New Accessibility Tool within Canvas

Starting in the 2025–26 academic year, the California State University (CSU) system will transition from the Ally accessibility tool by Anthology to a new solution from Cidi Labs, integrated directly into Canvas. This upgrade aims to enhance the accessibility experience for both instructors and students by providing new features while maintaining familiar ones. 

What’s Staying the Same?

Cidi Labs brings forward all the essential tools that faculty and students currently rely on in Canvas: 

• Course Accessibility Reports: Instructors will still have access to comprehensive reports that identify accessibility issues across their courses. 

• Built-in Support Resources: Cidi Labs includes guidance and tutorials embedded in Canvas to assist faculty in creating more accessible content. 

• Alternate Formats for Students: Students will continue to be able to convert course materials into formats that best support their learning, such as audio or tagged PDFs, with just one click. 

What’s New? 

Alongside these familiar tools, Cidi Labs introduces several new features designed to streamline accessibility improvements and provide more targeted support: 

• Smarter File Management: Easily filter out unpublished or unused files to focus on the materials that matter. 

• Guided Issue Fixes: Jump straight to accessibility issues in your course and receive step-by-step guidance to resolve them—without leaving Canvas. 

• Batch Fixes: Save time by applying a single fix across multiple recurring issues in a course. 

• Flexible Document Options: Choose from a menu of options to address instructional documents with accessibility barriers. 

• Student-Centered Filtering: Prioritize accessibility improvements based on individual student needs, such as visual impairments or mobility limitations. 

• PDF-to-Canvas Conversion: Quickly convert PDF content into accessible Canvas pages, making course materials easier to navigate and use. 

Why the Change? 

This system-wide transition reflects CSU’s ongoing commitment to inclusive education. By adopting Cidi Labs, the goal is to make accessibility more actionable and integrated into everyday course design, empowering faculty with better tools and giving students improved access to content.

While the full transition will take place in 2025–26, we encourage instructors to begin exploring accessibility practices within their current courses and stay tuned for announcements regarding the Cidi Labs rollout.