Use the Canvas Accessibility Checker

Last updated on October 19, 2026

The Accessibility Checker is a tool within Canvas that can assess the accessibility of content by identifying inaccessible formatting and suggesting corrections to make it accessible. The Accessibility Checker works for any item that uses the Rich Content Editor (RCE), such as Pages, Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, and Announcements. For more guidance on using the RCE, view our tutorial, Use the Rich Content Editor to Modify Text, Insert Links, Attach Files, and Connect Apps.

This guide will show you how to use the Accessibility Checker, correct inaccessible items, and understand what the Accessibility Checker misses.

Directions

[Length 2:05, CC Available]

Using the Accessibility Checker

1. Log in to your Canvas Account.
2. Select the Course you’d like to work in.
3. Click Modules from the left-hand course navigation menu.
4. Locate and select the item you wish to check for accessibility.
   • Note: The Accessibility Checker works with any item that uses the Rich Content Editor, including Pages, Assignments, Discussions, Quizzes, Announcements, and the Syllabus.
5. Click Edit in the top right corner of the screen.
6. Click the Accessibility Icon (Person with a circle around them) below the right corner of the Rich Content Editor (large text box). The Accessibility Checker panel will open on the right side of the page.
   • Note: If there is a number icon at the top right of the Accessibility Icon, that means there are accessibility issues that need to be addressed.
7. View any accessibility issues.
   • The number of issues will appear at the top left of the right-side panel.
   • Below the number will be an explanation of the issue.
     • Click the Question Mark to the right of the issue number to view additional information about the issue.
   • Below the explanation will be a suggested change. This will change depending on what the issue is.
8. Use the Suggested Change fields to correct the issue.
   • Change text color: Choose a color from the color selector. This should be a darker color if on a light background, or a lighter color if on a dark background.
   • Change/add alt text: Enter alt text in the text field. This should be around 120 characters and convey the educational purpose of the image.
     • Alternatively, check the box next to Decorative image if the image has no educational value, such as a logo.
   • Add a caption: Enter a caption for your table in the text field. This should be the title for your table.
   • Set table header: Click the drop-down menu, and select a header option. All tables need at least a header row or column.
   • Heading Levels (Action to take): Click the drop-down menu, and select Fix heading hierarchy. Heading structures should not skip a heading level.
   • Format as a list: Check the box next to Format as a list. This corrects any lists to be formatted correctly for screen readers.
   • Merge links: Check the box next to Merge links to combine two adjacent, identical links into one link.
   • Change heading tag to paragraph: Check the box next to Change heading tag to paragraph.
9. Click Apply to apply the suggested change to your content. The accessibility checker will automatically bring you to the next issue.
10. Click Next to skip an issue and go to the next one.
11. Click Previous to go back to a skipped issue.
12. Click the X at the top right corner of the right-side panel once the Accessibility Checker says No accessibility issues were detected.

What the Accessibility Checker Misses

1. Structure: The Accessibility Checker will not catch missing heading structures or heading structures that start at the wrong level.
2. Quality of Alt Text: The Accessibility Checker will not assess alt text; it only catches missing alt text or file names as alt text.
3. Video and Audio Accessibility: The Accessibility Checker will not check for closed captions, transcripts, or audio descriptions.
   • View our tutorials, Edit Auto-Captions on YuJa Videos or Enable Captions and Rolling Transcripts in Canvas Media, for more guidance.
4. Descriptive Links: The Accessibility Checker will not check that links have descriptive text identifying where the link leads.
5. Broken Links: The Accessibility Checker will not check if links are broken or can be viewed by students.
   • View our tutorial, Use the Link Validator to Check for and Fix Broken Links, for steps on how to check for broken links in your course.
6. File Attachments: The Accessibility Checker will not scan any uploaded or attached files, such as PDFs, Word documents, or PowerPoints.
7. Meaning Conveyed Solely by Color: The Accessibility Checker will not identify when color is used as the only visual cue to convey information.

Bottom Line

The Accessibility Checker is a great tool to quickly assess your content in Canvas. However, we as content creators still need to assess all material to ensure full accessibility. For more guidance on Accessibility Principles and how to make your content accessible, view the CTLD’s Instructional Accessibility Group webpage.

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