This how-to guide explains the step-by-step process for improving a Canvas course accessibility score using the CidiLabs Accessibility Suite's following tools: CidiLabs UDOIT, CidiLabs TidyUP, and the Canvas Accessibility Checker.
Tools you will need:
- CidiLabs UDOIT scans course content for accessibility issues and provides remediation guidance.
- CidiLabs TidyUP identifies and removes unused files, folders, and unpublished Canvas content.
- Canvas Accessibility Checker is built into the Canvas Rich Content Editor for fixing layout, heading, and link issues.
- Watch the recording of Canvas Accessibility: TidyUP and UDOIT.
1. Download a Backup of your course.
You will need to create a backup of your course by exporting it in Settings and clicking Export Course Content. This will ensure that while you're learning the tools, you have a copy of your course in case you delete the wrong files or make big changes by mistake.
2. Use these tools in a Non-active course
Use these instructions with a course that has not started yet. It's not recommended that you use your live course to learn remediation for the first time. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are for courses that start after April 24th.
For more detailed steps review:
3. Clean up the course using TidyUp
Removing unused content first can quickly reduce accessibility issues and improve scan results. TidyUP prevents deletion of files that are embedded or in use, helping protect course integrity.
3.1. Remove unused files from the course
- Open TidyUP [1] from the Navigation bar of your Canvas course.
- Click Scan Couse [2] to scan the course.
3.2. Review the Files, Folders, and Canvas Content Tabs
- Go to the Files [1] tab.
- Sort the Used In [2] column for files not marked as being used.
- Review the list carefully to ensure the files are not needed.
- Download any files you are unsure about.
- Select the unused files [3] and click Delete Selected [4].
- In TidyUP, open the Folders tab [5].
- Remove empty or irrelevent folders. Adjust your preferred structure and organization of folders.
- Open the Canvas Content tab [6].
- Identify unpublished or unused pages. Delete any pages or content that is no longer needed.
4. Open UDOIT and Run an Initial Course Scan
- Open your course in Canvas.
- Launch UDOIT [1] from the Navigation Bar.
- UDOIT will automatically run a full course scan the first time.
4. Click the Home [2] Tab to see your UDOIT score [3].
Quick tip: We recommend to record the initial accessibility score for your reference so you can see your progress.
5. Remediate errors in UDOIT (UFIXIT)
You can toggle between the High, Medium, and Low Impact lists to start fixing accessibility issues. When you select an issue type, UDOIT (UFIXIT) will guide you through prompts to help you remediate the error.
- For example, open the High Impact list [1].
- Select an item to fix, Image [2] and follow the prompts and instructions to fix issues.
5.1. Example Fix: How to Add Alt Text
1. Read the description of the error [1] and instructions to fix it. Use the options in the box to fix the error [2]. For example: "Adobe Submit Link.jpg" is not descriptive Alternative Text. Refer to the suggested alt text in the indicated example box below [3]. Always click Save [4] before moving to the Next Issue [5] or your changes won't be retained.
When UFIXIT indicates that an item cannot be fixed, refer to the steps in the next section.
5.2. Fix issues UDOIT can resolve or assist with
Use UDOITs guidance and Canvas editing tools to address the following Accessibility issues using the prompts in UFIXIT.
- Images without appropriate alternative text (including decorative or linked images)
- Color contrast and color-only meaning issues
- Improper heading structure or visual-only formatting, Apply proper Canvas heading levels (H2, H3, etc.).
- Inaccessible tables (missing headers, improper structure, merged cells, missing captions)
- Unclear or broken hyperlinks. Example: Empty Links-Sometimes text links that have been deleted will be flagged as an empty link. You can resolve these by clicking the Delete Link box in UFIXIT.
- Flags Audio and video without captions or transcripts, these are fixed by using Kaltura MyMedia.
- Embedded media from sources lacking accessibility features
- Inaccessible attached files (PDFs, Word docs, PowerPoints, scanned/OCR issues), Auto Tag the PDF or convert the file to a Canvas page.
See the videos at the end of this article for additional training or go to the CidiLabs ULEARN Accessibility Guide, a thorough guide to nearly every Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) issue to you may encounter. See the Kaltura MyMedia Training Video to learn more about automatic captions.
