Evaluation Tools and Resources

Canvas Information

Our internal Canvas documentation in WCLD 101 was created with accessibility in mind, so that is your primary resource for course design. Here are links to resources from Canvas that may also be useful to you:

  • Accessibility Within Canvas Links to an external site.: This is Instructure's documentation for Canvas, which covers a range of topics from supported browsers and screen readers to the accessible design used in Canvas's interface.
  • Accessibility Checker in Canvas Links to an external site.: This tool is built into the Rich Content Editor (RCE) and can be used to check basic page accessibility. Although it will not catch everything, it is useful for
    • providing an easier way to create an accessible table (see the Tables lesson for details),
    • testing color contrast for page text or background colors, and
    • fixing image alt text.
  • Ally Instructor Quick Start Guide Links to an external site.: Ally, a third-party tool that is integrated into Canvas, will scan all of the files and Canvas content in your course and give you an accessibility score for each item along with an average score for the entire course. The tool will give you suggestions and shortcuts, allowing you to quickly identify and fix common accessibility issues. Students also benefit from Ally: It allows them to download files and Canvas content in alternative formats. Note that Ally will not scan third-party content, including Evo pages, embedded interactives, and Kaltura videos. Ally should be turned on by default in all of your courses, but you will need to enable the overall course report via the course navigation settings. 

Manual Checks for Accessibility

Here are some great resources (including relevant organizations) and quick do-it-yourself testing strategies for accessible practice:

  • keyboard accessibility: Test page accessibility by clicking the address bar at the top of your browser window and then pressing the Tab key to see if you can get to all of the page elements. Press Enter to activate links and the arrow keys for additional navigation. An accessible page will allow you to tab to and access all content in a logical order.
  • magnification: Test your page for people with visual impairments by magnifying it to 200%. How does it look? Ideally, the layout still makes sense and all page elements are visible.
  • color for meaning: View the page in grayscale and see if you can still understand everything, particularly informational images that may use color for meaning. If you can't understand the page in grayscale, people with colorblindness may not understand it, either.
  • color contrast: Test this in two ways:
    • Dim the brightness on your screen. 
    • Invert the colors.
      • Mac: Hold down control + option + command + 8. (Repeat those keystrokes to turn the effect off.) Note that newer Macs don't have this function, so you'll need to go to Accessibility under System Preferences and check a box to invert colors.
      • PC: Type magnifier into the Start Menu search bar. When you select the program, a small window will appear on your screen (which will, at that point, be enlarged). In that window, click the Options button. In the dialog box that appears, check the "Turn on Color Inversion" box.
  • Manual Checks When Testing a Website for Accessibility Links to an external site.

Free Tools

  • Color Contrast Analyzer Links to an external site.: Download the Mac or PC version of this tool to check color contrast in images, documents, web browsers, and more.
  • Disability Simulator Links to an external site.: This Chrome add-on allows you to see your content as someone with dyslexia, vision impairment, or color blindness would, along with hearing how a screen reader would read it.
  • WAVE Links to an external site.: This WebAIM website allows you to paste the URL of a page you want to test for accessibility. You can also get it as a Firefox or Chrome plug-in that will test whichever page you're on. It is one of the best accessibility checker tools available.

Accessibility Agencies

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

In order to test for accessibility, you have to know what accessibility is. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Links to an external site. are written by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) Links to an external site., which is a group within the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Links to an external site.. The guidelines define accessible practice online. This course offers a checklist highlighting the key guidelines to follow in our context.

Updated February 2020