Using the Accessibility Checker in Canvas RCE for Preparing Content Before Publishing

Quick Accessibility Checks in Canvas: Preparing Content Before Publishing
One of the biggest barriers to making courses more accessible is time. However, by integrating accessibility checks into your regular course preparation, you can ensure content is ready before publishing while minimizing student accessibility issues.
In this video, I walk through how to use the Canvas Rich Content Editor Accessibility Checker as a quick and effective way to identify and fix common accessibility issues. Taking just a few extra minutes to check these areas can improve the learning experience for all students. In this video we review the following areas but more can be found in the Canvas Guide: How do I use the Accessibility Checker in the Rich Content Editor? community.canv...
✅ Alt Text - Describe the images when they provide information on your pages or use the “decorative image” option when the image does not add information and is only for visual aesthetics.
✅ Tables - Add a caption and define headers so screen readers interpret them correctly.
✅ Adjacent Links - Merge duplicate links to improve navigation.
✅ Color Contrast - Adjust text color using the built-in contrast checker to ensure readability.
📌 Additional Resources:
🔗 Canvas Guide on Accessibility Checker in the RCE - community.canv...
🔗 "Beginner's Accessibility with the Rich Content Editor" Blog Post - community.canv...
📌 More advanced checkers:
🔗 UDOIT 3 in Canvas - bit.ly/ctla-udoit
🔗 WAVE web accessibility evaluation tool - wave.webaim.org/
By making these checks part of your preparation workflow, you can proactively address accessibility concerns and create a more inclusive learning environment.
💡 Have questions? Need help? Reach out to the CTLA (ctla.cgc.edu/help)-we’re happy to support you!