Quick tip: Focus on fixing less complex errors first. Start with high-impact and easy fixes, then move to more time consuming ones, like files.
5.3. Document remediation
You can remediate documents (PDFs, Word Docs, PPT) inside of UDOIT as well as using external tools.
Select from options of the various ways you can remediate a document (PDF, Word Doc, PPT):
- Convert to Canvas Web Page.
- Auto Tag the PDF file and replace it.
- Remediate the document inside of its native accessibility feature, for example Adobe Accessibility Checker to remediate an Adobe PDF.
- Find an accessibile source file through Course Materials in Canvas, if the work is published.
Review the Accessibility Essentials Website for more support with file types.
5.4. Resolve issues requiring Manual Review
Some issues must be checked directly in Canvas or verified manually. Examples include:
- Skipped heading levels or missing headings: Review the page in Canvas. The Canvas page itself is automatically designated as an H1. The title or heading inside the page you should typically be marked as H2, and sub-headings as H3. You can also adjust these in the Canvas Rich Content Editor with the Paragraph tool. If UDOIT flags an issue incorrectly (such as in a syllabus), mark it as manually resolved.
- Adjacent links: Edit the page in Canvas, use the Canvas Accessibility Checker to merge links, then return to UDOIT and mark the issue resolved.
5.5. Canvas Course Accessibility feature options
- When you need to go into a Canvas page to fix a page issue, you can edit the course page and choose to use the Canvas Accessibility Checker [1].
- If the Accessibility icon shows a blue number next to it [1], click the icon to open the Accessibility checker screen and review each issue [2] to fix each accessibility item on the page.
- After, you are finished, click Apply [3], and save changes.
- Then go back to the UDOIT tab in the Navigation bar.
For Step by Step Instructions, view the instructions on How do I use the Accessibility Checker in the Rich Content Editor?
5.6. Review the Course Files Folder
- You can fix your issues directly from the Home tab by clicking into them. The Review Files tab gives you another way to work file-by-file if you prefer.
- UDOIT may identify additional accessibility issues in PDFs, Word documents, and PPTs.
- Address any additional issues in the Course Files.
Key Practices for Success
- Remove unused files and unpublished content first using TidyUP.
- Prioritize high-impact accessibility errors.
- Use Canvas tools to supplement UDOIT fixes.
- Document issues that cannot be resolved immediately can be saved for last.
6. Click Scan Now Again to check your Accessibility Score
- After completing tasks through UFIXIT, run another scan by clicking the Scan Now [1] button in the top, right corner to review how well your course accessibility score improved.
- Your achievement of course accessibility starts with steady improvement. As you learn the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and remediation tools, your percentage will increase. As a long-term goal of being fully compliant you will continue to implement the WCAG expectations as part of your course best practices. The percentage indicated is one way this can be supported, but not a guarantee of full compliance. The closer you are to 100%, the better the indication that you have taken the steps to meet WGAG compliance.
7. Additional Training and Support
The following resources are also available to help learn these CidiLabs Tools:
Related Trainings:
- Course Accessibility Tutorials
- CidiLabs training video hub to learn UDOIT and TidyUP
- TidyUP Video Training Series
- UDOIT Video Training Series
- ULEARN Accessibility Guide- The ULEARN Accessibility Guide is a companion to our Accessibility Assistant, UDOIT Advantage. It highlights each issue UDOIT can detect, explains how these issues affect students, and provides guidance on how to fix them. By focusing on accessibility and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles, the guide supports the creation of more inclusive and effective learning environments.
- UDOIT User Guide- This interactive UDOIT page will provide you with some useful guides and videos from CidiLabs on how to fix accessibility issues in Canvas Content, make files more accessible, and how students can view accessible features.
- TidyUP User Guide- This interactive TidyUP page will provide you with some useful guide and video from CidiLabs on how a quick way to view all of the content in your course and clean out anything that is no longer needed.
- DesignPLUS User Guide- This interactive DesignPLUS page will provide you with some useful guide and video from CidiLabs to help you create and style course content. DesignPLUS is comprised of rich content editor tools, the Multi-Tool, and the Upload/Embed Image Tool.
For additional one-on-one support with these tools, email [email protected] for assistance.