This post summarizes the session, Create Accessible Canvas Content, from January 9, 2025. Session facilitators–DM Lavoie, from the Office of Digital Accessibility, and Rebecca George-Burrs, from Academic Technology Support Services–teamed up to demonstrate how to apply the 7 Core Skills of Digital Accessibility in the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE). Use the table of contents to navigate to each of the core skills in this article: Use Headings to Format Text Format Accessible Lists Use Accessible Color Contrast Write Accessible Link Text Create Accessible Tables Use Alternative Text (alt text) for all Images Use Accessible Media Overview In order to meet the expanded Title II of the ADA , the UMN community is working to make our digital content accessible. For those using Canvas, the RCE provides tools to create accessible Pages, Announcements, Discussions, Assignments and Quizzes throughout a course site. In fact, the RCE provides ways to use all 7 Core Skills of Accessib...

As a University of Minnesota instructor, you have likely heard about the new accessibility requirement for course materials outlined by the Department of Justice in their clarifications on Title II of the ADA : all content in course sites with student enrollment–such as academic courses, professional development sites, or resource sites your department created– must be digitally accessible by April 2026. This new requirement comes at a time in education where instructors are busy on multiple technological fronts (can we have a blog post without mentioning AI?). Yet here we are at another intersection of technology and teaching. This intersection brings about good for all learners. Research shows that making content accessible helps all of your students, not just those who use adaptive technologies to access content. While the task to meet the April 2026 deadline may seem overwhelmingly large, academic technology staff and the Office for Digital Accessibility are breaking it down in...

Overview Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS) and the Office for Digital Accessibility (ODA) tested the usability of the Canvas: Remove Course Content article text and video with UMN instructors. Participants identified three key findings: time commitment, rationale, and archiving. The project team addressed the findings by making targeted changes to the article. Usability partnership & study process For this study, the Canvas: Remove Course Content article was selected for two reasons:  instructors and staff are preparing to meet the April 2026 digital accessibility deadline ATSS had heard from the academic technology community that some instructors are confused about removing vs. deleting content from a Canvas course With the University of Minnesota Usability Services team, our project team developed a focus question to guide our study: What motivates people to improve the accessibility of their course? We then determined the criteria for participant recruitment, ...

This post summarizes the August 2024 Canvas Gradebook Set-up session facilitated by Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS). During the session, ATSS consultants presented an overview of getting started with the Canvas Gradebook and its settings, discussed streamlining grading throughout the semester, and shared resources for advanced tips and tricks. Key Takeaways The role of the Canvas Gradebook in addressing access and inclusion Challenges facing students: academic stress, student mental health, transparency, anxiety about grades and class performance Challenges facing instructors: burnout, grading and time commitments, transparency in grading practices and assessments, ungrading We do not intend to imply that simply using the Canvas Gradebook will single-handedly eliminate the previously mentioned issues. However, we bring them to think about a small change that could be taken to set yourself and your students up for a semester with more ease.  Canvas Gradebook settings A...

If you have not logged into Canvas since May 2024, you will notice much has changed. Let's catch you up: some things are gone (Flip), some things are improved (Discussions), and others moved to a different location (Turnitin). This post is excerpted from  a group presentation  (Video 1:06:57) at the August 7th Canvas Investigations . Timestamps next to headings will link you directly to that topic in the recording. The most important take-aways are highlighted in yellow . DoJ Ruling on Accessibility 2:29 In April, the clock started to count down two years for us to ensure all web content is accessible. The newly formed  Office of Digital Accessibility  (ODA) will guide us. Watch for messaging on the  3 Rs—Remove, Revise, Right First . The easiest and most impactful thing instructors can do now aligns with Remove — be selective when importing content from old courses . Discussions/Announcements Redesign 4:09 Canvas Discussions  have changed in appear...

  In June 2023, approximately 130 teaching and learning professionals gathered at the AT SHAREcase . During 2 days of presentations and discussion they explored the conference theme: expanding collaboration across diverse work, school, and social environments: the evolving role of ATs/IDs. Along with colleagues across the UMN system, many staff members in ATSS and AT Tools presented at the conference. This post contains descriptions and resources from their sessions. Make My Course Accessible: A cooperative pilot project In partnership with colleges and departments across the UMN system, Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS) started offering the Make My Course Accessible Initiative. This session highlights many details we learned about the process and showcases Faculty from the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences CFANS), and Psychology department on how the initiative helped to advance accessibility in Canvas course content that benefits students and ...

Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) is celebrated around the world annually on the third Thursday of May. The event aspires to raise awareness of the importance and impact of accessibility, share our progress, and renew our commitment to cultivating inclusion.  “Amplifying Accessibility” was the theme for the University of Minnesota’s second systemwide GAAD event held on May 18, 2023, which had more than 460 registrants from all five system campuses, other higher education institutions, and organizations around the country. The event engaged participants in conversation and sparked thinking and learning about amplifying accessibility with sessions that are relevant to everyone’s work in teaching and learning. Program Recap and Video Recordings This year's event included three separate tracks with nine sessions on a variety of topics, as well as a keynote  by Lydia X. Z. Brown on disability justice action in higher education. Lydia is an activist, writer, and adjunct ...

Khaled Musa, Academic Technologist, ATSS Co-authored with Rebecca George-Burrs in collaboration with Khaled Musa In this post, Academic Technology Support Services (ATSS) consultant Khaled Musa reflects on his own journey to being an accessibility expert and on efforts at the University of Minnesota to advance access and inclusion in courses. Khaled was an undergrad in New York when he lost his vision suddenly. He spent the next few years adjusting to vision loss, learning to use adaptive technology, and discovering a new career path. How did you come to a career in accessibility?  In 2004 I lost my vision. I learned assistive technology over a period of 3 years so that I could go back and finish my education. When I lost my sight, I was 11 credits away from graduating, but I could not adjust to my vision loss and finish my education. I was going for a bachelor of science in computer science, so technology was easy for me. But it still took me years to adjust to my new life with v...

As instructors and course designers plan for accessibility and accommodations, many factors establish and maintain a classroom atmosphere and an accessible Canvas site to empower better learning. This guide focuses on the tools you can use to support student learning (and make your life easier). It is organized around the Planning Flexibility for Accessibility in your Teaching workshop that was held in April 2023. 🔑 Essential Requirements UMN Essential Course Requirements are defined as "the core competencies and fundamental skills students must demonstrate to earn a passing grade or complete your course. Conceptually, these requirements often overlap with student learning outcomes, course objectives, and technical standards. However, essential requirements refer specifically to the foundational knowledge or baseline level of proficiency expected of all students" ( source ). As you are developing Essential Requirements for your course(s), the following resources may be ...

A new feature in the FeedbackFruits (FbFs) Peer Review tool allows students to request an accessible version of the document they are assigned to review. Because peer review might be configured so that submitter and reviewer are anonymous, the request for an accessible version of the document goes to the instructor who manages the request . But wouldn’t it be better if all students were aware of these practices before they begin the assignment? Instructors can use this as an opportunity to reinforce accessibility practices, creating a classroom community that practices accessible practices. Ensure your assignments are accessible to all students from the start by learning the benefits of accessible design . In order to proactively manage requests for accessible documents and other resources, it is important to model good accessibility practices and encourage your students to do the same.  Accessible Documents When creating an assignment, include resources that show students how t...