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March 27, 2024
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform Update – “Omu Peak”
Australian Zones Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, European Union, and Australia. This release provides our users with updates to the gradient reader, detection for broken links in HTML content, the option to apply filters in Course Scans, enhanced institution scans for D2L Brightspace, view issues opened in the Course Report, a more streamlined integration process, and new voice settings and real-time text highlights for our Smart Speaker add-on.
- New Gradient Reader Settings for Color Adjustments and Transitions
The Gradient Reader now offers custom color options for applying gradients to documents, which allows users to specify the frequency of color transitions for a personalized guided reading experience.
- The Gradient Reader Preserves Structural Formatting of Documents
To enhance visual recognition of content, the Gradient Reader will maintain the original document’s structure, ensuring that inline videos, lists, tables, and spacing remain consistent.
- New WCAG 2.1-Aligned Detection for HTML Issues: Broken Links
We’ve added a new accessibility check to allow Panorama to identify broken links within HTML content.
- Apply Filters to Course Scans
Administrators can effectively track the progress of course scans by applying filters based on their current status, such as scans that have not yet started, are in progress, have completed, failed, or expired.
- Enhanced Institution Scans for Large Institutions Using D2L Brightspace
To efficiently scan institutions with a large number of courses in a shorter amount of time, D2L Brightspace administrators can input multiple access keys for their Panorama integration. - The Review Issue List in the Accessibility Report Will Open to a Selected Issue from the Course Report
When selecting a specific issue within a document from the Course Report, the Accessibility Report will automatically show it in the Review Issues list. Previously, the issue was highlighted only on the document.
- Streamlined Integration Process With Panorama
We’ve enhanced Panorama’s integration page with improved on-screen text and relevant guides to help administrators self-manage LTI, API, and SSO integrations.
Panorama Add-On: Smart Speaker Website
- Smart Speaker: New Voice Settings and Real-Time Text Highlighting of Active Spoken Section
Smart Speakers now offers a variety of text-to-speech voices, with options to adjust the reading speed, volume, and highlight color.
- New Gradient Reader Settings for Color Adjustments and Transitions
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March 8, 2024
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Naltar Peak” Version Released to US, CAN, AU, and EU Zones
Australian Zones Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, European Union, and Australia. This release provides our users with the option to view the previous version history of documents, more HTML accessibility issues detected, a new To-Do List, a new math alternative format, the option to customize the threshold of Accessibility Scores, more custom branding options, PDF structural remediation, tag scanned and untagged PDFs, and remediate entire courses using AutoPilot.
- New Version History: View and Restore Documents to Previous Versions
When documents are updated using the Remediation Engine or through manual uploads, Panorama will automatically preserve the previous version of the document. Content Creators can then access a comprehensive history of all prior versions and choose to restore them if needed.
- Additional WCAG 2.1-Aligned Detection for HTML Accessibility Issues
To help Content Creators produce accessible HTML pages, we have added new accessibility checks to help identify issues such as:
- The table header cell does not contain a scope attribute.
- The target size for buttons and links is too small.
- The header is greater than 120 characters.
- Adjacent links contain the same URL.
- New To-Do List: Create a List of Documents to Review
Content Creators can efficiently manage documents they want to enhance the accessibility of by adding them to their To-Do List. The documents can then be updated within the To-Do List, or if the original documents are updated, the list automatically reflects those changes, allowing Creators to stay informed.
- New Alternative Math Format: Convert Documents with Math Equations into MathML
Our new MathML format enables users to extract mathematical equations from documents and convert them into HTML files, providing an accessible solution for embedding math equations directly into HTML pages.
- Ability to Customize the Threshold of Accessibility Scores
Institutions that would like to have rigorous accessibility standards for their content can now establish customized thresholds within Panorama. These thresholds determine how Panorama categorizes accessibility scores—whether they meet high, medium, or low accessibility standards. For instance, while Panorama’s default score designates 70 as highly accessible, organizations can adjust the threshold and mandate that highly accessible content must achieve a score of 85.
