Digital Accessibility in Courses - Education and Student Engagement

The Office of E-Learning Services (ELS) is preparing to work with faculty, instructors, and TAs to make Canvas course sites and other digital learning materials accessible by April 24, 2026.

For details on digital accessibility requirements, visit the main Digital Accessibility page for the School of Public Health.

What is Digital Accessibility in Courses?

Accessibility means ensuring digital content (Canvas pages, files, media, etc.) can be used by students who have a disability. Students may use assistive technologies, such as a screen reader, or rely on other accessibility features, such as a closed captioned video, in order to engage with online learning materials. Digital accessibility ensures that we meet our educational mission and values by providing materials that work for all from the start.

Where to Start

Ongoing Support

Take time to learn more about digital accessibility and begin applying what you learn to everyday practice. The Faculty Quick Guide to Digital Accessibility is a good place to start.
Clean up your current or most recent Canvas course site
- Use the UDOIT tool in Canvas to scan your course site(s) and identify accessibility concerns.
- Delete unused files and pages in Canvas (Old content will clutter your course’s report with results that don’t matter).
- For more information, visit the Clean Up Your Canvas Course Site.

For in-person and hybrid courses: Use the SPH Canvas template and reach out to ELS for In-Person Course Support services.
For online courses: Work with your ELS Instructional Designer to identify accessibility best practices for your course.
Use the Library Course Materials service (along with the Bookstores) to provide readings to students instead of directly uploading files to your Canvas course site.
Use accessible document and slide templates when creating new materials to get files “right first.”

Resources for Faculty and Instructors

Request support creating and updating accessible documents and slides by requesting a 1:1 Digital Accessibility Consult.
- Consults can provide accessibility support for:
  - Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides
  - Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files
- Sign up by booking a 45-minute consultation. You can expect a follow-up email within 48 hours of booking.
  - Availability is limited. Should the appointments fill up, or if they do not work with your schedule, please add yourself to the Digital Accessibility Consult waitlist.
  - Before the consult, please review the Faculty Quick Guide to Digital Accessibility.

Make sure your syllabus is digitally-accessible.
- An updated SPH syllabus template is available for instructors who are finalizing Spring 2026 syllabi and/or revising syllabi. The template includes updated policy language and fully meets accessibility requirements. It has been vetted by key stakeholders and reviewed by the Educational Policy Committee, which has voted to adopt the template moving forward. Note: Regardless of whether you use the new template, please ensure that all required policy content in your syllabus is updated before the start of the next semester and that the document meets digital accessibility guidelines.

Additional Resources

Digital Accessibility Badging: Recommended Learning Path For Those Who Teach
Create Accessible Canvas Content: Applying the 7 Core Skills in the Canvas Rich Content Editor
- Not certain how the 7 Core Skills apply to your work in Canvas? This guide shows you the techniques applied to Canvas.
Resource Guide for Faculty and Instructors: Creating Accessible Digital Content
Online course: Fundamentals of Disability Accommodations and Inclusive Course Design

Accessible Courses at SPH Past Newsletters

Questions?

Questions about SPH academic digital accessibility strategy: Dr. Elizabeth Wattenberg (watte004@umn.edu)
Questions about Canvas and accessibility: Office of E-Learning Services (sphels@umn.edu)