Canvas LMS Accessibility Checklist 2026 | WCAG 2.1 AA & Title II

Replace scanned chapters with publisher-supplied digital editions or library-licensed accessible copies, which most academic libraries can source on request and far faster than instructors expect. Where a scan is unavoidable, run optical character recognition and proofread the output rather than trusting it, since OCR mangles equations, tables, and multi-column layouts. Author new handouts and slide decks in Word or PowerPoint with real heading styles, alt text, marked table header rows, and a declared document language, then export using the accessibility-preserving export option instead of printing to PDF. For short text content, skip the file entirely and build a Canvas Page, which reflows, scales, and reads reliably on every device.

Set meaningful alternative text on every informative image, describing what the image teaches in the context of the lesson rather than naming the object, and mark purely decorative images as decorative so screen readers skip them. Stop pasting screenshots of text: type equations using the Rich Content Editor's built-in equation editor, which produces accessible math, and paste code as real text in a code block. For complex diagrams and charts, put the full explanation in the page body or a linked accessible document and use the alt text to point to it, since the underlying data and relationships are the instructional content.

Use the paragraph style menu to apply real Heading 2 and Heading 3 levels for every section title, and control appearance through the institution's theme rather than by hand-setting font sizes and colors. Keep levels in sequence without skipping, remembering the page title already sits at the top of the outline. Paste as plain text and reapply styles when importing from Word, Google Docs, or a publisher site. Run the accessibility checker built into the Rich Content Editor before saving, which flags heading order, missing alt text, contrast, and table header problems while the instructor is still on the page.

Treat automatic captions as a first draft that must be reviewed and corrected for terminology, names, and acronyms before the media is published to students. Provide a transcript alongside long recordings so students can search, skim, and study rather than scrubbing through video, which benefits the whole class and is often the cheapest accommodation available. Describe essential visual information the audio never states, such as what is being pointed at on a slide or written on a board. When a recording is required coursework, treat missing captions as a publishing blocker rather than a follow-up task, because a student cannot be required to complete content they cannot perceive.

Set time limits based on the assessment's purpose rather than habit, and apply approved extended-time accommodations through Canvas moderation before the quiz opens rather than scrambling during it. Verify that any lockdown browser or proctoring tool in use documents compatibility with screen readers and magnification, and provide an alternative assessment path when it does not. Avoid drag-and-drop and hotspot question types unless you have tested them by keyboard alone, and prefer multiple choice, multiple answer, or text entry equivalents. Allow backtracking rather than locking each question, since a student using speech output often needs to re-read earlier items.

Require an accessibility conformance report before any LTI tool is enabled at the account level, and test the actual student workflow by keyboard and screen reader instead of trusting the vendor document, which often describes an older version. Make keyboard operability and a meaningful accessible name on every control the minimum gate. Where a tool is contractually locked in and inaccessible, arrange an equivalent alternative assignment in advance and state it in the syllabus so a student does not have to negotiate it mid-term. Feed findings back to procurement, since renewal is the only leverage point most institutions actually have.