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Instructure, the makers of Canvas, is always trying to make their product as accessible as possible. Even so, there are some areas that still need improvement.

Here is Canvas's information on accessibility and screen reader compatibility.

Canvas LMS Accessibility Issues

If you discover accessibility issues with the Canvas interface, email IThelp@clemson.edu with as much of the following information about the issue as you can provide:

A brief description of the issue
A brief description of the expected behavior
A link to the page where you encountered the issue
The browser version (and screen reader, if applicable) used. If you are a screen reader user, be sure that you can replicate the issue on one of Canvas's screen reader supported browsers before submitting tickets.
- Directions for checking your browser version or ask the internet to check your browser version for you.
- How to check your screen reader's version:
  - JAWS - Open JAWS, activate the JAWS window, open the "Help" menu and select "About" (Alt + H then A), and listen without pressing any other keys. The version number will be the third thing JAWS reads.
  - NVDA - Open NVDA, hold the NVDA modifier key and press N to open the NVDA menu, open Help (H), select "About," and listen. The version number will be the second or third thing NVDA reads.
  - VoiceOver - Open System Preferences, open "Accessibility," open the "VoiceOver" tab, click "Open VoiceOver Utility," navigate away from the utility's window to the menu bar across the top of the screen, open the "VoiceOver Utility" menu, select "About VoiceOver Utility," and listen. The version number is the second thing VoiceOver reads.
  - Read & Write - R&W is technically not a screen reader but is included here due to its common use.
    - On Windows - Open the menu button, select "Show more settings," and then open the "About Read&Write" tab.
    - On Mac - In the menu bar across the very top of the screen, open the "Read&Write" menu, and then select "About Read&Write."
Any additional information that could be helpful (screenshots, screen recordings, WCAG criterion, etc)

Note 1: Canvas has an accessibility support team that can be reached at support_a11y@instructure.com, but interacting with them typically requires some self-advocacy and knowledge of WCAG accessibility requirements (as evidenced by the above list of details they typically request). If you reach out to Canvas and are not already in contact with appropriate Clemson staff about the issue, it is recommended that you forward a copy of your first support_a11y@instructure.com email to accessibility@lists.clemson.edu so that Clemson staff may be able to advocate with you.

If you would like to make accessibility improvement suggestions, use the Idea Conversations region in the Canvas Community and try to let those in the Canvas Accessibility Group know that you've posted the idea.

Note 2: Here is an article in the Canvas Community about navigating Canvas with JAWS.

Other Accessibility Issues

You may come across additional accessibility issues in the external resources linked in your courses. For web-based articles, you may be able to get around some of these issues by using the following tools in your chosen browser:

For Canvas content, you can also use the Immersive Reader.

Additional Accessibility Assistance

Canvas

Keyboard Navigation

If you use assistive technology to navigate Canvas, you may want to refer to the Accessibility within Canvas - Canvas Guide for more tips and tricks on how to get around.
Note for those navigating with keyboard commands: In the Rich Content Editor, press the keyboard command to navigate to the toolbars, press Tab to navigate from toolbar section to toolbar section, use the arrow keys within each toolbar to access all of the buttons, and use the Esc key to collapse expanded menus. Also, if you need to open options for links, tables, images, or videos, put focus on the element and then press Control + F9 to access the menu. For pretty much all other keyboard commands, refer to the keyboard glossary linked below the editable region of the rich content editor and above the rich content editor's toolbars when the button receives Tab focus.

If your course uses tabbed panels and you use a keyboard to navigate the web, use the Tab key to reach the first tab in the panel and use the directional arrows (up, down, left right) to open the other panels. If you are using a screen reader program, you may have to use the Escape or Enter key on the tab that you want to access before you will be able to explore the tab's contents. If you're desperate to get out of the tabs but can't remember to use the Escape or Enter key, you can also use the Tab key to skip to the next link then backtrack to the top of the tabbed panel. Some tabbed panels will have a "Return to top of tabbed panel" link at the bottom of each panel.

High Contrast Mode

If you have trouble seeing links or are overwhelmed by the amount of purple in the Canvas interface, Canvas has a high contrast mode and setting for underlining links that may be useful to you.

Confetti Management

If you don't like the confetti animation that appears when you successfully submit an assignment, you can turn it off in your user settings. See the Confetti Tutorial.

Kaltura Videos

Clemson University is in the process of moving from Ensemble Video to Kaltura Video.

During this transition, please see Clemson Online's Kaltura page to learn more about the video player differences (including accessibility).

Zoom, WebEx, and Other Video Conferencing Tools

If your course requires synchronous virtual meetings, the following keyboard shortcut glossaries may be useful:

Creating Accessible Content

If you have been tasked with creating accessible content or are concerned with the accessibility of the content you create, Clemson has some helpful guides in the Accessibility Web Portal and in the Accessibility portion of Clemson Online's website. If you can't find what you're looking for, try searching the website for the authoring tool you are using (i.e. Search Microsoft's website for Microsoft Office tools, Adobe's website for Adobe's tools, etc.). More and more developers are recognizing the importance of accessibility and are beginning to publish accessibility-related documentation.

Last Updated Fall 2022