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Universal Design Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure adherence to accessibility standards for your Canvas class, resource files, videos, images, and Zoom meetings.

   

 General Guidelines

Text Color 

  • All text should be in high-contrast colors (e.g., dark text on a white background. No pastel or neon). 
  • Do not color-code course elements as the only way of conveying meaning.

Link Color 

Naming Conventions

Give file titles descriptive and meaningful names, and use consistent naming conventions for your files. Generic wording is confusing to students.

When you add a file to a Canvas module, rename the link to the file to make it more descriptive.

  • Example of good file title wording – Reading 1 – Mariana Trench: Earth’s Deepest Place.
  • Example of poor file title wording – Marianatrench.pdf.

Canvas overview module with two links - one link describes the resource and the other is not descriptive because it is just a file name


Consistent Conventions

If you refer to files or assignments in your syllabus, etc., remember to give files and assignments the same name in Canvas modules. For example, if you refer to essay_template in your syllabus, that’s how it should appear in the Canvas module.

Headings

Headings Are Used to Chunk Content

Meaningful headings and subheadings clearly identify information to make it easy to visually scan for sighted readers and easy to locate information for people who use screen readers. 

Longer documents, pages, announcements, assignment instructions, discussion prompts, etc., should use headings and subheadings to organize topics and make it easy to scan visually or with a screen reader. 


Heading Wording 

Headings are succinct and meaningful.


Heading Hierarchy 

The hierarchy of accessible headings is important for ensuring content is well-organized and easy to navigate, especially for users relying on assistive technologies like screen readers. Headings should be used in a logical, nested order without skipping levels. 

For example:

  • H1: Main Topic
  • H2: Subtopic
  • H3: Details/Supporting Information

Avoid skipping heading levels (e.g., jumping from H1 to H3) because this can confuse screen reader users.

For more information, see Headings in Microsoft Word and Canvas Heading Guidelines.


Heading Formats

Canvas and Microsoft Word have built-in heading styles you should apply to your headings in order to make your headings accessible. The formats of the built-in styles are already accessible, but if you want to modify the look and feel of your heading styles, use the following guidelines

  • Fonts are sans-serif (e.g., Trebuchet, Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica) - See Font Type Guidelines.

  • Colors are high-contrast - See Text Color Guidelines.

  • Font size are large. The following are font size standards for text in headings:

    • Word, Canvas, and PDF 
      • H1 : 24–36 points, depending on the document's design. (H1 applies to Word and PDF only. You cannot change the H1 settings in Canvas.)
      • H2: 18–30 points
      • H3: 16–24 points
      • H4: 14 points

    • PowerPoint Headings
      • 36–44 points 

Alt Text to Describe Images

Alt text (alternative text) is a written description of an image that is read by screen readers to visually impaired users. Alt text also appears when an image fails to load, which provides additional information to all users.

Add an Alt Text description of an image or mark the image as decorative if the image does not convey additional meaning. 

  • Descriptions should be under 150 characters
  • Do not include phrases like "a picture of." They are unnecessary.

Complex Images

There are three different approaches you can take to document complex images such as charts, graphs, equations, etc.:


Additional Resources

Link Wording

Create descriptive links that do not rely on the surrounding text for meaning. The link, itself, should convey its purpose and meaning without requiring additional context. For example:

Note that text for links should not include the URL, itself. For example:

This ensures accessibility for users relying on screen readers and improves usability for everyone.


Link Color & Format 


Underlined Text 

Underlining should be used only for hyperlinks. Example: Read more about link conventions. 

Do not underline text for emphasis. Underlining text implies it is a link. Use bold to emphasize text. 


Internal and External Links

  • Links to other elements inside your Canvas course should open in the same tab or window.
  • Links to elements outside your Canvas course (e.g., websites, links to YouTube videos) should open in a new tab or window.

Font Type 

Use sans serif fonts (e.g., Trebuchet, Arial, Tahoma, Verdana, Helvetica). In online environments, sans-serif fonts have a higher readability than serif fonts such as Times New Roman.  

Note: The default font in the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE) is sans serif. 


