Last Update: April 28, 11:30 am

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The "One-Item-at-a-Time" Workflow

This guide provides a structured roadmap to navigate accessibility without the stress of "doing it all at once." By adopting a step-by-step approach, you can transform your course through focused sprints that prioritize your time and student success. We aim to replace overwhelm with a clear workflow that turns complex tasks into manageable, high-impact milestones.

Step 1: The Audit (Identify)

Attention

Trying to fix items as you find them is the fastest way to get overwhelmed. Instead, your first goal is to simply "map the terrain."

The Action: Open your course in Canvas and go to the Modules view.
The Goal: Scan each module and categorize every item into one of the five categories below.
The Tip: Do not try to fix anything yet. Just identify the type of content and take a quick note if something looks obviously broken (like a blurry scanned PDF).

Reference: Understanding the Item Types

Use this table to help you identify what you are looking at and understand the effort required to fix it.

Table 1 - Item Types
Item Type	Description	Common Accessibility Pain Points	Difficulty
HTML (Canvas Page)	Pages created directly in the Canvas editor.	Missing heading structures; images without alt-text.	Low (Quickest to fix)
External Files	Uploaded documents (PDF, PPT, DOCX).	"Scanned" PDFs (images only); files missing structure.	Medium to High
Videos	Self-recorded (Studio/Zoom) or YouTube/Vimeo.	Missing or inaccurate captions; no text transcript.	Medium
Links	Hyperlinks to websites, articles, or tools.	"Click Here" text; long, "naked" URLs.	Low
Other	Specialized content (Math, Code Blocks, Handwritten notes, etc.).	Math or code blocks saved as an image.	Medium to High

Audit Worksheet: Map Your Course

Download this spreadsheet or copy this table into a document to track your progress through your modules.

Table 2 - Audit Worksheet
Module #	Item Name	Item Type	Notes

By completing this audit, you have successfully moved from reactive fixing to strategic problem management. You’ve defined the "scope of work," the single most important step in any project. The ambiguity that causes overwhelm is gone; in its place is a data-driven to-do list. You aren't "fixing a whole course" anymore—you are simply executing a series of categorized tasks. You’ve built the foundation. We are one step closer!

Step 2: The "Quick Wins" (HTML Pages)

Canvas Pages are the "gold standard" for a reason: they are built to be accessible. By using the Course-Level Accessibility Checker, you don't have to hunt for errors page by page. You can manage them all from a single dashboard.

Method 1: Using Canvas Accessibility Checker

The Action: Launch the Dashboard. Go to your Course Home Page. Look at the Sidebar on the right-hand side. Click on Accessibility and scan your course.
The Goal: Clear all flags on your pages using the Fix button.
The Strategy: In the Canvas Course Accessibility Checker Dashboard, pick 5-10 pages per sprint. Apply the fixes and save.
Total time investment: ~15 minutes.
The Schedule: Plan for 3–5 sessions total. By the end of the week, your core content is fully accessible.

The most common "Big Three" Fixes

Heading Hierarchy: The Problem: Using Bold or Large Fonts to indicate a new section. The Fix: Use the "Paragraph" dropdown menu to select Heading 2 or Heading 3.
Alt-Text for Images: The Problem: An image with no description is a "blank space" or a confusing string of numbers. The Fix: Describe the content of the image in one sentence or describe as a "Decorative Image."
Accessible Tables: The Problem: Tables used for layout or missing Header Rows. The Fix: Use tables only for data and ensure you designate a "Header Row."

Resources:

The Instructure Community: Canvas Course Accessibility Checker in your Canvas course
Enroll in Make Your Canvas Course Accessible: A Self-Paced Course
- Our self-paced course provides step-by-step guides to fixing Canvas accessibility issues. For more detailed explanations of how to solve common accessibility problems, enroll in this course!

Step 3: External Links (The "Road Test" & Evaluation)

You’ve identified your links; now you need to "road test" them. Since you don't own these external websites, your job is Quality Control: ensuring the student doesn't hit a dead end.

The Action: Evaluate Before You Link. Run it through this quick evaluation checklist.

Accessibility Tools: Utilize an accessibility tool, such as WAVE, WebYes or aXe, or test the site with a screen reader like NVDA.
The Media Check: If the site has videos, do they have captions? If it has podcasts, is there a transcript?
The Keyboard Test: Try to "tab" through the page using your Tab key instead of a mouse.

Step 4: The Triage (External Files)

Lane A, Method 1: Microsoft Files (Word & PowerPoint) using the Microsoft "Check Accessibility" Function.

These are "source files," meaning they are easy to edit.

The Action: Open the original file. Go to the Review tab or the "Tools" menu and click Check Accessibility.
The Fix: Remediate the issues
Save and re-upload.

Resources:

Microsoft (Word, Power Point, Excel) Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker

Lane B: The PDF Triage (The "Expert" Lane)

PDFs are often "dead" files; they are hard to edit without specialized software. Instead of trying to become a PDF expert, use a management Triage Strategy:

The "Highlight" Test: Open your PDF. Try to highlight the text with your cursor.

- Pass: If you can highlight text, it’s a "Searchable PDF." It’s 50% there.
- Fail: If it highlights the whole page like a giant block (or nothing at all), it’s an image/scan. It is completely invisible to a screen reader.

The Action (Choose one):

Convert: Can this PDF be a Canvas Page instead? (Best for accessibility).
Source: Can you find the original Word doc and save it correctly?
Replace: Can you find a digital version of this article through the Library? Library databases provide accessible HTML versions of most papers.
Remediate: Use the Adobe Accessibility checker.

