Canvas Exams and Screenreaders

Although Canvas is not as screenreader compatible as it could be, there are some ways to make your exams work better for students who use screenreaders. In this guide, you will learn how to set up an exam that accounts for some of the limitations of Canvas. We will also share tips for support that instructors and TAs can provide to students using screen readers.

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Exam Set-Up

This set-up guide requires that Alt text and Long descriptions have been created for any images you may have included in your exam. 

Talk to the Students

Students with screenreaders could have different needs and different support systems already in place. Arrange a meeting or email the student to find out what their needs are and how you might need to alter the exam to meet their accommodations.

Considerations and Questions

• Is the student able to navigate the exam by themselves? Do they have an aide who helps them with this, or do they use SAILS services to do this?
• Does proctoring software interfere with their screenreader?
• Will they be able to complete the exam in one sitting, or does it need to be completed over several days?

Create the Exam

Make your exam in Canvas as you usually do. Be sure to: 

• Enter all questions and images, if there are any
• All images should have alt text, regardless of which exam version they are in
• Configure all settings
• Set up the proctoring software (Respondus or Honorlock)

Important: Check that there are no final edits that need to be made to the exam. It will be very difficult to keep track of making the same edits to both exam versions once the exam has been copied.

Duplicate the Exam

1. Find the exam you want to duplicate. This can be done from the Modules, Quizzes, or Assignments pages in Canvas. 

2. Click the three stacked dot menu, then select the option “Copy To…”

3. The “Copy To…” sidebar menu will appear on the right side of the screen. In the search bar, you will type the name of the same course you are copying the exam from. To be certain you are selecting the correct course, you can use the 6-digit Canvas shell ID in the url for your course.

4. If you want to copy the exam into a specific module, select it now. Click the “Copy” button.

5. The copied exam will appear in several places:
           a. The Modules page, if you selected one when copying the exam
           b. The Quizzes page, in the same category as the original exam

          c. The Assignments page, in the “Imported Assignments” section

6. Edit the title of the copied exam so you can tell the two apart. You might add something like “ - Screenreader version” to the title. 
          a. TLC recommends unpublishing the copied exam while you are making alterations to it.

7. You are now free to modify the exam as needed.

Modify the Exam

Once you have duplicated the exam, you will need to make several modifications.

Settings

• Move the exam to the correct assignment group and module.
• Assign the duplicated exam to only the students who need it. It will only show up for them.
• Adjust the availability window and amount of time they need to take the exam.
• TLC recommends removing the proctoring software, as it will flag sounds from their aide or their screenreader. 

Exam Formatting

Since this version of the exam is exclusively for students using screen readers, you can include screenreader-friendly formatting that might be distracting to students that don’t use screenreaders. 

• Long descriptions can be added directly below the image, instead of linking to a separate page as recommended in our Alt Text and Long Descriptions: A Practical Guide
• Placement of content may need to be adjusted for students who are not able to see the entire layout of the page at once. Think about listening to a caller options menu when you are on the phone. You might need to listen to the list multiple times to find the correct option, especially if the list doesn’t appear to follow a logical progression.

Audio Files of Questions and Answer Options

TLC has noticed an increase in students who use screen readers. In an effort to make our support for these students more sustainable, we have been experimenting with adding audio files of the questions and answer options to the question.

Our reasoning is that an audio file would be a more reliable way for students to experience the exam, especially the order of content and the pronunciation of scientific terms. View our Exam Audio Files Guide for more information. If you implement this in your course, please send us your feedback and feedback from your students so we can continue to refine this method.

Additional Tips

Live Proctoring

It may be more suitable for the student to be proctored by an instructor or TA over Zoom or in person, especially if:

• They do not have an aide
• The aide does not have the expertise to describe exam images
• The student is not able to navigate the exam by themselves

Exam Guide

If someone is live proctoring the student, it may be helpful for them to have a document that contains all images, their alt text and long descriptions, and the questions related to that image with the correct answer marked. This can help the proctor accurately describe the image in a way that doesn’t give the answer away, and that they are providing all information necessary for the student to reach the answer.

Resources

Alt Text and Long Descriptions: A Practical Guide 
Exam Audio Files Guide 
Canvas accessibility features
Writing for accessibility
Accessible Course Creator self-enroll training