Love this digest? Check out the lineup of companion
Accessibility Matters LIVE! webinars.
Welcome to the third edition of Accessibility Matters Digest, where we discuss the benefits of designing accessible courses, acknowledge the complexities in that process, and highlight the research and tools that can support delivering accessible courses in Canvas. This month, we’re exploring how accessible courses benefit all learners.
“Students vary in many ways (e.g., communication skills, learning abilities, interests, learning preferences) yet accessibility helps all students . . . Creating accessible courses breaks down barriers, encourages engagement and learning, and promotes equity.”
(Baldwin & Ching, 2021).
When working to make Canvas courses more accessible, the foundational goal is to ensure equal access for learners with disabilities who may experience learning barriers without important accessibility standards in place. All learners deserve access to the learning content! However, mustering the motivation or allocating resources if you’re not sure anyone “needs” the accessible course design features can leave course designers feeling like they’re checking off boxes purely for compliance sake. So take heart: accessible course design benefits everyone from learners to course creators.
The curb-cut effect helps bring this reality to light: sidewalk curb cuts were fought for by wheelchair users but benefit a wide range of people–from parents pushing strollers to travelers rolling luggage. Just like in the built environment, accessible Canvas course design practices provide digital “curb cuts” to a variety of learners and make the learning environment more effective, overall!
Let’s explore some examples of course “curb cuts” and a few tips for designing accessible, inclusive, effective Canvas courses–and the tools that make it all much easier:
While certainly not an exhaustive list, take a moment to consider a few ways accessibly-designed course features benefit a variety of students and learning situations.
For even more ways accessible course design results in more flexible, effective courses for all learners, join us on July 15th at 12pm MT for our Accessibility Matters Live! Webinar “Accessible Courses Are Good for Everyone–And We Want to Prove It!”
If you’re tempted to wait for accommodation requests or a mandated deadline before incorporating accessible course guidelines, research suggests you’re delaying benefits for yourself and your learners.
According to a 2022 report from the National Center for Education Statistics, the majority of college students with disabilities do not inform their college, showing almost two-thirds of students with a disability as not disclosing any disability (Adam & Warner-Griffin, 2022). These students, especially, would benefit from an accessibly-designed course.
Additionally, a growing body of research shows proactively designing accessible courses is more efficient than retroactively remediating content and provides a more effective learning experience for all students (deMaine, 2014; Guilbaud et. al, 2021; Kontio, 2025). Save time and boost learning outcomes by incorporating accessible design today!
“DesignPLUS [has] given our courses a polished, professional look while improving navigation and accessibility for students. This has truly enhanced the learning experience, making courses more user-friendly and engaging.”
– Evan Kinch, Coordinator Technical Training, Butler University
Do you have a favorite way Cidi Labs tools help you create courses that benefit all learners? Share it out! Tag Cidi Labs on social media and describe how our tools help you deliver more accessible, effective learning experiences! We’ll do a drawing from the share-outs and feature great ideas in our upcoming communication.
To keep the digest, well, digestible, each month we’ll deliver a bite-sized solution for a common accessibility challenge. We hope these small but mighty tips will empower you and provide momentum on your journey of developing and delivering accessible Canvas courses!
Challenge:
You’ve received emails from your learners saying they can’t see certain images or access certain links in your course; you realize you must have copy and pasted from another Canvas course they don’t have access to!
Solution:
The DesignPLUS External Assets tool will notify you that your content contains files or links from other Canvas courses and let you import and update that content at the touch of a button–all while editing!
Citations:
Adam, T., & Warner-Griffin, C. (2022). Use of Supports among Students with Disabilities and Special Needs in College. Data Point. NCES 2022-071. National Center for Education Statistics.
Baldwin, S. J., & Ching, Y. H. (2021). Accessibility in online courses: A review of national and statewide evaluation instruments. TechTrends, 65, 731-742.
deMaine, S. D. (2014). From disability to usability in online instruction. Law Libr. J., 106, 531.
Guilbaud, T. C., Martin, F., & Newton, X. (2021). Faculty perceptions on accessibility in online learning: Knowledge, practice and professional development. Online Learning, 25(2), 6-35.
Kontio Jr, J. P. (2025, April). From reactive to proactive: Leveraging Learning Management Systems for a more accessible learning experience. In Proceedings of the 2025 ACM SIGUCCS Annual Conference (pp. 1-4).
© 2025 Cidi Labs, LLC All Rights Reserved
Description