Accessibility Tools for Everyone

Panorama is a tool that assists with making online course content more accessible. It is embedded into the Canvas Learning Management System. When you click the Panorama icon, you can download alternative formats of instructor content directly from your course. These alternative formats benefit everyone! Panorama also includes tools for making reading on the web easier. 

Accessing Alternative Formats

Select the Download Alternative Formats icon wherever you see it to download the content in a different format:

Choose the version of the content that best fits your needs. 

Visit the Panorama website for more information on Accessing Alternative File Formats in Panorama and their Guide for Getting Started with Panorama for Students.

Web Accessibility Tool

The Canvas integration also includes a web accessibility widget that can make reading content on the web easier. Access this by clicking the icon on the bottom right of your screen to see all the available options and to customize your own preferred settings.

ReadSpeaker is a text to speech program that uses technology to speech enable websites, online documents, and forms. Preconfigured into Canvas, this tool allows text written in the user interface menus, headings, text input by users, and compatible documents to be read aloud to users. Users can read the whole webpage or document at once, or listen to selected sections.

To use ReadSpeaker anywhere within Canvas: Look for the play button tab:

click on it, and the function tool bar will appear near the top of the webpage:

You can move the tool bar by clicking and dragging it around the webpage. Users can configure reading speed, text color, highlighting by sentence and words, zoom or use a reading ruler. 

• • ReadSpeaker in Canvas video (2 minutes, gives a tour of this tool)
  • How to Access ReadSpeaker in Canvas video (less than 1 minute)
  • Using ReadSpeaker to Take Quizzes in Canvas video (less than 1 minute)
  • ReadSpeaker Settings in Canvas video (5 minutes, how to change highlighting colors of text and background, adjust reading pace, increase and change font, etc.)
  • Download document in MP3 Audio Format Using ReadSpeaker video (less than 1 minute)
  • Readspeaker TextAid instructional video (5 minutes - for students and faculty)

Canvas Immersive Reader is a learning tool that uses proven techniques to improve reading for people, regardless of their age or ability. Key features include "read text out loud," "break it into syllables," and "increase spacing between lines and letters." It offers text-decoding solutions for students with learning differences such as dyslexia, and it encourages independent reading and helps teachers support students’ unique learning needs. 

• You can find this tool in the top right corner of Canvas Pages and Assignments. Not available in Quizzes, Discussions, or Grades, or other Canvas areas outside of the course.
• Key features:
  • Change font size, text spacing, and background color
  • Choose between two fonts optimized to help with reading
  • Read text aloud
  • Change the speed of reading
  • Highlight sets of one, three, or five lines for greater focus
• Links for everyone:
  • How to Use the Immersive Reader in Canvas video (4 minutes)
  • Immersive Reader in Canvas: Improve Reading Comprehension for All Students informational webpage
  • How do I use the Microsoft Immersive Reader in a course?