Fixing Table and Color Accessibility Issues in Canvas (UDOIT Guide)

Ensure your tables and color choices support clarity and accessibility.

Purpose of This Guide

This guide provides practical support for resolving table and color accessibility issues identified by UDOIT in Canvas.

If your UDOIT report flags problems such as missing table headers, missing scope attributes, insufficient color contrast, or reliance on color alone to convey meaning, this resource will help you:

• Understand what the alert means
• Learn why the issue affects accessibility
• Apply clear, step-by-step fixes in Canvas
• Improve clarity and usability across your course
  

Whether you are responding to specific UDOIT alerts or proactively reviewing your content, this guide will help ensure your tables and visual formatting support student learning rather than create barriers.

Why This Matters for Students

Tables organize relationships between pieces of information. Color can support emphasis, but it must not be the only way importance or meaning is communicated.

When tables lack proper structure, students may struggle to understand how information connects across rows and columns. When color contrast is too low, text may be difficult to read. When color alone communicates meaning, some students may miss critical distinctions.

Tables and Color Explained

Tables
A properly structured table includes:

• A clear header row or column
• Defined header cells
• Logical organization of data

Headers help students understand how information relates across rows and columns. Without clearly labeled headers, the relationships between data points may be unclear.

If information does not rely on row-to-column relationships, consider whether a bulleted or numbered list would communicate the content more clearly than a table.

Color
Color can support emphasis, but it must not be used as the sole means of communicating importance, status, or meaning.

Accessible color use requires:

• Sufficient contrast between text and background
• Clear labels or text-based indicators in addition to color

Students must be able to understand the content even if color differences are not visible. If the meaning is lost in black and white, additional cues are needed.

Table and Color Issues UDOIT May Identify

UDOIT may flag the following issues:

• Table headers are missing row or column scope attributes.
• Table does not include header rows or columns.
• Insufficient text color contrast with the background.
• Potential use of color alone to communicate information.

The section below explains what each alert means and how to resolve it in Canvas.

Issue-by-Issue Breakdown

Issue 1: Table headers are missing row or column scope attributes

What UDOIT Is Flagging
The table includes header cells, but they are not properly defined as row or column headers.

Why This Matters
Table headers tell students how data relates across rows and columns. Without properly defined headers, the relationships between data points may be unclear, especially for students using assistive technologies.

This can make even a simple table difficult to interpret accurately.

How to Fix It in Canvas
For a Header Row (most common case)

1. Open the page in Edit mode.
2. Highlight the entire header row.
3. Select Table > Row > Row Properties.
4. Change Row Type to Header.
5. Select Save, then Save the page.

For a Header Column (if applicable)

1. Highlight the header cells.
2. Select Table > Cell > Cell Properties.
3. Change Cell Type to Header cell.
4. Set Scope to:
   1. Column for header row cells
   2. Row for header column cells
5. Repeat Steps 1-4 for all column header cells.
6. Select Save, then Save the page.

Design Guidance
If a row or column is intended to label data, it must be formally defined as a header using the table tools. Bold text or shading alone does not establish proper scope.

Issue 2: Missing Header Rows or Columns

What UDOIT Is Flagging
The table does not contain a defined header row or header column. All cells are currently formatted as regular data cells.

Why This Matters
Without headers, students may not understand how information in one cell relates to information in another. This makes it difficult to interpret schedules, grading breakdowns, or comparison charts.

How to Fix It in Canvas

1. Open the page in Edit mode.
2. Click inside the table.
3. Identify which row or column should be the table headings (often the top row or left column).

Then follow one of the options below:

To add a header row:

4. Highlight the row that contains the labels.
5. Select Table → Row → Row Properties.
6. Change Row Type to Header.
7. Select Save, then Save the page.
   

To add a header column (if needed):

4. Highlight the column that contains the labels.
5. Select Table → Cell → Cell Properties.
6. Change Cell Type to Header cell.
7. Set Scope to Row.
8. Select Save, then Save the page.

Design Guidance
Every data table should include clear labels that explain what each column or row represents. If you cannot clearly identify what the headers should be, the content may be better organized in a list or paragraph format.

Create a table only when it helps students see relationships between pieces of information.

Issue 3: Insufficient Text Color Contrast

What UDOIT Is Flagging
The text does not stand out clearly from the background, making it difficult to read.

Why This Matters
Low contrast text can be difficult to read for students with low vision, color vision differences, or when viewing content on different devices or in bright environments.

When text is hard to read, important information may be missed.

How to Fix It in Canvas

1. Open the page in Edit mode.
2. Highlight the affected text.
3. Adjust the text color so it contrasts more clearly with the background.
   • Use darker text on a light background.
   • Use lighter text on a dark background.
4. Click Save.

UDOIT provides a contrast ratio for flagged items. Use this ratio as a guide when selecting a new color. As you adjust the text, aim for stronger contrast to meet accessibility standards and improve readability.

Design Guidance
Using colored text to create emphasis is decorative. It does not improve accessibility and can make content harder to read.

Issue 4: Color Alone Used to Communicate Information

What UDOIT Is Flagging
Color is being used as the sole indicator of meaning, such as red text to signal “important” or green text to signal “correct,” without additional text to clarify the distinction.

Why This Matters
When color is the only way meaning is communicated, some students may miss important distinctions.

Color perception varies widely. Lighting conditions, screen brightness, device displays, and settings such as dark mode can affect how colors appear. What looks clear on one screen may be difficult to distinguish on another.

If colored text is used as part of decorative styling, it must maintain sufficient contrast to remain readable across different viewing conditions.

How to Fix It in Canvas

1. Open the page in Edit mode.
2. Identify places where color indicates meaning.
3. Add text labels, symbols, or other indicators that clarify the meaning.
4. Ensure the information remains clear without relying on color alone.
5. Click Save.

For example:

• Instead of red text alone, use “Important:” before the statement.
• Instead of green text alone, add “Correct Answer:” before the response.
  • Problematic (color alone): Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast 
  • Accessible version: Correct Answer: Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast.
    Regardless of how green text is perceived the meaning is clear
• Instead of color-coded deadlines, include written labels such as “Due Today” or “Overdue.”

Design Guidance
Ask yourself: If this page were printed in black and white, would the meaning still be clear?

If the answer is no, revise the content so meaning is communicated clearly through text, labels, or symbols rather than color alone to ensure all students receive the same information.

Prioritize clear text-based cues over decorative styling.

Workflow Strategy

If your UDOIT report shows multiple table and color alerts, begin with structural issues first.

Start by reviewing tables that:

• Present essential course information
• Include schedules, grading criteria, or comparison data

Correct missing headers and scope issues before adjusting visual formatting. Structural improvements often resolve multiple related alerts at once and improve overall clarity.

Next, address color contrast issues to ensure text is clearly readable across devices and display settings.

Finally, review areas where color communicates meaning. Add written labels or indicators so information does not rely on color alone.

Work page by page in Canvas rather than addressing alerts individually within the UDOIT report. This helps maintain consistency and prevents formatting conflicts.

After making updates, re-run UDOIT to confirm that all table and color-related alerts have been resolved.

Additional Resources

• Color Contrast and Accessibility Guide
• Color Reliance and Use Guide
• Table Accessibility in Canvas Guide