Canvas: Use UDOIT to Scan a Course for Accessibility Issues

The Universal Design Online [content] Inspection Tool (UDOIT) helps faculty discover and repair accessibility issues in their online Canvas courses. This article covers:

• Understanding what UDOIT scans
• Vendor Resources
• Scanning a course with UDOIT
• Addressing Errors Found by UDOIT
  • Reviewing and Fixing Issues
  • Filtering Issues
  • Common Errors found by UDOIT
• Turning on UDOIT in the Navigation Settings
• Technical Support

Understanding what UDOIT scans

UDOIT (pronounced, "You do it") scans online course content within a specific course site and creates a report that identifies possible accessibility issues. Additionally, the included U FIX IT tool guides faculty to repair issues found from UDOIT with an easy-to-use user-interface. 

UDOIT checks the following areas of a course:

• Announcements
• Assignments
• Discussions
• Files (i.e., .html files)
• Pages
• Syllabus
• Module URLs

Vendor Resources

The University of Minnesota licenses UDOIT from CidiLabs and they have many resources that are available to help you get started with the tool:

• UDOIT Overview Video
• UDOIT Video Training
• UDOIT User Guide
• What does UDOIT look for?
• WCAG Guidelines Mapped to UDOIT Issues

Some of the accessibility features that UDOIT looks for include:

• Use of headings in page structure
• Alternative text for images
• Link syntax, and vague link names.
• Table headers
• Color contrast
• Video captions
• Alerts and issues on PDF files present in your canvas course site.

This tool is listed in the course navigation area as Check Accessibility with UDOIT. Students do not see this course navigation item in your course site. If it is not listed in the course navigation area, see Turning on UDOIT in Navigation Settings to get the tool to appear in the course navigation.

Scanning a course with UDOIT

1. Navigate to the Canvas course site that you want to run UDOIT.
2. Select Check Accessibility with UDOIT from the course navigation area.
   • Note: To add UDOIT to your course navigation, follow the steps in Turning on UDOIT in navigation settings (in this article)
3. A message will appear verifying that the tool is scanning. Do not navigate away from this page.
   
4. Once the tool is done scanning, a new message will appear that the scan is complete, and then it will disappear. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click Continue.
   • Or, select UFIXIT from the tabs at the top of the page.

The Report Summary in UFIXIT displays identified errors and suggestions. Your first report will most likely show a large number of errors. This is normal for an initial report.

Addressing Errors Found by UDOIT

As you scroll through the report, note that any time you see an  exclamation point or  suggestion sign next to an area of the report. You can click on the icon and see the specific error or suggestion that the tool found. The expanded report gives more information. The specific type of error found on that course page and links to more information about that type of error and how it may affect learners.

Reviewing and Fixing Issues

1. To review an issue, click Review to the right of that issue.
   

2. The pop-up provides context for the error and provides resources and suggestions for resolving the error. Resolve the issue and click Save.
   
3. If the issue cannot be fixed in UFIXIT, or if you would prefer to fix it directly in your Canvas course, you can click the link under the Preview to go there. If you can't fix an issue, or it is something that does not need to be fixed, you can check Marked as resolved to omit it from future scans.
   

Filtering Issues

Filtering allows you to determine which issues you'd like to focus on.

1. The UFIXIT page of UDOIT will show you what potential issues UDOIT has found. The top of the page will have a summary of what the scan found, a search bar for finding certain issues, and a filter to the right that will let you filter for types of issues.
   1. Select the Filter button to view filter options
      
2. Checking a box next to a category will automatically filter for it and unchecking will remove that filter.
   • Show Easiest Issues: Select Filter and scroll down to Issue Severity. Check the box next to Show Easiest Issues.
     
3. You can also use the Issues drop-down menu at the bottom of the menu to filter for specific types of issues. Using the Issues filter allows you to select specific issue types, i.e. image Alt Text should not be image file name to filter only for image issues that you need to add alt text that is more meaningful than the default file name.
   

By addressing the most common errors in your course, the number reduces quickly. We recommend you pick one accessibility category at a time and fix all the issues in that category. Learn more about the 7 core skills to learn about which accessibility core skill you might want to start with.

• For example, start by adding alt text to any images that come up in the report as missing alt text. Then, focus on making sure all linked text is descriptive.

Common Errors found by UDOIT

The following is a list of links to videos on how to fix the common errors UDOIT finds:

• UDOIT Error: No Closed Captions Found (4:34)
• UDOIT Suggestion: Alternative text should not be the image file name (4:21)
• UDOIT Error: No Row or Column Scopes Declarations Found in the Header of Your Table (3:47)
• UDOIT Suggestion: Link Text Should be Descriptive (2:43)
• UDOIT Error: Headings Should Contant Text (1:51)
• UDOIT Error: No Table Headers Found (2:30)
• UDOIT Error: Insufficient Text Color Contrast with the Background (3:13)
• UDOIT Suggestion: Avoid Using Color Alone for Emphasis (2:24)
• UDOIT Suggestion: Avoid Styles for Document Structure (3:10)

Turning on UDOIT in Navigation Settings

1. Select Settings in the course navigation.
2. Select the Navigation Tab at the top of the Settings page.
   
3. Find the UDOIT tool in the list of features.
   1. Select the three-dot ellipses to the right of the feature name. A menu pops up.
   2. Select +Enable.
   3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select Save. You should now see UDOIT listed in the course navigation area.

Technical Support

For any questions on how to use the tool please contact your Academic Digital Accessibility Liaison (ADAL) or the Office for Digital accessibility by filling out an ODA consultation form.

For any other technical support you are more than welcome to submit a technical support ticket to the vendor by emailing [email protected].