Canvas Accessibility

Creating accessible course content ensures all students can engage with your materials. The Canvas Accessibility Checker helps you identify and improve accessibility issues in your course.

Getting Started

How do I use the Accessibility Checker in Canvas?

Accessibility Standards in Canvas

Accessibility standards help ensure your course materials are usable by all students, including those using assistive technologies.

What are the Canvas accessibility standards?

Accessibility in Course Design

Good accessibility practices improve usability for all learners. When designing your course:

Use a clear, consistent module structure
Avoid uploading scanned PDFs when possible
Use built-in Canvas tools instead of pasted formatting

Focus on these key accessibility elements:

Formatting: Use logical heading structures (H1, H2, H3) and consistent design
Lists: Use numbered and bulleted lists appropriately
Tables: Use tables for data only and include headers
Links: Write descriptive link text and avoid phrases such as "click here"
Color: Ensure sufficient contrast and don't rely on color alone
Images: Add alt text and properly label decorative images
Media: Include captions and transcripts, and avoid auto-play

Accessibility in Online Course Design

Accessibility Best Practice

Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker regularly. Building accessibility into your course design from the beginning can help create a more usable learning experience for everyone.