Font Size - Normal Paragraph Text (Body Text)

The following are font size standards for text in paragraphs, bullet points, numbered lists, etc.:  

  • Word, Canvas, and PDF - The font size of body text should be 12 - 14 points.

Note: The default font size in the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE) is 12 points.  

  • PowerPoint - Because PowerPoint slides are meant to be read from a distance, the font size of body text on your slides should be 18 - 28 points.

Line Height

For readability, a line height of 1.5 is typically recommended.


Underlined Text 

Underlining is used only for hyperlinks. Example: Read more about link conventions. 

Do not underline text for emphasis. Underlining text implies that the text is a link. Use bold to emphasize text. 

Tables

  • Use tables to display information, such as research findings, schedules, or comparisons.

  • Include a caption above a table to summarize its purpose. E.g., Table 1: Comparison of Online Proctoring Tools
  • Use the built-in Header Row option in Word and Canvas to mark the first row of your table as a header row. Complex tables may also contain headers in the left-most column, and these should be marked as headers, too.

  • Provide a text alternative for complex tables

  • Do not merge table cells.

  • Do not use tables for layout, spacing, or aligning text and images.

Abbreviations

Avoid using abbreviations unless they are universally understood by your audience. If you need to use an abbreviation, spell it out the first time it appears on your page, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. 


Acronyms

Spell out acronyms the first time they appear on a page. Afterward, you may use the acronym alone. For example:
For support, contact the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). The CETL team provides workshops and resources for instructors.


Chunked Content

Sentences and paragraphs are brief and clearly worded. Course content is “chunked” (broken into short paragraphs, sections, and bulleted lists ) to avoid overwhelming your audience.

  • Bulleted Lists: Use bulleted lists for items that do not require a specific order. Bullets are ideal for summarizing related points.
  • Numbered Lists: Use numbered lists for items or steps that must appear in a specific order. 

Note: Introduce bulleted and numbered lists with a descriptive phrase to provide context.


Dates 

Spell out dates in a full format for clarity, such as  (e.g., January 1, 2025). Avoid using numeric-only formats  (e.g., 01/01/2025) because these can be unclear for users who rely on screen readers or those in regions with different date conventions.


Headings for Organization and Clarity

Meaningful headings and subheadings should be used to organize content by main concepts and provide context to guide readers. Properly structured headings improve readability and navgation, particularly for screen reader users and those scanning visually. Use heading levels (e.g., H1, H2, H3) consistently to represent the hierarchy of the content. For example:

  • H1: Main Topic
  • H2: Subtopic
  • H3: Details/Supporting Information

Headings should follow a logical hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3) without skipping levels because skipping levels can cause accessibility issues for screen readers.


Jargon

Choose simple, descriptive language that will be accessible to the widest audience. If you need to use jargon, be sure to define it clearly the first time it appears on the page. 

 

 Canvas Guidelines

Heading Hierarchy 

The hierarchy of accessible headings is important for ensuring content is well-organized and easy to navigate, especially for users relying on assistive technologies like screen readers. Headings should be used in a logical, nested order without skipping levels.

Apply the Canvas heading styles to headings and subheadings as follows: 

  • Heading 2 - Use heading 2 for the primary sections of your document to divide your content into major categories or themes. E.g., National Parks of the United States 
  • Heading 3 - Use heading 3 for subsections within a heading 2 section. E.g., Western Region National Parks 
  • Heading 4 - Use heading 4 for subtopics within a heading 3 topic. E.g., Yosemite National Park 

Note that the default settings in the Canvas heading styles are already accessible. If you want to modify the look and feel of your headings, see Heading Guidelines for more information. 


Canvas Heading Styles 

In order for screen readers to recognize your headings in Canvas pages, announcements, and discussions, you must apply the Canvas heading level styles to your headings in the content editor rather than simply manually making your heading text large and bold. Note that the default settings in the Canvas heading styles are already accessible. 

Video Tutorial - Applying Canvas Heading Styles

Canvas editor with the style menu open, showing 'Heading 2' selected. Examples of Heading 2, 3, 4, and Paragraph formats are labeled.

Module Creation

One module is created for each week, course meeting, topic, or unit of the class – whichever works best for your course.

Canvas module for Week 1 showing sections with readings, videos, and assignments. Labels highlight module structure and use of text headers.


