We’ve now covered all the ways that Canvas can help make sure your course meets accessibility guidelines with their new Accessibility Checker. While that is a great resource, there’s still a few other things you need to know about. But don’t worry! We’ve compiled those (and reminders for the elements that Canvas does help with) into a handy checklist.
This checklist is divided into a couple different sections to help you quickly reference the different parts when building or reviewing a course: text element structure, images/non-text content, use of color, pre-recorded video & audio, and other best practices. Let’s dive into each of these!
Note: This checklist follows WCAG 2.1 A/AA guidelines, but it does not contain absolutely everything presented in those levels – this contains the items/scenarios that are most likely for faculty to encounter in their courses. Each item links back to the original WCAG rule.
Text element structure
Page titles describe the topic or purpose of the page [2.4.2]
Titles need to relate to the content of the page, describing the topic or purpose. This helps people find the content they’re looking for quickly and easily.
Heading levels are used in order and are according to function, not visual style [1.3.1]
Headings indicate the structure of a page. An easy way to make sure that you’re not missing heading levels or that you’re using heading levels properly is to think of them like outline levels. Your heading 1 (h1) is the title of your outline. Each of your main points (your Roman numerals) are your heading 2 (h2). Subpoints are capitalized letters (heading 3 or h3s). And support for those points are Arabic numerals (heading 4 or h4s). In an outline, you wouldn’t jump straight from Roman numerals to Arabic numerals – and when using headings, we can’t jump straight from an h2 to an h4.
When using headings in Canvas, the Canvas Accessibility Checker will notify you if heading levels are skipped.
Headings and labels describe their topic or purpose [2.4.6]
If you are including headings or labels in your content, they need to accurately identify the information contained under them. While this rule does not require headings, dividing your content into smaller chunks and labeling those chunks with headings can help make the structure of the information clear to readers.
Numbered or bulleted lists use defined list styles (not just typed numbers or dashes). [1.3.2]
Defined numbered or bulleted lists allow screen readers to properly read and relay your content – it keeps the context of a list instead of just being individual items. Always use the defined styles instead of your own manually typed numbers, dashes, etc.
Canvas will identify items that seem to be lists but do not have the proper styling and will prompt you to apply the correct list styles.
Link text describes where it leads or contains info about where it leads [2.4.4]
Link text should give context about where the user will end up when clicking the link. This is not only helpful for accessibility – it’s helpful for all users to know where the link should be taking them. Avoid using generic words like “here” or “this link” as the anchor for your link text.
- Check out further details about this rule here. (bad)
- Check out further details about this rule on W3’s “How to Meet WCAG” reference page.
Emphasis is shown by using bold/italic styles – don’t rely on color alone. [1.4.1]
When you want to emphasize text, use provided bold and italic styles. While color can visually indicate emphasis, it’s not enough to use color on its own because someone with color blindness can miss the difference in shade. Adding bold or italic styles (or bold and italic styles) will ensure all users can understand the full meaning.
Additionally, avoid using underline for emphasis in digital text because underline typically indicates links, and this may be confusing for your reader.
Use row and column header settings when using tables in your text. [1.3.1]
These settings (as well as the rowspan and colspan settings) give screen readers the information they need to understand the structure of the table. It may look like they just make the text a little bigger and bold, but those are just the visual indicators – there’s much more going on behind the scenes.
Canvas will notify you if a table is missing row and/or column headers – or if there are missing rowspan or colspan settings to identify what the row/column applies to.
Images/non-text content
Non-text elements have a text alternative [1.1]
We’ve talked a lot before about images having alt text. But images aren’t the only thing that requires a text-based alternative! Charts need to have a short label/title as well as a longer description that includes the type of chart and a high-level summary of the data/trends/implications. You should also include a table with the data when possible.
Images require alt text – but sometimes there’s too much going on in the image to concisely describe it. When that happens, use surrounding text to describe the important information in the image and use a simple description for the alt text.
Note: When an image is part of a quiz, exam, or other element where an it cannot be specifically named, describe the content of an image (e.g., visually describe a medical tool vs giving the name of the tool – give the context necessary for students to be able to complete the question).
Canvas will identify images that are missing alt text and prompt you to add it. Canvas also has an AI-powered alt text generator to help you get started if you’re stuck on what to add for the alt text!
Text is used vs images of text whenever possible [1.4.5]
Whenever possible, make sure that your images are just images without text included. If you created a table in another program, don’t export an image of that table and place it in Canvas – create the table in Canvas!
Graphs, screenshots, and diagrams that include important visual information other than text do not count as “images of text” — but they must still have appropriate alt text.
