There are two automated tools in Canvas that can help you find accessibility issues in your course:
Ally and the Canvas Accessibility Checker.
Here are a few benefits of using automated tools:
- They can help you catch multiple accessibility issues at once.
- Using them can help you learn more about accessibility.
- You’ll receive visual confirmation of accessibility improvements.
However, because automated tools cannot catch and fix all accessibility issues, instructors will often need to do some manual review and remediation. This is why it’s important to familiarize yourself with accessibility issues, as well as the guidelines and strategies for how to fix them.
Specific Tools
Ally
Primary Uses
Many uploaded files in Canvas (e.g., PDFs, Word Docs, Slides, etc.):
- Provide an accessibility score for various files, as well as an overall score for the course, to help guide the instructor(s) and explain how to fix issues outside of Canvas.
- Provide alternative formats for course content to both instructors and students.
Limitations
This is a diagnostic tool, not a remediation tool. With a few exceptions, most accessibility issues will have to be fixed outside of Canvas using the software with which they were created (e.g., Microsoft Word or PowerPoint).
While Ally works well with most files in Canvas, there are reports that the alternative formats occasionally don’t display properly. If you encounter this, please contact canvas@cornell.edu.
More Information
- Blackboard Ally Support Guides
Note: The Ally tool is owned by Blackboard but is available in Canvas. - CTI’s Getting Started with Ally and Ally training workshop
Canvas Accessibility Checker
Primary Uses
Content created with the Rich Content Editor (RCE) in Canvas announcements, quizzes, assignments, pages, discussion forums, etc.):1
- Is available anytime one uses the RCE on a page, announcement, quiz, assignment, discussion, or the Syllabus tool in Canvas.
- Will find accessibility errors AND guide you in correcting them in Canvas.
Limitations
Please note that this tool is exclusively for content created in Canvas with the Rich Content Editor. It will not review uploaded or linked files (e.g., PDFs, Word Docs, Google docs, Slides, etc.).
More Information
- Canvas Support Guide about the Canvas Accessibility Checker.
- CTI’s Checking Accessibility of Content Created in Canvas.