Canvas Accessibility Guidance

Canvas course accessibility adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level AA, focusing on universal design principles like screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and structural consistency. Key standards include using descriptive alt text, proper heading hierarchies, high color contrast, and captioned multimedia. 

The Canvas Course Accessiblity Checklist web page provides a checklist for the accessiblity options within a Canvas Course. You will also find information for using the Canvas Accessibility Checker in the Canvas rich content editor.  

Within Canvas you will find a powerful accessibility checker -- UDOIT (Universal Design Online content Inspection Tool). UDOIT scans Canvas course materials including Canvas pages, documents, images, videos, and links. It highlights common accessiblity issues, and the impact of these issues directly influences the accessibility score it reports.  

All digital course materials must comply with these standards by April 24, 2026, per ADA Title II updates.

1. Begin with the relevant principles for accessible Canvas content:
  • Perceivable - Can all students see or hear the content?
  • Operable - Can all student navigate and interact with the course content?
  • Understandable - Is the course content clear and consistent?
  • Robust - Does the course content work well with assistive technologies?
2. Use UDOIT, a powerful built-in accessibility checker in Canvas. UDOIT features include:
  • Comprehensive scanning of announcements, assignments, discussions, documents, images, videos, links, and HTML formatting in Canvas
  • Detailed accessibility issue reports
  • Step-by-step remediation for resolving accessibility issues
  • Bulk fixing options

3. Refer to the UDOIT User Guide for help:

4. Use the following Canvas resources to build courses that are accessible.

The requirements to ensure Canvas content meets digital accessiblity include:

  • Structure & Navigation: Use H1, H2, H3, etc., in nested order; use lists for organizing content rather than spaces or tabs.
  • Images & Media: All images must have alternative (alt) text, and videos must have captions and transcripts.
  • Documents & Links: Ensure PDF/Word documents are accessible, and use descriptive hyperlinks (avoid "click here"). 
  • Color & Contrast: Maintain high color contrast; do not use color alone to convey meaning.
  • Tools: For Canvas content pages, utilize the built-in Accessibility Checker in the rich content editor.

Auburn University's Office of Accessiblity provides a Course Accessibility Quick Checklist you can use to check your syllabus, handouts, presentations, videos, online materials, Canvas materials, and more.

DesignPlus in Canvas can be used to create visually engaging, accessible, and well-structured course content.

An accessible Accessible Canvas Template is available from Canvas Commons. This template is pedagogically informed and accessiblity-focused. It includes access to AU-branded design elements. The templates includes three modules: 1) an Instructor-Only module with tutorials and checklists, 2) a Course Orientation module for students, and 3) a Content module for instructional materials that can be duplicated as needed.

PAWS Before You Publish is a quick-start guide to help Auburn instructors improve the accessibility of their Canvas course content.

Library-hosted Journal Article Accessibility Guidance

UDOIT Knowledge Base Article UDOIT FAQs

Understanding UDOIT's Accessibility Flags highlights common accessiblity issues, the accessibility impact, and solutions to remdiate issues.
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