Why It Matters
Given that all of your course content will likely be housed within Canvas and that students will access that course content along with various assessments through Canvas, it’s imperative to ensure your Canvas course sites are accessible to all your students.
Before the fall semester, Canvas will have available two tools to work with digital accessibility, the ideal is to keep your content in the green area for the accessibility score.
Green area ranges for each tool:
- Ally (67% to 99%)
- Panorama (86% to 100%)
You can use any of the tools available to remediate accessibility issues in Canvas, but it is recommended that you go to the source of your files and fix those issues there (Microsoft products, videos, links, etc), and leave accessibility issues in Canvas for content created in Canvas.
How to link library links in Canvas?
Embedding links correctly is important for remote access, accessibility, and honoring the Libraries' licensing agreements.
Adding the EZProxy URL (easy as 1-2-3!)
1. Copy the URL from the library database
2. Prefix the URL with https://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=[your URL goes here] (be sure to remove the brackets [ ] )
3. Add the link to eCampus, Canvas, or class website
Tips for Success
-
The library must license the resource in order to provide access. If the resource you want is not available through the University Libraries, please contact your librarian.
-
The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a great way to add a URL. DOI URLs can be created by adding the DOI number to the EZProxy prefix. Example:
https://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=https://dx.doi.org -
The Libraries' Quick Search can create the EZProxy URL for you.
-
Find your resource using the Quick Search box on the on the University Libraries homepage.
-
Hover over the paper with the magnifying glass icon
-
Select detailed record.
-
Click "Permalink" to copy the link.
-
Embed the link in eCampus, Canvas, or class website.
-
Address Accessibility in your Course Content
Learn how Ally, Canvas Accessibility Checker, and Panorama can help you identify and resolve digital accessibility issues in your course content. These tools support inclusive learning by providing clear guidance and actionable insights.
Address Accessibility in your course content Ally Automatically checks course content for accessibility and offers alternative formats for students.
Ally is integrated into every Canvas course by default and appears as the “Accessibility Report” in the navigation menu for instructors. It scans course files and assigns an accessibility score based on severity—from Low (red dial turned to about 33%) to Perfect (dark green dial turned completely to the right).
Instructors can access a dashboard to review individual file scores and get step-by-step remediation help. Ally also empowers students by offering a variety of alternative formats, helping them engage with course materials in the way that best supports their learning needs.
| Score Icon | Score Icon Description | Score Meaning |
|---|---|---|
 |
Low (0–33%) Red dial turned ~33% from left to right |
Item needs revision. There are severe digital accessibility issues. |
 |
Medium (34–66%) Orange dial turned halfway |
The file is somewhat accessible but still requires revision to be fully accessible. |
 |
High (67–99%) Light green dial turned almost fully right |
The file is accessible, but further improvements are possible. |
 |
Perfect (100%) Dark green dial fully to the right |
No digital accessibility issues identified. |
- Start with files marked as Low.
- Use accessible documents before uploading to Canvas.
- For detailed remediation, see the Ally Remediation Guide.
- For more information on creating accessible documents, visit IT Accessibility.
Address Accessibility in your course content Canvas Accessibility Checker Detects common accessibility errors in Canvas’ Rich Content Editor.
Built directly into the Canvas Rich Content Editor, this tool highlights accessibility concerns as you build course content. It checks for issues like missing alt text, insufficient color contrast, heading structure, and malformed tables.
Instructors can immediately address flagged items to ensure content is usable and compliant with accessibility standards.
- Missing image descriptions
- Improper heading order
- Tables lacking headers
- Redundant or lengthy link text
Learn more: Explore step-by-step tutorials in the Canvas Basic Guide.
Address Accessibility in your course content Panorama Flags and fixes accessibility issues across multiple content types inside and outside Canvas.
- low contrast
- improper list formatting
- font size inconsistencies
- missing alt text
- missing table headers
Panorama resources:
- Panorama Instructions (TAMU version)
- Accessibility Issues That Can Be Resolved With Panorama (vendor article)
- Getting Started with Panorama for Instructors in Canvas (vendor article)
- Adding Alt-Text to Image Files in Canvas Using Panorama (vendor article)
- How to Use AutoPilot for Proposing Accessibility Fixes (vendor article)
- Panorama's Accessibility Checklist (vendor article)
