Start Here First - Accessibility is for Everyone and is Everyone’s Responsibility

Quick Links: | What Can I Do? | What Happens if My Content isn't Accessible? | Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker |

Creating an accessible learning environment is not just about compliance with legal standards; it’s about ensuring every student has an equal opportunity to thrive in their educational pursuits. The necessity of ensuring equitable access to online educational resources has never been more paramount. The comprehensive guides in this section outline practical and effective strategies for creating accessible content in Canvas LMS, offering step-by-step instructions, resources, and support to guide you on this journey of inclusive education.

Access to education is a right for everyone. Ensure the content you create in Canvas is accessible to all, helping each student to realize their full potential. Equitable access to course materials is a right for all.

What Can I Do?

You can make your course more accessible by learning more about accessibility. Use these resources to get started:

Did You Know? Chico State's Technology & Learning Program offers services to improve the accessibility for your course content including in Pages, Documents, PowerPoints, PDFs, and more. Request remediation of your instructional materials.

Use the guides in this knowledge base to author accessible content and fix inaccessible content.

What Happens if My Content isn't Accessible?

If your content isn’t accessible, it can lead to a multitude of negative consequences for both you as an instructor and your students:

  • Barrier to Learning: Some students may find it impossible to access or understand the course material, leading to a significant disadvantage in their learning experience.
  • Impact on Academic Performance: Inaccessible content can adversely affect students’ grades and overall academic performance, as they may not have equal access to the information and resources they need to succeed in the course.
  • Increased Workload Later: Retrofitting content for accessibility later is often a more time-consuming and complex process compared to integrating accessibility from the beginning.
  • Negative Reputation: Inaccessible content can damage the university's or your reputation. Prospective students may choose other institutions with a better track record for accessibility, leading to a decrease in enrollment and funding.
  • Legal Repercussions: Inaccessible content may result in violations of laws and regulations related to disability rights and education, like the Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.

Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker

Don’t fret about how to check the accessibility standards of your course. Canvas has tools available to make this task easier for you.

  1. Navigate to your Course:
    • Log into Canvas.
    • Select your course from the dashboard.
  2. Open the Editor:
    • Choose any page or content area.
    • Open the Rich Content Editor.
  3. Run the Accessibility Checker:
    • Click on the person icon within the editor toolbar.
    • Review the issues listed and follow the provided steps to fix them.

Use the guides in this section to address issues in these areas:

  • Missing alt text for images
  • Improper heading order
  • Tables without headers
  • Low color contrast
  • Lack of descriptive links
  • Lists
  • Audio and Video

Still need help? Contact the Technology & Learning Program for further assistance.
  
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