Digital Accessibility in Canvas

Montana State University Accessibility Requirements

For official guidance on digital accessibility requirements, standards, and university policies, visit the Montana State University Digital Accessibility page.

Canvas course content must be accessible to all students, including those who use assistive technologies. Accessibility does not require a full course redesign. Focus on using accessibility best practices and tools to remove common barriers that may prevent students from accessing your content.

Accessibility Checklist

Before publishing your Canvas course, please review these key steps to remove common barriers and improve content accessibility:

General Best Practices

• Avoid scanned PDFs — instead, use documents with selectable text, such as Word documents.
• Address major issues flagged in YuJa Panorama.

Canvas Pages

• Use headings, not just bold text, to organize topics and improve scannability.
• Use lists to organize content.
• Write descriptive links and avoid phrases like “click here.”
  
  Tutorial: 5 Principles for Creating an Accessible Canvas Page (video)

Images

• Add alternative (alt) text to meaningful images.
• Keep descriptions brief.
• Mark decorative images appropriately when they do not convey instructional meaning.
  
  

Tutorials:

• • Add alt text to images in Canvas 
  • W3C Alt Text Guide

Video & Audio

• Include captions in videos.
• Provide transcripts for audio-only content and when additional text support is needed.
  
  

Tutorial: Edit Captions with Panopto

YuJa Panorama

YuJa Panorama is a tool designed to identify and improve accessibility issues directly within a Canvas course.

Use YuJa Panorama to: Scan Canvas pages and uploaded documents. Highlight accessibility concerns. Provide suggestions for improvement. Accessibility indicators: 🔴 Red = major issues to address first. 🟡 Yellow = improvements recommended. 🟢 Green = major issues addressed.

Document Accessibility

Learn how to make these common documents accessible.

Need Help?

• Email University Information Technology (UIT) for Microsoft and Adobe accessibility tools
• Visit the Center for Faculty Excellence (CFE) Webpage for guidance on developing accessible course materials and professional development for inclusive teaching and learning
• Email the ECAT Team in Academic Technology and Outreach (ATO) for assistance with accessibility in Canvas using YuJa Panorama