Materials & Media
Recommendation 5.5: Accessibility (Text)
Provide accessible text and images in files, documents, Canvas Pages, and web pages to meet the diverse needs of learners and learners working in different learning environments.
Background Information
What is this?
All students benefit from accessible course content. Adopting some simple practices can help you improve the accessibility of images, text, and language in the content you provide.
Why is this important?
Providing accessible text is essential for making sure everyone has an equal opportunity to participate and succeed in your course. By making accommodations for students who need them and following guidelines for accessible design, you create an inclusive foundation that benefits all students, allowing them to fully process course content in a timely and effective manner and experience the rich learning experience you have planned for them.
How to implement?
Canvas Pages, PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoints, and other documents can all be made accessible. Look at images and links included in your course, too, in order to make sure they are sufficiently described with text alternatives.
Synopsis from Self-Review
Share clear, well-structured documents and provide meaningful “alt-text” (alternative text) descriptions of images. Ensure that text and background are using sufficient contrast, descriptive text is used for weblinks, and that color is not the only means of conveying information. Text should be easily accessible by a screen reader, and the use of tables should be limited.
How to Put into Practice
Designing content with text accessibility in mind ensures all students can engage with your course materials equitably. Whether you’re building documents, Canvas pages, or multimedia presentations, following accessibility best practices helps support students who use screen readers, rely on captions, or experience visual or cognitive differences. The guidelines below highlight key strategies to make your content more inclusive and easy to navigate for all learners.