Upcoming Changes to the Canvas Catalog Legacy Homepage – Now Available in Beta

[matekiss]

As Catalog moves toward full WCAG 2.1 AA compliance this year, we are making key accessibility improvements across the product. As part of this initiative, we are updating the legacy homepage, which may impact customizations.

These updates are now available in Beta and will be released to production on March 10. We encourage you to review your customizations and make any necessary adjustments ahead of time.

Improved screen reader accessibility for listings

What’s changing?
Currently, each search result is perceived as a single link by screen readers, meaning all listing details—such as the course name, description, and metadata—are grouped under one clickable element.

New behavior:

• Only the listing name will be a link, making navigation clearer for screen reader users.
• This change improves accessibility and aligns with WCAG 2.1 success criteria 4.1.2.

Customization impact: If your customizations rely on the previous structure where the entire listing was a single link, adjustments may be required.

Search field accessibility enhancements

What’s changing?
The search field on the legacy homepage does not have a visible label and currently relies on aria-label and placeholder attributes. While helpful, these attributes alone do not fully meet accessibility standards.

New behavior:

• The search input will be placed within a 'search' region, enhancing semantic structure and improving screen reader interpretation.
• This update aligns with WCAG 2.1 success criteria 3.3.2, ensuring better support for assistive technologies.

Customization impact: If your modifications rely on the previous HTML structure around the search field, adjustments might be needed.

How to prepare before March 10

• Test your customizations in Beta – The changes are live now, so you can review any potential issues before they go to production.
• Check for custom styling or scripts – If your customization modifies the search field or listing card structure, ensure it still functions correctly.
• Provide feedback – If you encounter issues, reach out to our support team to share your findings.

Go-live date: March 10, 2025

We strongly recommend testing these changes before the production release to avoid any disruptions.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact our support team or your CSM.

Best,
Máté