Use of color
Color is not the only visual way of identifying info [1.4.1]
We touched on this before when talking about using bold/italic styles to show emphasis. But the issues with using color as an identifier go a little beyond that – we can’t describe an element by color alone to direct people to it (or mark an element by color alone to identify it).
- “Incorrect answers are highlighted in red” (bad)
- “Incorrect answers are highlighted in red and labeled ‘Incorrect’” (good)
Contrast [1.4.3]
Color contrast is not likely an issue that you’d commonly encounter when working in Canvas – but it is important to know about. For text and images, you need a 4.5:1 color ratio (like text over a background color or with a highlight). For non-text elements (such as interface components or elements of graphics), you need a 3:1 ratio.
Canvas will identify issues with text contrast against background (or highlight) color and provide an alternate option that meets guidelines. If you want to check color contrast yourself or outside of Canvas, my favorite tool is the WebAIM contrast checker.
Pre-recorded video & audio
We’re going to pivot away from talking about text and images to video and audio content. There’s a couple of accessibility concerns here to keep in mind:
Captions provide equivalent info for spoken audio in a text form [1.2.2]
Whenever there is an audio element, that information needs to also be provided in a text format. In videos, this takes the form of captions synced to the audio. Captions are helpful not only for people who have difficulty hearing but also those who are in places where they can’t play audio out loud and don’t have headphones with them.
Transcripts are provided for audio-only media. Include the full context of the audio (laughing, etc), not just the words said. [1.2.1]
Adding a text equivalent for audio isn’t just for video content – audio-only content (like podcasts) also need to follow this rule. When creating a transcript for audio-only content, make sure you include the full context (such as who is speaking and laughter), not just what is said.
Other best practices
We’ve covered the three main categories of accessibility concerns now, but there’s a few items still to talk about that didn’t neatly fit into our boxes.
Describe items by name, not appearance only [1.3.3]
This may seem familiar because it’s similar to other concepts we’ve talked about (using bold/italic instead of just color, not identifying something by color alone) – but this is a little bit broader. Make sure you include the name of an item and not just its visual description.
- Click the green “next” arrow at the bottom of your screen (good)
- Click the green arrow at the bottom of your screen (bad)
Include multiple ways to access web pages unless the page is a step in a process [2.4.5]
Unless there is a reason for a course page or assignment to only be available one way, make sure there are multiple ways in your course for students to access it (modules page, quiz page, etc).
Summary Table
| Section | Accessibility item | What faculty should do | Canvas checker support |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text structure | Page titles | Use titles that clearly describe the page topic or purpose. | Not specified |
| Heading levels | Use headings in logical order, like an outline; do not skip levels. | Flags skipped heading levels | |
| Headings and labels | Make headings and labels accurately describe the content beneath them. | Not specified | |
| Lists | Use built-in numbered or bulleted list styles instead of typed numbers, dashes, or symbols. | Flags likely lists without proper styling | |
| Links | Use descriptive link text that explains where the link goes; avoid “click here” or “this link.” | Not specified | |
| Emphasis | Use bold or italic for emphasis; do not rely on color alone. Avoid underlining non-links. | Not specified | |
| Tables | Use row and column headers, plus rowspan/colspan when needed. | Flags missing table headers or span settings | |
| Images/non-text items | Alt text and text alternatives | Provide alt text for images and text-based descriptions for charts, diagrams, and complex visuals. | Flags missing alt text; includes AI alt text support |
| Images of text | Use actual text instead of images of text whenever possible. Recreate tables in Canvas rather than uploading screenshots. | Not specified | |
| Use of color | Color as identifier | Do not use color as the only way to communicate meaning; pair it with labels or other indicators. | Not specified |
| Contrast | Ensure text has at least 4.5:1 contrast and non-text elements have at least 3:1 contrast. | Flags text contrast issues and suggests accessible alternatives | |
| Video/audio | Captions | Provide synchronized captions for videos with spoken audio. | Not specified |
| Transcripts | Provide full transcripts for audio-only media, including context such as speaker changes or laughter. | Not specified | |
| Other practices | Visual references | Describe items by name, not appearance alone. | Not specified |
| Multiple access paths | Provide more than one way to access course pages unless the page is part of a required sequence. | Not specified |
This has been a lot of information, but it’s all important things to keep in mind to help serve others! We have a handy accessibility checklist for you to keep on hand and consult as you’re working, and we’re also always happy to answer questions you may have (email us at ctl@cedarville.edu!).
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- Course Accessibility: Bringing It All Together & Resources - April 29, 2026
- Course Accessibility: Alt text, Tables, and Lists - March 26, 2026
- Course Accessibility: Headings, Links, and Color Contrast - March 20, 2026