- Customize the Branding of Panorama Icons
To offer institutions a more personalized experience, they can now customize Panorama icons by selecting from a curated collection of pre-designed options. If you have a suggestion for a specific iconography, we encourage you to contact your Customer Success Manager.
- Customize the Panorama Portal Login Page
Institutions can now customize the branding of their Panorama Portal login page by adjusting the colors of buttons and adding imagery.
- The Accessibility Report Will Open to a Selected Issue from the Course Report
When selecting a specific issue within a document from the Course Report, the Accessibility Report will open directly to the issue, allowing Content Creators to quickly view and address it.
Panorama Add-On: Website Accessibility Widget
The Website Accessibility Widget offers options to make content on any page more accessible.
- Enhanced Website Accessibility Menu to Provide a Single View of Profiles and Adjustments
The Website Accessibility Widget’s menu has been updated with new toggles that allow users to enable profiles. Additionally, a single display now highlights these profiles, along with content and color adjustments.
Panorama Add-On: PDF Remediation Max
We have enhanced the Panorama PDF Remediation MAX Add-On with deeper capabilities to perform structural remediation for PDFs.
- PDF Remediation MAX: Deep Structural and Reading Order Remediation for PDFs
To address complex accessibility issues, PDF Remediation Engine MAX will allow Content Creators to adjust the following issues:- Structural Remediation: The entire hierarchical structure of the PDF can be viewed and adjusted to change elements, such as adjusting heading levels and updating the language tags.
- Update Reading Order: The reading order in which screen readers interpret information can be updated, allowing those with visual impairments to follow along more easily.
Panorama Add-On: Smart Speaker Website
This new add-on will provide similar and enhanced functionality for institutions that use tools such as ReadSpeaker webReader.
- New Tool! Smart Speaker Website Provides Text-to-Speech Functionality Embedded Directly Within Websites
Panorama’s Smart Speaker provides text-to-speech functionality to users with visual impairments or learning disabilities, enabling them to access digital content on any website.
Panorama Add-On: AutoPilot
The AutoPilot Add-On now does even more automatically. We like to think of it like TurboTax for accessibility improvements.
- AutoPilot Can Now Help Remediate Entire Courses Using Panorama’s Remediation Engine
With AutoPilot’s advanced AI capabilities for proposing accessibility fixes and the Remediation Engine’s ability to apply those proposed solutions, the Course Report now provides the option to address accessibility issues across an entire course. With just a click of a button, instructors and administrators can resolve all currently supported accessibility issues in their documents.
- PDF Remediation Engine: Use AutoPilot’s AI Capabilities to Help Propose Fixes for Untagged and Scanned PDFs
Whether PDFs are scanned or simply untagged, AutoPilot will propose solutions for tagging the PDF. These proposed fixes will then be sent to the Remediation Engine, ensuring all untagged issues are resolved.
- New Version History: View and Restore Documents to Previous Versions
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January 26, 2024
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Mana Peak” Version Released to US, CAN, AU, and EU Zones
Australian Zones Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, European Union, and Australia. This release provides our users with updates to our Remediation Engine to support PDF documents, a new AI-powered tool to propose accessibility fixes, enhanced support for OCR conversions, SAML-SSO integration for the Panorama Platform, the option to add users outside of the LMS, new accessibility design tools, Panorama support for files up to 50 MB, the option to bulk changes fixes, and more.
