UDOIT

UDOIT in Canvas

The UDOIT accessibility tool scans Canvas course content and files to identify accessibility issues, and offer solutions for how to fix them. UDOIT identifies clear accessibility errors, and possible issues (suggestions you can check).

Open UDOIT from the Canvas navigation panel. Note that students cannot see UDOIT. (If necessary, enable UDOIT in Canvas navigation settings.)

UDOIT includes three sections:

• Home: Scan a course, see results, access different sections
• Ufixit: Where to do remediation; also access remediation via the “Most Common Areas,” and “Ways to Get Started” sections.
• Review Files: Scan and remediate files in a course

---

“Home” section

UDOIT opens to its Home section, and automatically scans the Canvas course and shows accessibility results (Content and Files). 

Instructors can manually scan the course at any time: Select the Scan Now button.

UDOIT scans a Canvas course and offers suggestions about three main issues:   

1. Errors: accessibility issues in the course which need to be fixed (ex: alternative text for images)
2. Suggestions: Might be an issue in the course, but your insight is needed (ex: content length)
3. Document scanning: UDOIT looks for issues in files that could be problematic for students (ex: missing titles, or a PDF with no text in the file to be read by a screen reader)

Create a bigger workspace

Create a bigger UDOIT workspace (still connected to the Canvas course):

Select Open in New Tab: Upper right corner > 3-dot stack > Open in New Tab

“Scan Now” to show accessibility issues

Use the Scan Now button in any of UDOIT’s three sections (Home, Ufixit, Review Files) to manually scan a course. A UDOIT Scan will return both accessibility errors, and suggestions for possible issues to check.

“Ways to Get Started” section

When you first navigate to the UDOIT home section, you should see a panel labeled Ways to Get Started.

If you don’t see this panel, select the Need help getting started? button in the Home section to show the panel.

Ways to Get Started: “Show” menu

From the Show menu, select specific areas in the course to search, and UDOIT can scan any combination of them:

1. By Easiest to fix: UDOIT’s suggestions for the errors in the course that may be easiest and most manageable in a course for an instructor to fix, such as:

   Links should contain text
   Link has nondescript text
   Insufficient text color contrast with the background
   Avoid using color alone for emphasis

2. By issue type: This setting allows an instructor to focus on one accessibility issue to address at a time. (Read more about this feature below.)
3. By impact type: UDOIT has four categories of Impact: Visual, Auditory, Cognitive, and Motor

   Design issues in these areas can impact accessibility for people. For example, “Avoid Using Color Alone for Emphasis” is marked by UDOIT because this issue can impact people with visual disabilities.

Select a specific issue type

By issue type: From this drop-down menu, an instructor selects one accessibility issue to address at a time. (Ex:  “Alternative Text Should Not Be the Image Filename” is selected in the issue type drop-down menu setting.) 

---

“UFIXIT” section

Use the UFIXIT section to review and fix individual accessibility issues in the course. (ex: An image is missing alternative text).

Filters

In the UFIXIT section, use the filter button to select specific areas to work on:

Review one issue at a time

Select the “Review” tab to open a specific issue. UDOIT will offer an explanation of the issue, and additional resources to assist you with the fix.

Fix the Issue

Open the page to Review, and make necessary edits.

To fix the color contrast issue in this example:

1. Text color was adjusted using the arrows
2. Color was changed (darkened) to produce an accessible Contrast Ratio (shown in box)
3. Save the change.

Progress tracker

At the top of the UFIXIT page, check your progress as you work through each issue.

---

“Review Files” section

The Review Files section lists files that need to be remediated. (Note: Image accessibility issues are handled in the Ufixit section). 

• Use the Search bar in this section to Scan a specific file in the course. (Search bar on left) 

• Use the Filter button to Scan for a very specific type of file. (Filter button on right)  

Note: Hide Reviewed, Unpublished, and Unused Files to narrow the Scan to immediately  

Select the Review button to open UDOIT’s file interface for the file.  

1. Download File enables you to fix the file on your computer, then upload to the course
2. View File allows you to open the file in UDOIT
3. Issues section includes a tool tip that explains the accessibility error
4. Alternative Format section to Request UDOIT to do the remediation of a file. See more below.
5. File Action section is how to replace the inaccessible file with another format. If an option is shaded light gray it’s not currently available. (When an alternate format is created, these options will become available.)
   1. Replace with auto-tagged PDF
   2. Replace with a page
   3. Replace with an uploaded file
   4. Delete
6. Mark as Reviewed
7. Navigate to another issue

Alternate Formats 

If a file needs to be fixed, one option is to Request an Alternate Format.  (Another option is to download the file and fix it on your own. Or consider deleting the file.)  

Two conditions need to be met in order to request an alternative format file: 

• The original file needs to be used in the course (outside of Canvas Files)
• Request the alternative formatted file (Note: It may take a minute for the “Request” function to become available).
• Note: One of the best alternate formats is a Canvas Page. It is easier to edit a Page in Canvas to make it accessible.

There are some files in a Canvas course that UDOIT cannot scan, or manage, including:

• Question banks
• Canvas’ New Quizzes
• Canvas Classic Quiz questions (UDOIT does scan the description area)
• Discussion posts, or replies (UDOIT does scan the discussion topic area)

After the Request is completed

Return to File Actions section and choose an option to replace the inaccessible file.

Replace File with a Page

1. Select: Replace file. This function will replace every file in the course with the new, updated alternative file.
2. Delete the inaccessible file

To check the status of a Request, select the Alternate Files tab (upper right).

• Access the files you’ve generated via this button.
• Search for a specific file

Requested files are saved: 

• Canvas pages live in Pages area of the course
• Any files you generate will be saved to the Files section of the course, in a folder named, Alternate Files.
• File name + underscore + file extension (Ex: “Chapter 1 Guide_pdf.pdf”)

The time it takes to generate a new file varies, depending on file type, size, and the amount of accessibility adjustments needed.

---

Additional resources:

• UDOIT Video Hub: Multiple UDOIT video tutorials including Navigating the Home page
• UDOIT video tutorial: Fixing Canvas content
• UDOIT video tutorial: Making files accessible
• UDOIT video tutorial: Fixing accessibility issues with UFIXIT
• Cidilabs offers a Canvas course UDOIT User Guide. For further guidance, we recommend this excellent UDOIT resource

Personalized support:

• Personalized, 1:1 coaching sessions about UDOIT can be reserved on Continuum College’s Instructor Development training calendar.

Updated: 01/21/25