Managing the Accessibility of External Files: Word, PDF and PPT

Managing the Accessibility of "External" Files: Word, PDF and PPT

The Best Solution: Turn Files into Canvas Pages

You may have course content that is currently in a format created outside of Canvas: Word, PDF, PowerPoint, etc. As you learned earlier, any content that is a required part of your course material needs to be made accessible and that applies to these "external" files as well.

One way to easily achieve this is to turn external documents into Canvas (HTML format) pages. It is much simpler to manage the accessibility of your Canvas pages using the Rich Content Editor than it is to remediate other file formats. Not to mention, the fewer steps your students need to take to reach your content, the better. By incorporating your content directly into Canvas pages, you help facilitate your students' learning process more effectively.

Have Files that May Need to Be Kept in Their Original Format?

While presenting your course content on Canvas pages is optimum, at times, there may be valid reasons to include external files. The National Center on Disability and Access to Education (NCDAE) has a variety of helpful cheatsheets Links to an external site. for developing and remediating (making accessible) external files that you might be using in your course.

To PDF or Not To PDF - Its Intentionis the Question

When is it best to keep a document in its original form, instead of turning it into a Canvas page? That will depend on how you want students to interact with the content.

For example, you may want to keep scientific papers in their original format if the intent of the assignment is to help students become familiar with the structure and layout of scientific papers: Abstract is usually first, then Author Information, Introduction, and so on.

Or perhaps you have an assignment that's set up as a fillable form that can't be replicated in Canvas.

These are some examples where form follows function - if part of the learning objective is based on how a document is formatted, the document should be in its original form, which will then need to be made accessible. 

Dispelling a PDF Myth

In the not-too-distant past, instructors were often encouraged to turn their Word and PowerPoint files into PDFs so students without access to Microsoft Office could open and use the files. Somehow, many misinterpreted this to mean that saving a file in PDF format automatically makes it "accessible."

Sadly, such is not the case.

A PDF will only be as accessible as the original source document. (And sometimes new accessibility issues are introduced during the conversion process. =-/) So, always start with a fully accessible source document before turning it into a PDF. Then double-check the PDF for accessibility issues before sharing it with students.

Google Docs

Google provides some general guidelines onmaking your document or presentation more accessible (Links to an external site.).

The Chrome browser offers an extension called "Grackle Docs" that checks for accessibility issues in Google Docs and Google Sheets. You can find it in the Chrome Web Store.

Because Google Docs require students to leave the Canvas learning environment, it's recommended that you embed the content directly on a Canvas page when feasible.