Canvas – Digital Accessibility

Documents (mathematical, scientific)

Posted on July 22, 2024 by amycarss

Academic papers and course documents are subject to the same accessibility requirements as websites if they're distributed digitally. Many mathematical and scientific documents include notation and/or charts and graphs that aren't readily accessible to tools like screen readers (for a variety of reasons).

Graphics with text

Posted on July 22, 2024 (August 20, 2024) by amycarss

When a graphic is distributed as an image (ie. formats like JPEG, PDF, PNG) any text that is part of the graphic becomes hidden from assistive technology and also may shrink to an unreadable size on smaller screens.

Alt Text for Complex Images/ Data Visuals

Posted on December 11, 2023 (July 22, 2024) by ekohl

When you add a complex image or data visualization, include a two-part alternative text description: short and long.

Tables

Posted on July 17, 2023 (July 22, 2024) by

If you don’t use meaningful language and set your top row as a header, a screen reader user will quickly lose all context for your data.

Audio description

Posted on May 9, 2023 (September 10, 2024) by amycarss

When a video has stretches where information is shown but not narrated, people who can’t see have no way to access the information.

How to: Screen readers

Posted on May 4, 2023 (August 16, 2024) by amycarss

How to activate a screen reader on your computer, phone or tablet, plus our favorite screen reader cheat sheet.

How to: Keyboard navigation

Posted on May 4, 2023 (September 10, 2024) by amycarss

Checking that a page can be navigated without a mouse is one of the easiest accessibility tests you can do. It ensures that people who need to – or prefer to – navigate the web with their keyboard can get to the functionalities they need.

How to: Color contrast checker

Posted on May 4, 2023 (September 10, 2024) by amycarss

We like the WebAIM color contrast checker because it includes an eyedropper tool that lets you sample colors from a graphic or image before you upload it to the web.

Documents (PDF)

Posted on May 4, 2023 (July 25, 2024) by amycarss

The PDF format was created to preserve formatting in print documents. PDFs created from scanned or inaccessible documents are nothing more than full-page pictures of text. They need to be “tagged” in order to make them accessible.

Documents (Word, Docs)

Posted on May 4, 2023 (August 16, 2024) by amycarss

Electronic documents (including those that people can download from your site or Canvas) are subject to the same accessibility requirements as websites.