Panorama can help guide the accessibility remediation process for files in your Canvas course, including PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, and Excel spreadsheets.
The basic workflow is the same regardless of file type:
Review → Remediate → Upload → Check → Revise
Panorama helps identify potential accessibility barriers, while the file’s native application—such as Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel—provides the tools you will typically use to correct them.
Watch the video of an example of this process or continue reading for a text version.
1. Open the Panorama Accessibility Report
Locate the Panorama accessibility icon next to the file you want to review in Canvas and select it to open the Accessibility Report.
If the file is linked or embedded on a Canvas page, you can access its Panorama report directly from the icon without first editing the Canvas page.
Do not be alarmed if you see a very low score. For example, an untagged PDF may receive a score of 0%. Think of the score as a starting point that helps you identify where further review is needed.
2. Review the Issues Panorama Identifies
Select Fix this Document to view the issues Panorama has identified.
Panorama may provide options for correcting some issues directly within the report. However, for files such as PDFs, Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations, it is generally preferable to make substantial accessibility corrections in the program where the document is normally edited.
For example:
- PDF: Adobe Acrobat
- Word document: Microsoft Word
- PowerPoint presentation: Microsoft PowerPoint
- Excel spreadsheet: Microsoft Excel
Important: When replacing a file through Panorama, the remediated file must be the same file type as the original.
3. Download the Original File if Needed
If you do not already have the original file, you can download it from the Panorama Accessibility Report.
Open the More Actions menu in the upper-right area of the report and choose the option to download the source file.
Save the file to your computer and open it in its native application.
4. Remediate the File in Its Native Program
Use Panorama’s findings as a guide as you work through the document.
You can also use the Accessibility Resource Hub, Accessibility Lab, and other available accessibility guides to help determine how to correct the issues.
Remember that Panorama is an automated testing tool. It can identify many potential problems, but it cannot determine every barrier a student might encounter. Your growing knowledge of digital accessibility is an important part of the review process.
Correct the identified barriers in the native application and save the revised file.
5. Upload the Remediated Version
Return to the Panorama Accessibility Report and select Choose File to upload your revised version.
Panorama will reevaluate the document and generate a new accessibility report.
Sometimes one round of remediation will address most of the significant barriers. For example, an untagged PDF might move from 0% to 98% after properly tagging the document and adding appropriate alternative text to an image.
That is significant progress.
You do not necessarily need to pursue a perfect score. Instead, review any remaining issues and consider whether they create meaningful barriers for students.
6. Review, Revise, and Repeat as Needed
In many cases, Panorama will identify another issue after you upload the revised document.
For example, something as small as a missing PDF title property can significantly affect the automated score. If Panorama identifies an issue that should be corrected, reopen the document in its native application, make the change, save it, and upload the revised version again.
Expect the process to sometimes take a few rounds:
Review → Remediate → Upload → Check → Revise → Upload Again
The goal is not simply to move the Panorama icon into the green. The goal is to remove accessibility barriers so students can meaningfully use the resource.
Know When to Reconsider the File
Sometimes a file may require extensive remediation, or you may find that the time required to repair it outweighs the instructional value of keeping it in its current format.
When that happens, consider a larger question:
Is this file still the best way to provide this course content?
In some cases, converting the information into an accessible Canvas page or another format may create a better experience for students and be easier to maintain going forward.
Resource page in Accessibility Hub or Lab: Beyond the PDF: The Case for Canvas HTML (Accessibility Resource Hub – must be enrolled to view)
Need Help?
Accessibility remediation becomes easier with practice, and you do not have to work through difficult files alone.
Reach out to the CTLA for further assistance.
