Creating and maintaining accessible course content can feel overwhelming, especially in courses that have grown over several semesters. Fortunately, there are resources available to help. Whether you're just getting started, looking to clean up old course content, or need support with video captioning, these tools and services can help make the process more manageable.
Get Started with UDOIT
The College of Continuing & Professional Studies has published an Introduction to UDOIT and Document Accessibility resource that provides a practical starting point for improving accessibility in Canvas.
The guide includes information on:
- Improving link text so links are more meaningful and accessible
- Reviewing color and contrast choices for users with low vision or color blindness
- Identifying and fixing common accessibility issues in Canvas content
If you'd like assistance getting started, Academic Technology is available to help. Schedule an appointment with Academic Technology to discuss your course.
Use CAT to Review and Manage Course Files
Canvas courses often accumulate files over time. Drafts, duplicate materials, and outdated content can remain in a course long after they're no longer being used.
Before spending time fixing accessibility issues, it can help to remove content you no longer need. The Canvas Content Audit Tool (CAT) provides an easy way to review, evaluate, and manage course files.
With CAT, you can:
- Delete files you no longer need, reducing clutter and freeing storage space. Learn more about how to remove course content in Canvas.
- Move files to a development course for safekeeping if you are not ready to remove them permanently (a course site not associated with PeopleSoft or student enrollment).
Using CAT can help streamline your course content and reduce the amount of material that may need future accessibility review.
Try the CAT-R Accessibility Review Service
The Office of Digital Accessibility is currently testing the Canvas Audit Tool-Remediation (CAT-R) service.
CAT-R automatically scans Canvas content and corrects many common accessibility issues, reducing the amount of manual remediation instructors need to perform. Examples include:
- Adding proper headings without changing how your content looks
- Identifying tables and marking header rows
- Adjusting font colors to improve color contrast
- Converting large, bold text into appropriate headings
- Replacing vague link text such as "click here" with more meaningful link descriptions
The CAT-R process is transparent, detailed, and reversible. Every change is logged, and changes can be reversed if needed.
There is no cost for this service, and getting started requires very little effort.
To request the service, complete the CAT-R Automated Course Clean-Up Form. ITSS will schedule brief before-and-after consultations to discuss the results and answer any questions.
Request Professional Video Captioning Through UFFDA
The University of Minnesota has provided one-time funding for professional captioning of academic videos. This initiative is intended to help colleges and campuses prepare for Title II accessibility requirements while improving access to course content.
At UMD, these funds are being distributed through University Funds for Digital Accessibility (UFFDA) vouchers and managed by the campus Academic Digital Accessibility Liaisons.
How to Request Support
To have course videos professionally captioned, complete the Captioning Request Form for each course. Requests are limited to 10 videos per course.
The program is available for UMD courses and is not limited to a particular semester. Funding is available through December, and requests will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Prioritizing Videos for Captioning
Because funding is limited, consider prioritizing videos that have:
- Complexity: Contain technical language, specialized terminology, or accents that may reduce auto-caption accuracy
- Essential Content: Serve as essential course content rather than supplemental material
- Longevity: Will be reused in future semesters
- Length: Are longer than 10 minutes (shorter videos can often be edited manually)
Before submitting a request, please review existing captions for accuracy.
If your video was created before August 2019 and did not receive automatic captioning, refer to Auto-Generated Captions for Older Content.
Note: Once available funding has been exhausted, the program will close. Any video owners whose requests cannot be fulfilled will be notified.