Accessibility Essentials — Update on Using EPUBS |
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With the April 24, 2026 federal deadline for meeting digital accessibility guidelines approaching (see CTE's for more information), we wanted to provide important updates to information and resources about working with digital documents. The below information, which was published in one of our , has been updated with information about a new suite of available through Canvas. It has also been updated with critical information about , which are increasingly being used by publishers. What are PDF documents?
In most courses, educators provide reading or note-taking materials for students in Canvas– everything from academic articles to lecture slides. Many of these files are shared as Portable Document Files, or PDFs.
PDFs act like an interactive image of a printable page– they retain document layouts elements set in a word processing software (i.e., text styles, fonts, and graphics inserted in Word, PowerPoint, etc.) so users can view and use the same file across different platforms. They’re convenient for many reasons: file sizes are small, they are easy to annotate, and they are compatible with almost any device! However, PDFs do not always work well with assistive technologies.
PDF documents are the most common filetype that flagged for accessibility issues. Fixing PDF documents to ensure they are compatible with assistive tools can also be a time-consuming, difficult process. So what should we do?
How do I ensure my PDF is accessible?
First, we recommend getting rid of any files that are not being actively used in your current course using TidyUp. If you are worried about losing any of these files for the future, before getting started.
Once you've cleared things out, there are a few ways to fix your documents. The method depends on whether you created the document (e.g., lecture notes, slides, worksheets, etc.) or if it was created by someone else (e.g., textbooks, academic articles, etc.)
Content Published By Someone Else
If you are sharing a document that was not created by you, you have several options to check before you need to fix your PDFs on your own!
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Start with the Marriott Library’s .
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The Marriott Library Course Reserve services are now offered through Course Materials, powered by Leganto. Course Materials allows you to connect library owned content directly to your Canvas course, request the purchase of new material, and seamlessly include external resources into one list that you can link to your weekly modules and assignments in Canvas.
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For further questions, contact your or reach out to Rachel Haisley at .
- Search for alternative digital formats online.
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There are many files available via Open Educational Resource (OER) libraries online. Search for higher quality files available online and .
- Use UDoIt in Canvas to convert the file to a Canvas page.
- Use UDoIt in Canvas to replace it with a new accessible version.
- Edit the document yourself.
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First, try to get a good scanned copy of the content. That old, grainy scan of a book with coffee stains, hand-written notes in the margins, and dog-eared pages will be difficult to fix! If you can get a clear scan, half the battle is complete.
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Edit your document using Adobe Acrobat, a PDF document viewing and editing tool. It can be used to make PDFs meet common accessibility standards using some of the tools in the program.
- Adobe Acrobat can be challenging to get started with. If you cannot fix certain elements in your document, contact Digital Learning Technologies at for hands-on assistance.
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Shifting to EPUB Files
Publishers and online book distributors are shifting to sharing files over PDFs. EPUB files are more compatible with e-readers (e.g., Kindle, Nook, etc.), e-reader software for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and screen reader software.
This means that page numbers shown will not match page numbers of a print or PDF version of the same book. For classrooms with a mix of devices, formats, and reading preferences, getting learners on the same page may be challenging.
A few tips for working around this:
When assigning reading to students, reference chapters and/or sections of the text instead of page numbers.
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- Use UDoIt in Canvas to convert the file to a Canvas page.
- Ensure your original Word or PowerPoint file has been edited for accessibility.
- Add alt text to all graphic elements, use color appropriately, format text elements properly, include links with descriptive titles, and title the file itself appropriately. Follow all of the advice shared in the sections above to get started!
- Post the original Word or PowerPoint file directly to Canvas.
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(e.g., PDFs) themselves that will retain any accessibility edits you completed in the original program by using Ally.
- If you choose to post a PDF, use UDoIt in Canvas to replace it with a new accessible version.
- Check it via Adobe Acrobat before uploading to Canvas.
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. If you cannot fix certain elements in your document, contact Digital Learning Technologies at for hands-on assistance.
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Interested in learning about other accessibility tips and tricks? Check out page!
How to Complete PDF Edits
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- Discover the best practices for improving different file types from Digital Learning Technologies:
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Dear Faculty,
Thank you again for your patience and understanding during this outage. We’re pleased to share that our team has now restored the vast majority of enrollments and course data. We’ve also completed everything technically possible to recover Canvas group memberships and Assignment overrides, and many courses are now back to full function.
There may still be some remaining issues in individual courses, and we want to make sure everything is correct for you and your students.
When you have a moment, please review your Canvas courses to confirm that:
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- Enrollments
- Group memberships
- Assignment overrides
- Any other affected settings
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appear as expected.
If anything still looks incorrect or incomplete, please let us know right away by emailing at classhelp@utah.edu
Thank you for your partnership and for all you do for our students.
Sincerely,
Your IT Team
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Upcoming CTE and Partner Workshops |
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Graduate Student Instructor Training in Pedagogy |
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Almost every department on campus includes graduate student instructors in some way, whether as sole course instructors, TAs, lab section leaders, or other roles. Did you know that CTE offers graduate student training in pedagogy? We offer a 15-credit online , and most of those courses can be taken individually. Courses are offered fall and spring.
In Spring, our course offerings include a graduate special topics seminar in Teaching with AI. Spots are still open!
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Digital Learning Technologies |
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Join us for Tech Tips Tuesday! Every other week features Canvas or Accessibility related tools, and Adobe Express Learning Kit, you can use in your teaching or personal projects. Check out the schedule and drop in for the topics that inspire you!
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Linda K. Amos Award: Nominations Open |
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NOMINATION DEADLINE: JAN 31
Know someone who champions women at the University of Utah? 💐 The University of Utah Chapter of Utah Women in Higher Education Network (UWHEN) invites nominations for the Linda K. Amos Award for Distinguished Service to Women, honoring a faculty or staff member whose work has advanced equity and opportunity for women at the University of Utah. The awardee will be recognized at the Women’s Week Awards Dinner on March 5, and the top five nominees will be invited to attend the dinner.
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Upcoming Funding Deadlines |
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295 S 1500 E | Salt Lake City , UT 84112 US
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