Canvas Baseline Practices: 5. Accessibility and copyright
Ensure your course content is usable and legally compliant.
What this practice involves
- Check that all content meets basic accessibility standards:
- Use structured headings (not just bold text).
- Write meaningful link text (e.g., “View timetable” rather than “Click here”).
- Ensure colour contrast meets minimum visibility standards.
- Add alt text to images that convey information and mark decorative images appropriately.
- Ensure all video content includes captions. Audio-only materials must be accompanied by transcripts.
- Use accessible file formats (e.g., structured Word or tagged PDF).
- Confirm that documents and media comply with copyright rules and University policy.
- Attribute any third-party content properly and ensure it can be shared under the relevant license.
Why it matters
Accessible content benefits all students—not just those with formally disclosed disabilities. Every student should be able to access course materials, regardless of ability, device, or learning needs.
Fulfilling these practices also aligns with the University’s Disability Action Plan and legal responsibilities, ensuring that teaching resources comply with copyright law.
Canvas Baseline Practices offer a foundation, but some accessibility tasks require additional detail and care. For more in-depth support, see Accessibility Practices and Tools.
Implementation
5.1 Accessibility
Identify and fix accessibility issues using UDOIT Advantage:
- Colour enhances effectiveness and is not used in isolation to convey meaning. There is sufficient contrast between text and background.
- Images are used to support course content (e.g., banners, headings, and icons) and are accompanied by text descriptions (alt text) or captions for more complex descriptions. Alt text is not used on purely decorative images. Images are not used in isolation to convey information.
- Hyperlink text accurately reflects the link destination/purpose and includes words and phrases to provide context for screen-readers. Avoid adding links to ‘raw’ URLs.
- Audio materials (mp3, wav, etc.) are accompanied by a transcript and videos/screencasts are closed-captioned.
- Tables are used appropriately and are accessible.
- Items above have been checked in the Canvas mobile app, both in light and dark modes.
Teacher guides
TeachWell Digital: Accessibility practices and tools
5.2 Panopto
Record or upload all teacher-created video content to Panopto.
Panopto is a University-supported video management tool that is interactive, searchable and accessible for students, as well as providing a platform for staff to edit and share video content recorded on-campus or remotely.
5.3 Talis reading list
Ensure all content is copyright or license compliant and place course readings sourced from print material into Talis, e.g., key learning information such as course materials, supplemental textbooks, and reading lists.
Talis enables the University to meet its legal and financial obligations for provisioning copyright material, thus rewarding the contribution of authors.
Other benefits are:
- Enhancing the student experience by contextualising readings within the Canvas environment.
- Identifying ‘prescribed’ vs ‘optional extra’ readings.
- Enabling teachers to see how students are engaging with course readings.
Teacher guides
5.4 Language requirements
Te reo Māori is incorporated into course design elements where appropriate (e.g., headings, navigation labels, page titles, or greetings). This supports bicultural practice, enhances cultural inclusion, and affirms the significance of te reo Māori as an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand. This also aligns with the University’s commitment to the revitalisation of te reo Māori.
UDL 2.3: Cultivate understanding and respect across languages and dialects
Tips and tools
- Use UDOIT accessibility assistant for Canvas to scan for accessibility issues.
- Use the Accessibility Checker in Microsoft Office or Adobe Acrobat.
- Upload videos to Panopto to generate captions automatically.
- The Link Validator Tool in Canvas is useful for scanning your course for any broken links.
- Use University-approved templates to ensure consistent, compliant design.
- Ask your faculty for guidance if you’re unsure about copyright requirements.
Page updated 27/06/2025 (content refresh)