Canvas provides opportunities to use images, video and audio content within your course. It is important for all creators of content to consider users who may not be able to access media in its native form.
Text alternatives should be provided for all images, videos and audio content within Canvas. This helps to conform with accessibility regulations and enhance accessibility for all users. See below for guides on providing alternative text for media in Canvas pages.

Alternative text for images

Sometimes referred to as 'alt text', alternative text allows you to provide a text description for students with visual impairments using screen readers and others unable to view images directly. This alternative text will also display when an image fails to load in as browser. A text description should ideally be limited to 125 characters in length, though they can be longer. When writing a text description, it can be helpful to imagine how you would describe the image to a student over the phone.

To add alternative text to an image in Canvas;

Select the image
Click the options icon that appears
Add your image description in the 'image options' pop-up box
Click 'Done'

Decorative images do not need alt-text and this can be set in Canvas, by selecting 'no alt text (decorative image)' in the image options pop-up box.

Adding alt-text to images should be carried out when creating any online content. See the links below for guides using other common apps.

Subtitles for video and transcripts for audio

Videos should always have subtitles (captions) and a transcript where possible. If you are linking or embedding podcasts or video content, transcripts should be made available. Transcripts can be read by screen readers, and also allow students to search the content for specific information. Find out how to create subtitles:

Creating and Editing Automatic Subtitles in Planet eStream

This canvas page is a derivative of www.sussex.ac.uk/tel/accessibilityLinks to an external site. used under CC BY and is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.