Lane B, Method 1: PDF Remediation with the Adobe Accessibility Checker

In the top left corner, click on the menu "All tools."
Scroll down and click in "View more."
Scroll down and click on "Prepare for Accessibility."
Click on "Check for Accessibility"
Click "Start Checking"
You can review the report on the Accessibility Checker
You can access the Accessibility Report to get more instructions on how to remediate those issues.

Resources:

Request Adobe Acrobat Pro
Adobe Acrobat Pro (PDF’s) to create and verify PDF accessibility

Attention

We understand that the remediation process for external files is a mammoth task. We hope to launch a third-party tool soon to streamline this process for everyone. Stay tuned for updates!

Step X: The Deep Dive (Other/Misc)

While most accessibility fixes are quick and intuitive, certain course materials require a more specialized approach. This "Deep Dive" section is dedicated to high-precision content, such as complex mathematical equations, raw LaTeX code, and long-form audio podcasts, that cannot be fully automated by standard tools. Use this phase to refine the technical nuances of your course, ensuring that even your most advanced materials are perceivable and navigable for all students.

Don't see your file type here? If you are using specialized software, proprietary file formats, or unique media not covered in this guide, please reach out to us directly. We are here to help you find a custom solution to ensure all your students stay on track.

LaTeX & Complex Math

LaTeX is the gold standard for STEM formatting, but it is not currently capable of consistently producing accessible PDFs. If your course relies on LaTeX-generated documents, remediate the PDFs using any method provided in Step 4.

Whenever possible, move math content directly into a Canvas Page. Canvas uses MathJax, which is far more accessible and consistent across different browsers than a static PDF. To use MathJax:

In the Rich Content editor, click "Insert Math Equation."
Add your LaTeX equation.
Your results will look like the following:

$LaTeX: \begin{equation} \begin{split} a^2 + b^2 &= c^2 \\ a^2 &= c^2 - b^2\\ a &= \sqrt{c^2 - b^2}\\ \end{split} \end{equation}$

Audio files (Podcasts, Audio recordings, etc)

An audio transcript is the text-based version of the spoken words and relevant sounds within an audio or video file. Beyond being a technical requirement for Title II of the ADA, transcripts are vital for inclusivity; they provide students who are deaf or hard of hearing with equal access to information and assist those with auditory processing disorders or language barriers. Furthermore, they enhance the learning experience for everyone by allowing users to quickly search for keywords, study in noise-sensitive environments, and retain complex terminology more effectively.

Best Practices for Accessible Transcripts:

Speaker Identification: Clearly label who is speaking (e.g., "Instructor:" or "Student:") whenever the speaker changes.
Non-Speech Sounds: Include descriptions of meaningful non-verbal cues or background sounds in brackets, such as [Music intro] or [Applause].
Accuracy and Punctuation: Always review automated speech-to-text outputs to correct grammatical errors that could change the meaning of a sentence.
Readability: Use clear headings, bullet points, and standard fonts to ensure the document is easy to navigate for screen readers and visual learners alike.

Open Word for the Web. Sign in to Microsoft 365 and open a new blank document in Word. Important: This feature currently only works on Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome.
Locate the Transcribe Tool. On the Home tab, look for the Dictate button (it has a microphone icon). Click the down arrow next to the Dictate button and select Transcribe from the dropdown menu.
Upload Your Audio File. Select the correct language from the dropdown menu (to ensure the best accuracy). Select your file. Word supports .mp3, .wav, .m4a, and .mp4 formats. Click Upload audio. Keep the pane open while the file processes. You can work in other browser tabs, but do not close the Word window until the transcript appears.
Review and Edit. Once processed, the transcript will appear in the side pane with timestamps and labels such as "Speaker 1," "Speaker 2," etc. To edit text: Hover over a section and click the Pencil icon. You can correct typos or change speaker names (select "Change all Speaker X" to update the whole file at once). To listen: Click any timestamp to play the audio from that exact moment to verify the text.
Add to Document. At the bottom of the Transcribe pane, click Add to document. You can choose to add: Just text, with speakers, with timestamps, or with speakers and timestamps.
Final Polish and Accessibility Validation. Once the text is in your document, you must manually verify that it meets the needs of all users.

- - - Add Non-Speech Sounds: Go through the text and insert descriptive sounds in brackets where they provide context.
      - Example: If there is a long pause while you draw on a whiteboard, add [silence - writing on board].
      - Example: If a video plays within your audio, add [Video: Brief demonstration of chemical reaction].
    - Review Formatting:
      - Ensure the font size is at least 12pt for readability.
      - Use Heading 1 for the title of the transcript to help screen reader users navigate.
      - Check that speaker names are bolded to visually separate them from the dialogue.
    - Run the Accessibility Checker:
      - Go to the Review tab in the top ribbon.
      - Click Check Accessibility.
      - Word will open a pane on the right showing any "Errors" or "Warnings" (like hard-to-read text contrast). Address all items until you see the green checkmark.

Resources:

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What about videos?

While audio and text files are the foundation, video content requires a specific set of tools and workflows to meet Title II standards.

We have dedicated a separate guide to Mastering Video Accessibility, where we dive deep into Panopto’s captioning features, visual descriptions, and synchronization. Even though that process is handled separately, identifying your video files now ensures you are ready to hit the ground running as soon as you open the next guide.

Ready to tackle your video content? Course Video and Captioning Gudiance

Final Review & Maintenance

Accessibility isn't a "one-and-done" task—it’s a habit. Once you’ve completed these steps, your course will be in a professional, compliant state. To keep it that way, simply apply these same checks whenever you add new content in the future.

The "Mantra"

"Progress over Perfection." An 80% accessible course is definitely better than a 0% accessible course because I was too overwhelmed to start.

Need a Custom Solution?

If your course features specialized software, complex labs, or unique digital tools not covered here, please reach out to us. We are here to partner with you to find creative, accessible solutions for your specific teaching style.