Designing Accessible Surveys: A Practical Guide for UC Davis Instructors
From the Quick Access series
April 24, 2026 marks the federal deadline for digital accessibility under ADA Title II. At UC Davis, our commitment to accessibility will honor both the mandate and our Principles of Community as we remove barriers for all learners. Part of a series continuing from fall 2025, Quick Access this quarter will focus on improving accessibility in specific teaching and learning contexts. Find all the posts in this series by clicking the yellow Quick Access label at the end of the post.
For more on campus compliance with this law, see UC Davis Digital Accessibility Program Manager Brad Starkey-Owens’ conversation on digital accessibility with Dr. Andy Jones and check the campus Digital Accessibility site. Join the Digital Accessibility Program Manager for Digital Accessibility Q&A Wednesdays at 1:00 PM.
The University of California Office of the President (UCOP) is offering a Practical Accessibility Webinar Series - please register!
As UC Davis moves toward the April 24, 2026 ADA Title II deadline, many faculty are using surveys to keep current with the interests and needs of their students. While instructors may use Google Forms or Qualtrics, an increasing number of our colleagues are turning to the Quizzes tool in UC Davis Canvas to create both Graded Surveys and Ungraded Surveys. These tools allow you to gather feedback while ensuring all students can participate equitably.
When building a survey with any tool, start with a clear structure. In Canvas, use the Rich Content Editor’s built-in heading styles for instructions, and run the built-in Accessibility Checker before publishing. Write concise directions, and avoid using color alone to convey meaning.
Choose question types carefully. Multiple Choice, Multiple Answer, True/False, and Fill-in-the-Blank questions are generally accessible. Essay questions allow flexible responses and work well with assistive technology. Beware stacked Likert questions (available only in Qualtrics) and other complex formats that may be inaccessible.
Provide descriptive alt text for any images included in a question. Avoid embedding text inside images. If charts or complex visuals are required, also offer a text-based equivalent description.
For students with accommodations registered with the Student Disability Center, use the Moderate feature to apply extended time or additional attempts. Remember that availability dates must also be adjusted in the “Assign To” area to prevent unintended auto-submission for those students.
Finally, maintain a structured Microsoft Word version of your survey as a backup format. Such a Word version can be used by students who use screen readers, text-to-speech, or dictation tools (thus aligning with Universal Design for Learning principles).
Accessible surveys improve clarity, reduce cognitive load, and ensure every student can fully engage with the class, class content, and the instructor.