This checklist helps you review your Canvas course for WCAG 2.1 Level AA compliance. Work through each section with a colleague or instructional designer. Each section takes 5-10 minutes to complete.
How to Use:
Need Help? Contact the Center for Online Learning at [email protected] or visit courseassist.fresno.edu
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Course Home Page is Clear Home page clearly indicates where to start and how to navigate the course. | Home page of your Canvas course | |
| Modules are Organized Logically Modules follow a clear, sequential order with descriptive names. | Modules page - review order and naming | |
| Consistent Module Structure Each module follows the same organizational pattern. | Compare 2-3 modules side-by-side | |
| Clear Instructions Throughout All activities have complete, understandable instructions. | Sample 3-4 assignments and activities | |
| Syllabus Includes Accessibility Statement Syllabus mentions accommodations and how to request them. | Syllabus page - look for accessibility or accommodations section |
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Headings are Used Properly Content uses heading hierarchy (Heading 2, 3, 4) not just bold text. | All Pages - Edit page and check Format menu for actual headings | |
| Font Sizes are Readable All text is at least 12pt. No text smaller than 10pt. | All Pages and Assignments - look for small text | |
| Links Have Descriptive Text Links describe destination. No "click here" or bare URLs. | All Pages - check every hyperlink | |
| Lists Use Proper Formatting Bullets/numbers created with list tool, not typed manually. | All Pages - Edit and check if lists use list button | |
| PDFs are Accessible or Have Alternatives PDFs are tagged OR an HTML/Word alternative is provided. | Files section and embedded documents - test with Adobe Acrobat accessibility checker | |
| Tables Have Proper Headers Tables designate header rows/columns for screen readers. | All tables in Pages and Assignments |
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| All Images Have Alt Text Every meaningful image has descriptive alternative text. | All Pages and Assignments - right-click images, check Image Options → Alt Text | |
| Decorative Images Have Empty Alt Text Purely decorative images have alt="" (empty alt attribute). | Banner images, dividers, icons - check alt text is intentionally blank | |
| Complex Images Have Descriptions Charts, graphs, diagrams have detailed text descriptions nearby. | Any graphs, charts, complex diagrams - look for text explanation in caption or body | |
| Color is Not Sole Indicator Information conveyed with color also uses text, pattern, or icons. | Charts, graphs, callout boxes, highlighted text - verify color isn't only indicator | |
| No Images of Text Avoid images containing text; use actual text instead. | Look for screenshots of text, text in images that could be HTML text |
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| All Videos Have Accurate Captions Every video includes synchronized captions. Auto-captions are edited for accuracy. | All embedded videos - play and verify captions appear and are accurate | |
| Transcripts are Available Downloadable text transcripts provided for all video and audio. | Video/audio pages - look for transcript link or file | |
| Audio Quality is Clear Audio is clear with minimal background noise. | Play videos and audio files - listen for clarity | |
| Videos Do Not Autoplay Videos require user action to start playing. | Visit pages with videos - verify they don't start automatically | |
| Media Player Controls are Accessible Play, pause, volume controls work with keyboard only. | Test video/audio players using only Tab, Enter, and Space keys |
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Sufficient Color Contrast Text has 4.5:1 contrast ratio with background (3:1 for large text). | All text - use WebAIM Contrast Checker on colored text and backgrounds | |
| Color Not Sole Information Carrier Important info isn't communicated by color alone. | Highlighted text, callout boxes, status indicators - verify text/icons also present | |
| Readable Font Choices Fonts are clear sans-serif (Arial, Verdana, Calibri). No decorative fonts for body text. | All Pages - review font families used | |
| Adequate Line Spacing Text has sufficient spacing for readability. | Dense text blocks - check for comfortable line spacing |
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Quiz Questions Have Clear Labels Each question has a clear, descriptive title or prompt. | Preview quizzes as student - verify all questions are clear | |
| Quiz Time Limits are Reasonable Timed quizzes allow adequate time or have extension options. | Quiz settings - check time limits and availability of extensions | |
| Error Messages are Helpful Form errors explain what went wrong and how to fix it. | Test submitting incomplete assignments/quizzes - check error messages | |
| Instructions are Complete All assignments have thorough, step-by-step instructions. | All assignment pages - read instructions from student perspective | |
| External Tools are Accessible Third-party tools (LTI) meet accessibility standards. | Test external tools - verify they work with keyboard only |
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| All Links Work with Keyboard Every link can be accessed and activated using Tab and Enter keys. | Navigate course using only keyboard - test all links | |
| Interactive Elements are Reachable Buttons, dropdowns, accordions work with keyboard only. | Test all interactive elements using Tab, Enter, Space, Arrow keys | |
| Focus Indicators are Visible Clear visual indicator shows which element has keyboard focus. | Tab through course - verify visible outline/highlight on focused items | |
| Tab Order is Logical Keyboard navigation follows a logical reading order. | Tab through each page - verify order matches visual layout | |
| No Keyboard Traps Users can navigate in and out of all interactive elements. | Test modals, embedded content - verify Escape or Tab moves focus out |
| ✓ | What to Check | Where to Look |
|---|---|---|
| Run Accessibility Checker on All Pages Use Canvas built-in accessibility checker when editing content. | Edit each page → Rich Content Editor → three dots (...) → Accessibility Checker | |
| Address All Flagged Issues Fix or document all issues found by accessibility checker. | Review accessibility checker results for each page/assignment | |
| Verify Canvas Accessibility Features Canvas native features (discussions, gradebook, etc.) are accessible by default. | Test Canvas features - they should work with keyboard and screen readers | |
| Check Mobile Responsiveness Course displays properly on mobile devices. | View course on phone or tablet, or use browser responsive mode |
Mark sections completed:
List your top 5 accessibility improvements to make first (prioritize high-impact items):
Need help making improvements? Schedule an accessibility consultation with our instructional designers!