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Guide to Using UDOIT in Canvas

Guide to Using UDOIT in Canvas

What Is UDOIT?

UDOIT Advantage by Cidi Labs is an accessibility checking tool designed specifically for the Canvas learning management system. It helps instructors identify and fix accessibility issues in Canvas courses. UDOIT scans course content and files, flags potential problems, and provides guidance for remediation. 

UDOIT focuses on helping institutions meet accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.1 while making courses more usable for all students, including students using screen readers, keyboard navigation, captions, or alternate formats.

What UDOIT Can Scan

UDOIT scans both Canvas content and uploaded files. According to Cidi Labs documentation, it checks:

Canvas Content

  • Pages 

  • Assignments 

  • Announcements 

  • Discussions 

  • Syllabus pages 

  • Quiz instructions 

  • Module URLs 

Uploaded Files

  • PDFs 

  • Word documents 

  • PowerPoints 

  • Other uploaded course files 

It analyzes accessibility problems in both HTML content and attached documents.

Common Accessibility Issues UDOIT Detects

UDOIT identifies two major categories:

Errors

These are confirmed accessibility problems that should be fixed.

Examples include:

  • Images missing alternative text 

  • Improper heading structure 

  • Links labeled “Click Here” 

  • Poor color contrast 

  • Missing table headers 

  • Videos without captions 

Suggestions

These may require human review.

Examples include:

  • Vague alt text 

  • Potentially confusing headings 

  • Content requiring manual evaluation 

UDOIT also reviews uploaded documents for accessibility problems affecting screen reader or keyboard users. 

How to Access UDOIT in Canvas

Your institution must have UDOIT installed in Canvas for it to appear.

Typically, you can access it by:

  1. Opening a Canvas course 

  2. Looking in the left-hand Course Navigation menu 

  3. Selecting “UDOIT” or “Accessibility Checker” 

Some institutions may hide the navigation item until instructors enable it. You can enable it by:

  1. Opening a Canvas course

  2. Selecting “Settings” in the left-hand Course Navigation menu

  3. Selecting “Navigation”

  1. Dragging the “UDOIT” item from the hidden items option to the current navigation items

  1. Pressing “Save” to confirm

If, for any reason, you do not see UDOIT, contact your institution’s Canvas administrator or instructional technology office.

Running an Accessibility Scan

Step 1: Open UDOIT

Inside your Canvas course, click the UDOIT navigation link.

Step 2: Start a Scan

Select the option to scan the course. UDOIT performs a course-wide review of:

  • Pages 

  • Assignments 

  • Discussions 

  • Uploaded files 

  • Embedded media 

Unlike Canvas’s built-in editor checker, UDOIT evaluates the entire course at once. 

Step 3: Review the Results

After scanning, UDOIT presents:

  • An accessibility score 

  • Lists of errors and suggestions 

  • A breakdown by content type 

  • Direct links to affected content 

Understanding the Accessibility Score

UDOIT generates a scorecard showing the overall accessibility status of the course. Institutions can also use reporting tools to monitor accessibility progress across departments or accounts. 

The score is useful for:

  • Tracking improvement over time 

  • Prioritizing remediation 

  • Identifying high-impact issues 

However, accessibility scores should not replace human review. Automated tools cannot evaluate every accessibility concern.

Fixing Issues with UFIXIT

One of UDOIT’s major features is its integrated remediation system called “UFIXIT.”

UFIXIT allows instructors to repair many problems directly inside Canvas without manually editing HTML. 

Examples of Quick Fixes

Adding Alt Text

If an image lacks alternative text, UDOIT prompts you to:

  • Describe the image meaningfully 

  • Mark decorative images appropriately 

Improving Link Text

Instead of: “Click here”

UDOIT encourages descriptive links such as: “Download the syllabus”

Correcting Heading Structure

UDOIT helps ensure headings follow a logical hierarchy:

  • Heading 1 

  • Heading 2 

  • Heading 3 

This improves screen reader navigation and document organization.

Color Contrast Corrections

UDOIT flags text/background combinations with insufficient contrast.

Working with Uploaded Files

Uploaded files are often the most difficult accessibility challenge in Canvas.

UDOIT can flag inaccessible PDFs or documents by noting what particular accessibility issues the document has:

It can also help you easily replace the document with a corrected version, or help you generate alternative formats, such as an auto-tagged PDF or a more accessible Canvas page:

Always be sure to review UDOIT’s generated alternative format to see if further remediation is required:

Best Practices for Files

Whenever possible:

  • If appropriate, use Canvas pages instead of PDFs 

  • Export tagged PDFs 

  • Use proper heading styles in Word or Google Docs 

  • Add alt text to images before uploading 

UDOIT vs. Canvas Accessibility Checker

Canvas includes a built-in accessibility checker inside the Rich Content Editor. UDOIT differs because it:

  • Scans entire courses 

  • Reviews uploaded documents 

  • Provides centralized reporting 

  • Offers broader remediation workflows 

Cidi Labs describes the two tools as complementary rather than competing systems.

Additional Resources

Official UDOIT Resources

Related Accessibility Standards