Next Steps for Becoming Compliant
UW has purchased the tool Panorama that integrates with Canvas to identify accessibility issues in course content, videos and instructional materials. To meet UW’s Title II accessibility expectations, faculty and instructional staff should follow the steps below when creating and maintaining course content in Canvas. These actions support accessible learning experiences for all students.
Complete Panorama Tool Training
Accessibility training for using Panorama inside Canvas has been released by the Ellbogen Center for Teaching and Learning (ECTL). This training will provide guidance on accessible course design, instructional materials and use of accessibility tools. We strongly encourage faculty and staff who manage course content in Canvas to review this training at their earliest convenience.
Use Panorama to Identify and Address Accessibility Issues
All active courses will be scanned for accessibility issues beginning February 10, 2026. With over 1,500 instructor-led courses active inside Canvas, this process is expected to take up to one week to complete, and faculty will begin seeing accessibility annotations inside their courses as the scan progresses. We strongly encourage you to view the training and explore the resources ECTL has created to support faculty in achieving accessible course content.
Caption Your Course Videos
All courses that use videos must have captions available for students. All staff and faculty have a Yuja Lumina account where they can create, upload and store media, which will be captioned automatically by Yuja. Faculty and staff can access their Yuja Lumina account within their course shell or, outside of Canvas. We recommend reviewing this brief video as you get started.
Create Accessible Documents
Documents, such as PDFs or Word docs, used in courses must meet accessibility standards. This includes properly structured documents with readable content. Faculty are responsible for ensuring course materials meet WCAG 2.1 AA requirements before they are shared with students.
Learn About DOCUMENT ACCESSIBILITY
Dedicated Support & Resources for Faculty
Faculty are critical assets to the university, and we recognize this adjustment can create additional work and time. The Ellbogen Center for Teaching & Learning has created several resources to assist faculty in this transition. We understand that some courses will require deeper adjustment, and numerous materials have been created to better understand the standards and implementation.
- Review the Intro to Panorama video
- Review the recorded ECTL training
- Join ECTL Drop-in Zoom Support—available Mondays & Thursdays from 2 - 4 p.m.
- Email the WyoCourses team at wyocourses-inst@uwyo.edu
- Bookmarks and review the Panorama Knowledge Base
- Ask specific technical questions through Panorama Support
WyoCourses Accessibility Best Practices
Accessible Course Design
Create Canvas pages & modules with clear headings, descriptive links and consistent structure. Well organized content helps all students navigate materials more easily and supports assistive technologies.
Documents & Media
Caption all instructional videos and use accessible documents in course materials. Files should be readable by screen readers and usable without a mouse before they are shared with students.
Use Available Tools
Use available accessibility tools such as Panorama to review course content and documents as they are added. Identifying issues early makes remediation easier and helps prevent barriers during the semester.
