UDOIT Alternate File Formats

Overview

This article explains how to enable and access alternate file formats in your Canvas course using the UDOIT tool.

What are alternate formats and why use them?

Alternate formats make your course materials more accessible and remove barriers to learning. For example, you can turn a PDF into an audio MP3 file for someone who prefers to listen instead of read.

UDOIT offers these alternate file format options:

• Optimized PDF
• HTML
• ePub
• Audio MP3
• Text

How to create alternate file formats in your course site

1. Open your Canvas course
2. Click UDOIT Cloud in the left-hand navigation menu
3. If UDOIT has not recently scanned your course, conduct a scan by clicking Scan Now and wait for the scan to finish. If it’s your first time opening in UDOIT in your course, a scan will automatically run.
4. Navigate to Review Course Files. The File Issues column on this page will alert you to any files that need alternate formats in order to comply with accessibility requirements.
5. Click on a file title to view and select alternate formats. 
6. Click Request next to the alternate file format type you want to create and wait for the file to be converted
7. Once complete, a checkmark will appear next to the alternative format. You can select the vertical ellipsis to view or delete it.

New file formats are stored in a folder in your Canvas course Files named “Alternate Files”.

Note: If UDOIT does not appear in your course navigation menu, follow the steps on the main UDOIT service page to enable it there.

How to make alternate file formats viewable to students

1. Open your Canvas course
2. Click UDOIT Cloud in the left-hand navigation menu
3. Click the red exclamation point near the Scan Now button.
4. 
5. Click the Course Settings link in the dropdown. A sidebar will appear.
6. Tick the box to “Enable students to access existing alternate formats” and close the sidebar.

How to give students permission to generate alternate file formats

1. Open your Canvas course
2. Click UDOIT Cloud in the left-hand navigation menu
3. Click the red exclamation point near the Scan Now button.
4. 
5. Click the Course Settings link in the dropdown. A sidebar will appear.
6. Tick both boxes to “Enable students to access existing alternate formats” and to “Allow students to generate additional file formats” and then close the sidebar.