Canvas accessibility resources for instructors: Summary

Summary of Resources

Canvas Accessibility FAQs

• A federal rule under the ADA requires online course content (like Canvas) to meet WCAG 2.1 accessibility standards effective April 24, 2026.
• All pages, documents, slides, spreadsheets, videos with captions, etc. needs to be in compliance with the Final Rule on Web Accessibility and to provide equitable access.
• All staff, faculty, or student employees who create or manage online course materials for students and/or the public are responsible for ensuring their materials meet the standards of this ruling.
• WWU faculty have access to accessibility tools in Canvas and a collection of resources to help with this work.

Pope Tech Canvas Accessibility Tools

• Accessibility Dashboard is in every Canvas class to help scan for accessibility errors and alerts.
• Pope Tech Guide is in the Canvas rich text editor and helps instructors identify and remediate accessibility issues on pages, discussions, announcements, and quizzes.
• Only instructors (and TAs) see and use these tools; students cannot.

Accessibility Dashboard Errors and Alerts Q&A

• Addressing the most common errors and alerts will go a long way toward our goal of accessible course content.
  • Errors: Errors are the most common issues that make accessing your content difficult for people with disabilities.
  • Alerts: Alerts point to common accessibility issues and may require your evaluation to determine the solution.
• Detailed instructions and additional resources, beyond what is included with the Pope Tech Guide tool, are detailed here.

Course Accessibility: Tools, LLATCH, & CATCH

• Accessible course content benefits all students and aligns with university policies and ADA accessibility requirements.
• Pope Tech accessibility tools are availabale in Canvas: the Accessibility Dashboard (course-wide scan) and Accessibility Guide (page-by-page fixes).
• Key areas to format text and layout content accessibly are outlined with the acronym, LLATCH: Links, Lists, Alt text, Tables, Colors, Headings. See also: WebAIM Color Contrast Checker
• For media, helpful items to address are outlined with the acronym, CATCH: Captions, Audio descriptions, Transcripts, Clarity/readability, Help with playback. See also: Captioning for Live Events and Video and Communication Access Accommodations
  • Note that Western's Panopto Video Management System automatically captions videos–and also allows creators to edit and improve those captions, add audio descriptions, and even a table of contents.

Unlocking Accessibility: Pope Tech Accessibility Dashboard in Canvas

• ATUS and the CII have created a series of help videos to support the use of the Pope Tech Dashboard and Pope Tech Guide in Canvas.
• Before using Pope Tech tools, instructors are encouraged to run the Canvas Course Link Validator to fix broken or unreachable links, which reduces errors later.
• Western has tools to help make web documents and media more accessible using tools like the Descriptive Alt Text Generator (to assist in creating brief alt text for images), Sensus Access (file conversion), and Panopto captioning features (Panopto Video Management System available to WWU).

Making Math Accessible in Canvas

• Math equations are difficult for for screen readers to interpret, so accessible formatting is essential for learners with visual impairments. Note that more complex math may not get interpreted correctly by screen readers.
• Canvas includes a built-in equation editor for instructors to insert math symbols and expressions directly into course content.
• Using LaTeX in Canvas (via the editor’s “Directly Edit LaTeX” mode) produces MathML, which enables screen readers to better interpret equations without relying on alt text.
• AI tools can help by converting handwritten or typed math into LaTeX code, saving time when preparing accessible equations.

Best practices for creating accessible content

• Embed course content directly into Canvas pages whenever possible rather than uploading files in PDF, Word, PowerPoint, or other formats.
• If you add files, be sure the content of those files is accessible. For additional information, please refer to Western's guide to creating accessible content.
• When using the rich text editor within Canvas, be sure to use heading styles from the control bar, forming an outline of the page content. Do not skip heading levels.
• If you add images to a page, be sure to add a brief description of the image in the Alt Text field. The purpose of this is to provide equivalent access to the image content for people who are unable to see the image, e.g. students who are blind or using screen reader software.
• If you add videos, be sure they are captioned. Captions are necessary for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, but also help ESL students and potentially allow the content of your videos to be searchable. Western provides an in-house service for captioning your videos and automatic captioning via our Panopto Video Management System.
• If you add or require access to third-party plugins, applications, or resources in your course, be sure to investigate whether they are accessible. This helps prevent barriers for some students with disabilities from participating fully in your course and compliance issues with the federal ruling for accessibility.
• Be prepared to give students extra time on exams, e.g. a disability accommodation, etc.
• If you decide to use color, utilize the WebAIM Color Contrast Checker to ensure adequate color contrast and accessibility-friendly colors.

Canvas Accessibility Standards

This resource by Instructure includes information related to:

• The Canvas Accessibility Statement
• Screen reader and browser support
• Course navigation information
• Accessibility components
• Keyboard shortcuts
• The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT)

Support 

For additional support with accessibility in Canvas, please contact: CanvasHelp@wwu.edu