1. Understand the Scope of Title II and Canvas
Under the ADA Title II ruling, all files and pages in a student-facing Canvas course must be accessible. This will apply to courses that are published after April 26, 2027; this can focus our efforts on course material that will taught in Fall 2027 and beyond. Course materials include pages, announcements, documents (docx, pdf, pptx, etc), scanned files, and syllabus.
Course owners can check the publication status of older courses with instructions found Teaching with with Technology News article Managing Course Access.
2. Identify Duplicate and Old Course Files
Because accessibility scores include unpublished content, it is helpful to reduce the amount of work you need to do. If the file, page, or module isn't used, you wouldn't want to devote time to remediation. You can automate the process using Canvas Content Audit Tool. Per the UMN OIT web page, the CAT tool will find:
- Modules: The primary navigational pathway provided for students.
- Assignments & Discussions: Active interactive components of the course.
- Pages: Links embedded directly within the text of course pages.
- Quizzes: Any items or questions contained inside a quiz path.
- Announcements: Class-wide updates and structural notifications.
3. Use a Canvas Development Site for Storage
Nervous about deleting files, or seeking a closed space to store and edit content? We suggest creating Canvas Development sites and migrating your course materials to these locations.
Benefits:
- Development sites are outside the scope of Title II and accessibility scans
- They provide a private "sandbox" environment to edit and store quizzes, pages, and documents.
- There is no limit to the number of development courses you can create.
- Moving content back into a live course is easy.
4. Resolve the "Easy" Stuff
Once you have reduced unused count, use UDOIT to fix the low hanging fruit in your course. Click the "Check Accessibility with UDOIT" button in your Canvas navigation. Once there look for the "Easiest to fix" menu. Through this tool, you can quickly:
- improve link text,
- add alternative text to images,
- ensure color and contrast are good,
- incorporate headings into the document, and
- Use numbered and dotted lists
These errors can be solved relatively quickly, as opposed to questions about PowerPoints and video captions. If you have questions about how to fix any of the above, take a look at our "Additional Support" section below! We want to help!
5. Selectively Import Content
Instead of copying your course as whole, be deliberate and choosy. Use the "Select specific content" option during the import process to choose only the modules, files, or pages you know you will use for the upcoming year. You can also use the "Copy To" feature to send individual modules or files from a development course to a different course.
Did this article spark any ideas? Do you need to explore further?
- Visit z.umn.edu/UMDaccessibility, or
- Contact [email protected]
- Setup an appointment at umd-academictech.youcanbook.me