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Meaningful links
Alternative text for images
Resizing images
H5P
Video, sound and captions
Tables
Plain language

All components of your course content need to be presented concisely and consistently.
Content is everything that you create, including text, videos, audio, images and links.

See also: Designing for accessibility in Canvas at the University of Sydney, Course design and development: Accessibility

Meaningful links

Links (originally ‘hyperlinks’) are words in a page that take you to another website, page or document when you click on them.

A meaningful name tells people where they are going. Write links that make sense out of context and either say exactly what the link is about, or what the user is meant to do with it.

Tips for creating links

Keep linked phrases short, 3-5 words.
Create links in contrasting colour to be mindful of learners with low vision or colour blindness. Make sure that colours are not your only method of conveying links - e.g. use underlined fonts for links as below.
Links that are underlined provide guaranteed link visibility when scanning a web page; Underlined links is an online stylistic element that is widely understood.
Avoid linking headings and never use a URL for link text.

Download a printable copy: How do I write clear and descriptive links?

Alternative Text for images

Alternative text (alt text) is the text that shows up when you hold your mouse over an image. Screen readers can 'speak' this text to identify images.

Screen readers cannot display images but can read text labels to describe images for learners.

Alt text is needed to describe the content and function of the image, and any text that is part of an image.

Go to: How to use Alternative text

or download a printable copy: How do I use alternative text?

H5P

H5P is a plug-in tool in Canvas that allows you to create, share and reuse interactive online learning activities for your students.

The Content types recommendations page lists all the content types available in H5P and indicates which ones are accessible.

To learn more about H5P visit Create interactive online learning activities with H5P.

Video and sound captions

Video and sound files can be demanding for many types of learners. Textual descriptions, or captions, can help to describe what is happening on screen.

Multiple factors can affect the accessibility of online video, from technical limitations such as low bandwidth or poor connectivity, to individual preferences and limitations. Many learners prefer textual representations but, for visually impaired learners, these are essential.

Tips for making video clips

Chunk the material into short segments. Video content should be kept to 3-5 mins max.
Write a script to talk to the point at hand. Plus, a script will save you time and money for creating captions. You can load the script into YouTube, where it will automatically be synced to the audio.
If you screencast or narrate a PowerPoint, be mindful that captions display at the bottom of the screen. Keep that area clear so that you are not shielding important information with the captions.
Reduce noise. Make sure you're in a quiet environment.

Before listening/watching media files or posting them on Canvas

Provide transcripts or a summary and closed captions
- Ideally, a full textual transcript of the recordings will be available. If you use Panopto with your Canvas course, Panopto will add captions to recordings automatically.
- YouTube adds closed captions for you - but they often need correcting and there are issues with ownership and copyright. Another tool for creating captions is Microsoft Stream, available in PowerPoint.
- For further information about captioning, visit the FAQs page on the Remote Learning site.

Indicate the content of the video or sound clip
- Before listening to, or watching media files, tell students what they are about and what the main points are. Indicate how long they are.

Download a printable copy: How do I follow good practice using video?

Tables

Data can be presented in tables. Always use a table header for each table you build and headers for the columns or rows. Indicate the direction (either row or column) in which table is to be read.

Plain language

Plain language is concrete and descriptive. Use verbs to complement nouns in your writing to convey complex ideas without being overly simplistic.

See: Use plain language.