Overview 

Accessibility in Canvas Quizzes 

It is important to consider accessibility for all students when creating online quizzes. This guide gives you tips for building accessible quizzes in Canvas. Below are the topics covered:  

• Use Classic Quizzes Instead of New Quizzes 

• Provide Clear Instructions 

• Consider Question Types 

• Choosing Color and Creating Contrast 

• Use Alt Text for Images 

• Include Data as Tables or Spreadsheets, Not Images 

• Know How to Give Additional Time 

• Use the Canvas Equation Editor  

• Accommodation Requests 

Use Classic Quizzes Instead of New Quizzes 

We recommend using Classic Quizzes, which is the default quiz engine in Canvas. If New Quizzes is enabled in your course-level Feature Options, you will have to select which interface to use when you create a new quiz. 

Provide Clear Instructions 

Provide clear quiz instructions that explain what types of questions students will answer, how much time they have for the quiz, and any other important information. An example of quiz instructions is below.

Consider Question Types 

Both Classic and New Quizzes allow you to select from multiple quiz question types. Below are some considerations to make when choosing question types in Canvas.   

• For multiple choice questions, use checkboxes instead of dropdowns. Checkboxes allow for all answers to be on the screen at the same time, while dropdowns make it more difficult for students on a keyboard to select an answer and submit. 
• Mention in the question prompt that there are multiple answers possible. For example, include language such as “Select all that apply:” or “Multiple answers are possible”. This helps clarify for screen readers that there is not just one answer.  
• As with multiple choice questions, use checkboxes to show all answers on the screen at the same time.   
• Avoid drag-and-drop questions as they can be difficult for students to manipulate.  
• If you are using a fill-in-the-blank question, indicate so within the question text. For example, write “Fill in the blank in the following sentence:” at the beginning of the question.
• Additionally, use “[blank]” instead of a series of underscores to indicate the missing word or phrase since screen readers may read aloud every underscore individually. 
• Avoid the New Quizzes Hot Spot question type that is not accessible for students who require keyboard-only access or screen readers.  

Choosing Color and Creating Contrast  

Color alone should not convey meaning and font colors should be set at a high contrast level when compared to the background color(s) and images. 

Color Alone Should Not Convey Meaning 

You should not rely on color alone to convey a message. For example, certain types of color blindness might make it difficult or even impossible to see important messages in a red font. An approach is to use both colors and symbols where people’s attention is required. 

Create Sufficient Contrast  

If you must use color in your document, make sure the color contrast between the foreground (i.e. text or content) and the background color are sufficient. Below are some tips for creating sufficient contrast: 

• Use simple colors. Dark text on a white or light background will be most readable. Patterns or images behind text will be a challenge to read. 
• Avoid neon colors (they're hard to read and have poor contrast on a white background). 
• Avoid green on red and really, any red/green combination. 
• Avoid yellow on green,  purple on green,  red on black and  blue on red. 

More Information 

More information and examples of using color can be found at the link below: 

• Choosing Color 

Use Alt Text for Images 

Consider what purpose an image might serve in your quiz. If the image is decorative or not essential to the question, leave it out. For images that are necessary to the quiz question, ensure all images have alternative text (alt text) that describes the content or function of the image. The links below provide excellent instructions and examples for writing alt text. 

• Add or update alt text for images 

• Writing Alt Text for Images 

Include Data as Tables or Spreadsheets, Not Images 

If you include data in your quiz that students need to answer problems, always include it as a well-formatted table or as a spreadsheet. Do not scan or screen capture data and add it as an image. Do not use tables for formatting text or images. The link below explains how to insert a table in Canvas. 

• How to insert a table in Canvas using the Rich Content Editor 

Know How to Give Additional Time 

If you have time limits on your quizzes, learn how to give extra time on a quiz in case a student has an accommodation for additional time.  

In Classic Quizzes, it is also helpful to know how to give students extra attempts on a quiz and assign a quiz to an individual student. The links below explain these steps.  

• How to give students extra attempts on a quiz 

• How to assign a quiz to an individual student 

In New Quizzes, it is possible to apply time adjustments for a student in a single quiz or for all New Quizzes in the course at once. The links below explain how to moderate a student’s quiz attempt and add accommodations for a student in New Quizzes. 

• How to moderate a student's quiz attempt in New Quizzes 

• How to add accommodations for a student in New Quizzes 

Use the Canvas Equation Editor 

In the Rich Content Editor, select the “Insert Math Equation” button to include equations in your quiz that are conveyed properly for screen readers.

For more on the Math Equation Editor, visit the following link: 

• How do I use the math Equation Editor in the Rich ... - Instructure Community - 816 (canvaslms.com) 

Accommodation Requests 

For students who have accommodations for quizzes, you may receive emails from Student Access and Accommodation Services (SAAS) throughout the semester with a request to upload a copy of your Canvas quiz for a student to take at their office. 

Depending on the accommodation, you may be asked to provide a Word document version of your quiz so that students can have the quiz read aloud through text-to-speech software while they take the quiz. 

If you do not have a Word doc of your exam already created, you can do this by copying and pasting each question from the preview version of the exam. As you do this, keep in mind: 

• If the quiz is set to only display one question at a time, it might be more efficient to temporarily uncheck the box for “show one question at a time” (if that option is set) to copy all questions at once. 

• If the questions are stored in a question bank and randomly chosen, copying them into the Word doc will create a static, singular version of the quiz. Each time you preview, you will be shown a new order, so it is best to copy all questions at once. 

After copying and pasting, be sure to review your exam for accurate formatting before sharing with SAAS. Following these accessibility suggestions when first building your quizzes will make it easier to copy and paste without as many errors.