Give your course a clear structure with well-organized headings.
Purpose of This Guide
This guide provides practical support for resolving heading structure accessibility issues identified by UDOIT in Canvas.
If your UDOIT report flags problems such as skipped heading levels, empty headings, missing headings, or the use of visual styling instead of semantic markup, this resource will help you:
- Understand what the alert means
- Learn why the issue affects accessibility
- Apply clear, step-by-step fixes in Canvas
- Strengthen the overall structure and navigability of your course
Whether you are responding to a specific UDOIT alert or proactively improving your course design, this guide will help you create content that is organized, accessible, and easier for all students to navigate.
Why This Matters for Students
Headings are structural landmarks. For screen reader users, they provide navigation. For all students, they reduce cognitive load and make long pages easier to scan.
Without a clear heading structure, content can feel dense and difficult to navigate. With a consistent structure, your course becomes organized, predictable, and easier to follow.
Headings Explained
- A Heading 1 identifies the main topic of a page.
- A Heading 2 introduces a major section under that topic.
- A Heading 3 introduces a subsection within that section, and so on.
Using heading levels correctly creates meaningful structure in Canvas and improves accessibility for all learners.
Heading Issues UDOIT May Identify
UDOIT may flag the following heading structure issues:
- Heading levels have been skipped
- One or more heading elements do not contain text
- Headings may be missing
- Styles used instead of semantic markup
The section below explains what each alert means and how to resolve it in Canvas.
Issue-by-Issue Breakdown
Issue 1: Heading Levels Have Been Skipped
What UDOIT Is Flagging
Headings jump levels, such as H1 (e.g., Canvas page title), directly to H3.
Why This Matters
Screen readers rely on logical heading hierarchy. Skipped levels create structural gaps and confusion.
How to Fix It in Canvas
- Open the page in Edit mode.
- Highlight the heading text.
- Use the Paragraph dropdown menu.
- Select the appropriate heading level in sequence.
- Click Save.
After selecting the correct heading level, you may adjust the font size if needed. Be sure the structural level remains accurate, even if the visual size changes.
Design Guidance
Think in outline form. If it would not make sense in a bulleted outline, it likely does not make sense structurally.
Issue 2: Empty Headings
What UDOIT Is Flagging
A heading tag exists without text inside it.
Why This Matters
Screen readers will announce an empty heading, disrupting navigation.
How to Fix It
- Open the page in Edit mode.
- Locate the empty heading.
- Add meaningful text or change it back to Paragraph text.
- Remove unnecessary blank-formatted lines.
- When finished, click Save.
Design Guidance
When editing a page, avoid pressing “Enter” multiple times after applying a heading style. Extra blank lines may retain heading formatting even if no text is visible.
If spacing is needed between sections, use normal paragraph formatting rather than inserting additional heading lines.
As a quick visual check, click inside each heading and confirm that meaningful text appears in the formatting dropdown as a heading level. If a blank line shows as “Heading 2” or another level, change it back to “Paragraph.”
Issue 3: Missing Headings
What UDOIT Is Flagging
Long content sections with no structural headings.
Why This Matters
Without headings, users cannot scan or navigate efficiently.
How to Fix It
- Open the page in Edit mode.
- Identify logical content sections.
- Add concise, descriptive headings.
- Apply heading styles using the dropdown menu.
- Be sure to maintain a consistent hierarchy across the page.
- When finished, click Save.
Design Guidance
If your page contains multiple paragraphs of content, it likely needs at least one heading.
For example, an assignment page should typically include headings such as “Purpose,” “Directions,” or “Submission Instructions.” Clear section labels help students locate key information quickly.
Issue 4: Styles Used Instead of Semantic Markup
What UDOIT Is Flagging
Bold or enlarged text is used visually as a heading, but has not been formatted using a heading style.
Why This Matters
Visual styling does not create structure for assistive technologies.
How to Fix It
- Open the page in Edit mode.
- Highlight the intended heading text.
- Use the Paragraph dropdown to select the appropriate heading level.
After selecting the correct heading level, you may adjust the visual formatting if needed while maintaining the proper structural level. - When finished, click Save.
Design Guidance
Use the Paragraph dropdown menu to organize your content into sections. Avoid increasing font size or using bold text to create the appearance of a heading.
If text functions as a section title, it should be formatted using a heading level. Headings create navigational structure. Styling only changes visual appearance.
Workflow Strategy
If your UDOIT report shows multiple heading alerts, begin with pages that are:
- Content-heavy
- Frequently accessed
- Used as module overviews or instructions
Correct heading hierarchy first, as structural improvements often resolve multiple related flags at once. After updating the structure, re-run UDOIT to confirm that skipped or empty headings have been resolved.
Consider batching fixes by page in Canvas rather than addressing one alert type at a time in the UDOIT report. This approach helps maintain consistency within each module.
Establish a consistent visual style for heading levels across your course. For example:
- Heading 2 is applied and formatted at 18pt.
- Heading 3 is applied and formatted at 14pt.
- Heading 4 is applied and formatted at 12pt bold.
Apply these consistently throughout your course while maintaining proper heading hierarchy.
