Accessibility in Canvas - Text

If you use the existing formats, the screen reader will know if it is a title or a plain body text. The formats available in Canvas are "Paragraph" (body text / paragraph), "Heading 2", "Heading 3" and "Heading 4". The main heading of the page is automatically given the format "Heading1".

It is important not to make headlines yourself by enlarging texts or italicizing words without marking them in the relevant format. Using the right type of formatting also makes it easier for users who do not use screen readers to get an overview of the text.

• Use the existing formats in Canvas for headings and body text (paragraph)
• Use Canvas bold and italic formatting to highlight words in the text.

Headings

Headings should describe the content of the page or section. Well-worded, descriptive headings help users get a quick overview of the page's content and help users find what they're looking for. The headline does not have to be long as long as it describes the content in a good way.

• Give the page a descriptive headline in the title-text field
• If you include any headings or subheadings within the text, they should describe the content of the section

Links

Links added to Canvas must be clear so that people who click on the link understand what will happen.

If the link leads to another page in Canvas, another website or a document, it is sufficient to use the name of the page, website or document as link text. You can describe it in a different way if it fits better. If the link is an image, then the goal of the link must be described in the alternative text.

In order for people with color blindness to be able to clearly see that links are links, the links should also be underlined.

• If the link is a text:
  • Describe the goal of the link in the link text
  • Make it blue and underlined
• If the link is an image or other graphic object:
  • In the image's alternative text, describe where the link points