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Canvas Accessibility

Canvas is the Learning Management System used by the University of Houston-Downtown. All content and files within each published course must be accessible.

UHD uses Anthology Ally to monitor accessibility for digital content and files. Ally scans each course and provides reports of each detected issue and notes on how to remediate the issue.

Video: Overview for Instructors of Ally for LMS

Image alt text during course copy

Issue: When copying a course, the inputted alt text for images are not carrying over into the new course. This lowers the Ally score for the new course.

What to do for adding image alt text and copying courses:

  • When adding alt text for images, ensure to add it using Canvas' Page editor (rich content editor) interface. Adding alt text via Canvas' interface will keep the alt text when copying courses. Adding alt text via Ally's interface (Files) does not keep the alt when copying courses.
  • When copying courses, ensure to "import" course content. Importing will copy the course content and files as well as the inputted alt text.

Recommendations

  • If content or files are not needed (and therefore "unpublished") for a section, download and delete it.
  • If you are re-teaching the same course, ensure that all content and files are accessible after the "course copy." Please delete old and unneeded files.
  • Check the Ally scores regularly and fix issues.
  • When developing new course content, use an unpublished shell and then copy to a published shell once content meets accessibility expectations; a sandbox is the perfect staging area for any materials that are not ready to be shared with students. To request a sandbox, submit the request form or contact TTLChelp@uhd.edu.

Instructional Design and Course Assistance

All UHD faculty are encouraged to contact the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence for an accessibility consultation.

If you require assistance in your course, you may reach out to the TTLC trainers at TTLCHelp@uhd.edu or 713-221-8200, or come in-person at ACAD700. All TTLC trainers are TxDLA Digital Accessibility certified.

File Remediation Assistance

If faculty need assistance with document remediation in a Canvas course, please submit a Document Remediation Request to the Accessible Education Center.

Resources