Accessible Canvas Courses
Learn more about key accessibility principles and practical strategies to design and deliver accessible Canvas courses.
Originally posted on Kent State Today.Perhaps the best word to sum up Brianna Benson’s role at Kent State University is “caretaker.”Benson is the assistant director of Community Engaged Learning in University College and oversees the CommUNITY Lab, where students in various scholarship programs, many of whom are first-generation, can find a responsive living-learning community that provides the support they need to succeed at Kent State.“We’re with them from start to finish,” Benson said, “We’re with you the whole four years.”Brianna Benson, assistant director of Community Engaged Learning, te...
Accessible Document Formatting
What It Is
Accessible document formatting uses built-in structure and tools in programs like Word, PDF, and PowerPoint—such as headings, lists, slide layouts, and reading order—to ensure content can be read and navigated by assistive technologies. Proper formatting helps preserve meaning when documents are shared, downloaded, or converted.
Why It Matters
Captions and Transcripts
What It Is
Captions are text versions of spoken dialogue and important audio information synchronized with video. Transcripts provide a written record of spoken content and relevant audio elements for videos or audio-only materials. In digital course materials, captions and transcripts ensure multimedia content is accessible in multiple formats.
Why It Matters
Descriptive Links
What It Is
Descriptive links use meaningful text to clearly communicate where a link will take the user. Instead of generic phrases like “click here” or “read more,” descriptive links describe the destination or purpose of the link within digital course materials.
Why It Matters
Tables
What It Is
Accessible tables are used to present data in a clear, logical way and include proper headers and structure so information can be understood by all users. In digital course materials, tables should be reserved for data—not layout—and designed so relationships between rows and columns are clear.
Why It Matters
Logical Heading Structures & Clear Organization
What It Is
Logical heading structures use properly ordered headings (such as Heading 1, Heading 2, and Heading 3) to organize content into clear, meaningful sections. Clear organization helps students understand how content is structured and how ideas relate to one another within digital course materials.
Why It Matters
Color Contrast & Readability
What Is It
Color contrast refers to the difference between text (or important visual elements) and the background behind them. Readability is how easily users can see and understand text and visual content. In digital course materials, sufficient contrast and clear text formatting ensure that content is legible across devices and learning environments.
Why It Matters
Alternative Text for Images
What Is It
Alternative text (alt text) is a brief written description added to images, charts, graphs, and other visual elements in digital course materials. Alt text is read aloud by screen readers and displayed when images do not load, allowing students who cannot see the image to understand its purpose and content.
Why It Matters