Accessibility Features Available for Students in Canvas

Institutionally, we are currently updating educational materials to comply with accessibility standards outlined in Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In addition to these institutional efforts, Canvas provides several built‑in features designed to support learner needs and promote more beneficial access to course content.

One key tool is the Microsoft Immersive Reader, available in all Canvas courses. This tool can be accessed on content pages and assignments and offers the following student‑centered features:

• Read‑Aloud Support: Text‑to‑speech functionality facilitates auditory learning and aids comprehension.
• Language Support: Instant translation into multiple languages assists English Learners (EL) and enables students to review materials in their preferred language.
• Enhanced Reading Comprehension: Grammar tools allow students to break words into syllables and highlight parts of speech (e.g., nouns, verbs, adjectives).
• Improved Focus: The line‑focus feature functions as a digital reading guide, helping students concentrate on one, three, or five lines at a time.
• Vocabulary Assistance: A built‑in picture dictionary provides visual representations of terms to support understanding.

Canvas also includes features specifically designed to support students with dyslexia. Users may enable a Dyslexia‑Friendly font, which applies the OpenDyslexic typeface to the Canvas interface and Rich Content Editor materials. Benefits include:

• Improved Letter Recognition: OpenDyslexic employs distinct letterforms with weighted bottoms, reducing the likelihood of characters appearing to invert or shift.
• Reduced Reading Errors: Differentiated shapes for easily confused letters (e.g., b/d and p/q) help decrease cognitive fatigue.
• Increased Readability Across Course Components: Once activated, the font is applied to most system‑generated and user‑generated content, including Announcements, Discussions, Assignments, Quizzes, and Pages.
• User‑Level Personalization: Students may enable or disable this feature at any time by navigating to Account → Settings → Use a Dyslexia‑Friendly Font.

Because learners’ needs vary, these tools may be particularly beneficial for some students while serving as supplemental support for others. Faculty who are aware of a student’s accessibility needs may wish to encourage use of these features when appropriate.

For additional guidance or assistance, please contact the Help Desk at helpdesk@umc.edu.