Module Naming Conventions

For visual and functional consistency, modules and their contents should maintain the same naming conventions and layout throughout the course.

Text Headers in all modules are worded in the same manner and appear in the same order (e.g., Each module might have text headers such as: Topics, Readings, and Homework).

Canvas module overview with a highlighted instruction to "Use consistent naming conventions for weekly modules.


Module Contents

  • Modules should contain links to all assignments, discussions, quizzes, and resources for the week, unit, etc.
  • Module items should be clearly labeled with meaningful titles. You can rename module items as necessary.
  • Do one of the following for modules with a large amount of content:
    • Text headers should be added to modules to provide context for items, and items are indented under the text header to indicate a hierarchy OR
    • Links to readings and resources could be moved to a single page in the module to streamline the module’s content.

Canvas module with an 'Overview and Resources' text header and a page labeled Week 1 Readings and Resources


Module Order

Modules and content in modules should be arranged in a logical order. Assignments in modules should be arranged chronologically, as they will be completed.


Module Publishing

Modules and their items should be published in a consistent way - either all together or on a predictable schedule.

Streamline Course Navigation

Hide Canvas navigation items not being used by students to remove clutter and streamline navigation for students. Adding too many paths to the same assignment or resource can confuse students.

Recommendation - In your Canvas course, go to Settings > Navigation and enable the following navigation elements and disable (hide) other navigation elements:

  • Announcements (Even when enabled, the eye slash icon appears next to Announcements until you post your first announcement to the class.)
  • Grades
  • People
  • Syllabus (Enable only if you plan to use the Canvas-generated syllabus. Disable if you plan on uploading a syllabus file to a module instead.)
  • Collaborations (Enable only if you plan to create collaborative Office 365 documents. in your Canvas class.)
  • Zoom
  • Search
  • Attendance (Enable only if you plan to use the Canvas Roll Call attendance-taking tool.)

View Your Course as a Student

Review your Canvas course as a test student with Student View.

Scan for Broken Links

Check your course for broken links with Link Validator.

Use UDOIT and the Canvas Accessibility Checker

Check your course for accessibility problems with UDOIT and the Canvas Accessibility Checker

Important: These tools are guides, not certifications. They check for common accessibility issues but are not comprehensive. If they do not find accessibility issues, it does not guarantee full accessibility, and the tools may also flag potential issues that are not actually accessibility problems. Additionally, these tools do not scan the contents of your videos or resource files.

  

 Video Guidelines

Uploading Your Videos

Videos you have recorded  should be uploaded to My Media in Canvas. Uploading a video to My Media will generate automatic captions that can be edited.


Editing My Media Video Captions

While machine-generated captions are automatically generated for videos you upload to My Media, you should review and edit your video captions to correct errors in order to make your videos accessible.


Downloading My Media Video Transcripts

You can optionally download a plain text file of the transcript of your My Media video.


Additional Support

Contact the Accessibility Resource Center (ARC) with video captioning questions.

  

 Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and PDF Guidelines

The following are resources for determining if the files you upload to your Canvas class are accessible:

Word Accessibility

PowerPoint Accessibility

Excel Accessibility

PDF Accessibility

 

 Zoom Guidelines

Captions for Live Meetings

In Zoom, you can assign a person to type manual captions, or you can enable automated (machine-generated) captions for your live meeting.


Transcription for Cloud Recordings

Enable audio transcriptions for your Zoom cloud recordings.


Interpreter

The Zoom meeting host can enable the following features:

  • Language Interpretation – Allows host to assign language interpreters. Interpreters will have their own audio channels in the Zoom meeting for the language they are translating to.
  • Sign Language Interpretation View - Allows hosts to assign users as sign language interpreters. Sign language interpreters are shown in dedicated video channels that are pinned and spotlighted. 

 

 Get Support

For additional information and assistance, contact:

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CETL)

The Accessibility Resource Center

 



Keywords:
accessible, accessibility, usability, universal design, disability, wcag, 508 
Doc ID:
146742
Owned by:
Katherine P. in CETL
Created:
2024-12-05
Updated:
2025-02-21
Sites:
UW-Milwaukee Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning