Creating an inclusive learning environment 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 adding alternative text for images, checking color contrast, and editing video captions—make a significant impact on student learning.
This guide covers the built-in accessibility features of our Canvas course template and provides practical steps instructors can take to maintain and enhance accessibility as they develop their courses.
Article Contents
- Built-In Accessibility Features of the Canvas Course Template
- Key accessibility features of the template
- Practical Steps for Instructors to Ensure Accessibility
- Conclusion
Built-In Accessibility Features of the 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. These built-in features create a strong foundation for accessibility, minimizing the need for extensive modifications and allowing instructors to focus on delivering high-quality instruction.
Key accessibility features of the template
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Pre-Formatted Heading Structure – The template uses a structured hierarchy of headings to enhance readability and ensure compatibility with screen readers.
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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.
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Accessible Navigation – Course layouts are designed with logical structure and clear labeling, making it easier for students using assistive technologies to navigate content efficiently.
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Pre-Checked Content Areas – The template has been reviewed using accessibility checkers to ensure compliance with WCAG standards before instructors begin adding content.
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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.
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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.
Practical Steps for Instructors to Ensure Accessibility
Building accessible courses is a shared responsibility, and your attention to accessibility makes a profound difference. Below we list practical steps (with instructions) you can take in your course design, providing links to other help articles from our help center and other sites from around the web where relevant.
Add alternative text for images
Alternative text (also known as "alt text") is a brief, descriptive text used to convey the content and function of an image, making it accessible to individuals using screen readers. Instructors can add alt text to images embedded in Canvas via the rich content editor (RCE). Images that are decorative and not a part of the learning content should be marked as decorative images so that screen readers can skip over them.
Ensure Sufficient Color Contrast
Maintaining strong color contrast ensures that all text remains readable, especially for students with visual impairments.
- Use black text on a white background for optimal readability. All content areas of the Canvas template provide these conditions.
- 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.
Use Accessible PDFs and DOCX files
Ensuring DOCXs and PDFs are accessible allows all students, including those using screen readers, to engage with course materials effectively. Generally speaking, PDFs are preferred for enhanced accessibility.
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Run an accessibility check using built-in tools in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat.
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Ensure text is selectable rather than an image of text, so it can be read aloud or searched.
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Use proper headings and reading order to support structured navigation and ease of use.
Converting Scans and Images to Text using Optical Character Recognition
If your images or scans of text are very clear, and you would like to convert them to PDF with text, you can use the Optical Character Recognition feature of software like Adobe Acrobat to extract text and make your scans accessible.
Caption and Review Videos
Accurate captions and transcripts ensure that video content is accessible to all students, including those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
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Edit machine-generated captions to correct errors and improve accuracy: How to Edit Machine Generated Captions
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Provide transcripts whenever possible to support different learning needs.
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Ensure transcripts follow accessibility guidelines when exporting Word files as PDFs (See guideline above).
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.
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Use Heading 2 for section titles and Heading 3 for sub-sections. Read The Beginner's Accessibility with the Rich Content Editor.
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Avoid using bold or larger font sizes as a substitute for proper heading styles.
Use Text Decoration Thoughtfully
Consistent and intentional text formatting enhances readability without creating accessibility barriers.
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Bold: Use for emphasis but not as a substitute for headings.
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Italics: Use sparingly for emphasis or technical terms; avoid large blocks of italicized text.
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Underline: Reserve for hyperlinks to prevent confusion.
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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.
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Avoid All Caps: Large sections of capitalized text can be difficult to read and may be misinterpreted by screen readers.
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.
Conclusion
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.