Accessibility
The University of North Florida is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all. Instructional materials distributed to students must be accessible at the time of publication. This is essential for people with disabilities and useful for all. We work with you to develop accessible courses and course materials proactively.
The Center for Instruction and Research Technology (CIRT) supports developing accessible courses and course materials proactively. We provide the following services:
- Training on the creation of accessible documents and other course materials.
- Individual consultation on document accessibility and course reviews.
- A course accessibility checklist for self-review.
- An accessibility checker, Ally, for Canvas Learning Management System files.
- Information and services for captioning and transcripts of course media.

Prefer face-to-face help?

Canvas
Creating accessible course content will save time in the long run. Accessible content improves the learning experience for all students, not just individuals with disabilities, as it meets the needs of various learning preferences. Content created in Canvas can be made accessible using the Rich Content Editor (RCE) and Canvas Studio. The default settings in Canvas already meet the minimum accessibility standards. As accessibility exists on a spectrum, there is always room to improve.
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Course Checklist
To help assure your course content is accessible, please refer to the Canvas Course Content Accessibility Checklist. -
Accommodating Extra Time on Assessments in Canvas
If you have a SAS student that requires extra time on assessments, please review the following guide for Adding Extra Assessment Time in Canvas.
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Ally
Ally is an accessibility checker integrated into Canvas. This tool provides instructors with feedback on the accessibility of uploaded files and guidance to make those documents more accessible. This is gauged utilizing an accessibility score. Ally also automatically provides alternative formats for uploaded files, such as HTML, electronic Braille, and audio, available to students and instructors. Ally will be used to identify a baseline for the accessibility of courses and will allow UNF to continue providing a more inclusive learning environment for all students. Self-enroll in CIRT's Ally training course for more information.
Documents
Accessible documents are easier to understand and read for all users, not just users with disabilities. There are accessibility checkers built-in to Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe, but creating documents with accessibility in mind is a proactive way to save time. Tagging your document with headings, being mindful of color, and using conscious formatting techniques are just a few ways to make your documents more accessible to more people.
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Microsoft Word
Creating accessible Word documents can be simple and will save you time in the long run. Accessible documents provide students with content that is easy to navigate and understand.
For complex issues, please don’t hesitate to contact CIRT at cirtlab@unf.edu or (904) 620-3927.
More information:
Microsoft Support - Accessible Word Documents
WebAIM - Creating Accessible Word Documents -
Microsoft PowerPoint
PowerPoint and Word have similar accessibility features. Follow the guidelines for creating accessible PowerPoint presentations to ensure the content is easy to navigate and understand. CIRT also provides captioning and transcription services for multimedia.
For complex issues, please don’t hesitate to contact CIRT at cirtlab@unf.edu or (904) 620-3927.
More information:
Microsoft Support - Accessible PowerPoint Presentations
WebAIM - Creating Accessible PowerPoint Presentations -
PDF
PDFs are a versatile and convenient way to share information. But PDFs are often not appropriately structured, creating barriers for people who need to read and understand the information. Fortunately, there are accessibility best practices that can help make PDFs more accessible for everyone. We recommend making your source document as accessible as possible before converting it to PDF.
For complex issues, please don’t hesitate to contact CIRT at cirtlab@unf.edu or (904) 620-3927.
More information:
Adobe - Create and Verify PDF Accessibility
WebAIM - Creating Accessible PDF Documents
Multimedia
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Self-Captioning
Captions convert audio dialogue and sounds into text that appears on a video, synchronized with audio. Captions improve the learning experience for all students, not just individuals with disabilities, as it enhances the experience for non-native language speakers, people with learning disabilities, and anyone in a noisy environment.
More information:
Canvas Support - Canvas Studio Caption Request Tool
YouTube Help - Video Subtitles and Captions -
CIRT Caption/Transcription Request
Instructors teaching distance learning courses can fill out the Caption/Transcription Request Form for complete ADA-compliant captions. The standard turnaround time for captions is two business days. You will receive an email when the captions are completed.
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Zoom Live Transcription
Live transcriptions are available in Zoom Meetings and Zoom Webinars. Visit our Zoom live transcription support article for detailed instructions on enabling and using this feature.
Note: Artificial Intelligence (AI) captions are only about 85% accurate depending on various factors such as sound quality, speaker accent, etc. Please don’t hesitate to contact CIRT at cirtlab@unf.edu to discuss options for additional accommodations on a case-by-case basis.