examples:
- Good: “Bar graph showing enrollment growth from 2020 to 2025”
- Less Effective: “Graph”
Important:
If an image contains essential text, data, or instructional meaning, that information should also be available in accessible text form.
Read: How to add alternative text (alt text) to images in Canvas
Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
Maintaining strong color contrast ensures that all text remains readable, especially for students with visual impairments.
Best Practices:
- Use black text on a white background whenever possible. All content areas of the Canvas template provide these conditions.
- Avoid light text on light backgrounds.
- Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning—pair it with text labels or symbols (e.g., instead of red text for an error, include an icon or message).
- When pasting text into Canvas, check and reset font color to black if needed, as formatting changes may alter contrast.
Structure Content with Headings
Proper use of headings improves readability and allows screen readers to navigate content efficiently. The rich content editor in Canvas makes it easy to apply headings throughout a page.
Best Practices:
- Use Heading 2 for section titles
- Use Heading 3 for subsections
- Maintain heading order logically
- Avoid using bold text or larger font as a substitute for headings
Why It Matters:
Headings create page structure, improve readability, and support navigation.
Read: The Beginner's Accessibility with the Rich Content Editor
Use Text Decoration Thoughtfully
Text formatting should improve readability, not create confusion.
Best Practices:
- Bold: Use for emphasis but not as a substitute for headings.
- Italics: Use sparingly for emphasis or technical terms; avoid large blocks of italicized text.
- Underline: Reserve for hyperlinks to prevent confusion.
- Avoid ALL CAPS: Large sections of capitalized text can be difficult to read and may be misinterpreted by screen readers.
- Color: Use black text on a white background for readability. Do not rely on color alone to convey meaning—pair with text labels or icons.
- Use consistent formatting throughout the course.
Important:
Over-formatting can reduce clarity and create accessibility barriers.
8. Conclusion
Accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time checklist. By incorporating accessibility into your course design, you create value for all students, offering an inclusive experience that supports diverse learning needs. These efforts also help the institution remain compliant with legal and regulatory requirements, mitigating potential risks. Your dedication to accessibility is vital to the success of our students and deeply appreciated by the entire educational community.