- New Tool! PDF Remediation MAX Engine: A Premium Engine Available to Customers with Deeper PDF Remediation Workflows
A new PDF Remediation MAX Engine powers a new class of PDF remediation that enables users to address more complex PDF-related accessibility issues directly within the LMS, including contrast, font size adjustments, provision of alternative text for images, and more. As always, the Standard PDF Accessibility Engine is available to institutions. - New Tool! AutoPilot: AI-Powered Tool to Propose Accessibility Fixes
We’re introducing an industry-first feature by launching AutoPilot, an AI-powered tool that automatically proposes document accessibility fixes for PDF, DOCX, PPTX, and HTML files. With just one click, AutoPilot users can send proposed fixes to the Remediation Engine, which will automatically remediate the document. In the future, AutoPilot will propose fixes for other issue types, as well as broaden the scope to Course and the full LMS. AutoPilot will currently propose fixes for the following issue types:
- Font size
- Color contrast
- Missing alt-text
- Enhanced Support for OCR Conversions: OCR Text and OCR Immersive Reader
We are expanding our OCR conversion engine to provide two new capabilities for generating distinct documents based on the OCR’d content.
- OCR Text: Generate a brand new text file.
- OCR Immersive Reader: Use the immersive reader for OCR’d content.
- No LMS Required! SAML-SSO Authentication Support for the Panorama Platform
Administrators, instructors, and students can access their respective reports and accessibility settings by signing in to the Panorama Platform directly with their SAML-SSO integration.
- Add Users Outside of the LMS to the Panorama Platform
Administrators can add users not registered for their LMS into the Panorama Platform to manage Panorama reports and settings based on their assigned roles.
- Custom Panorama Portal URL Prefix
Institutions can create their own custom Panorama Platform URL prefix. Simply contact your dedicated Customer Success Manager to get started. - New Accessibility Design Tool Elements
We have expanded our Accessibility Design Tool to incorporate two new elements when creating HTML content.- Progress Bar: Content Creators can place progress bars for long-form content to help their viewers keep track of their progress.
- Expander: Content Creators can place discrete expandable cards to show viewers additional content.
- Generate Panorama Reports for Files up to 50MB
Panorama will now support generating Accessibility Reports and Alternative Formats for files up to 50 MB in size. - New Course Scans Page to View the Status of Courses
Administrators can track the progress of Panorama’s course scans and view a list of all courses within their institution. If desired, they can also scan or re-scan courses to locate new documents or pages within the course.
- Panorama for Canvas: Website Accessibility Enabled Canvas-Wide
The Website Accessibility icon is no longer restricted within a course. Instructors and students can access the Website Accessibility icon from anywhere within Canvas. - New Branding Settings to Customize Website Accessibility Colors
We have added a new Branding Settings tab that allows administrators to customize the colors of the Accessibility Icons and the Website Accessibility menu.
- Pop-Out the How-to-Fix Window for a Wider View
We have introduced a new pop-out feature in the How-to-Fix panel that displays the steps to resolve an issue in a larger window, making it easier to view.
- Bulk Change All Instances of the Same Accessibility Issue
Users can now choose to apply their accessibility changes to all instances of the issue when remediating a document.
- Panorama for D2L: Accessibility Reports for Documents within the Manage Files Page
Panorama now supports generating Accessibility Reports and Alternative Formats for documents found within the Manage Files page in D2L Brightspace.
- Students Can Disable Panorama Accessibility Icons
Panorama Accessibility icons can now be disabled by individual students.
- New Tool! PDF Remediation MAX Engine: A Premium Engine Available to Customers with Deeper PDF Remediation Workflows
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December 8, 2023
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Lincoln Peak” Version Released to US, CAN, AU, and EU Zones
Australian Zones Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, European Union, and Australia. This release provides our users with updates to our Remediation Engine to support HTML documents, the option to add alt-text to all occurrences of an image in Canvas, a new OCR conversion engine, enable Panorama in specific LMS sub-accounts, new design tool elements, Themes and Templates for the Accessible Design Tool, increased accessibility checks for images, HTML and DOCX files, and so much more!
- New Inline WCAG 2.1-Aligned Remediation Engine for HTML Issues Directly within Accessibility Reports
Complementing our Remediation Engine for inline accessibility issue resolution of Microsoft Word documents and PowerPoints, we’ve now extended these capabilities to HTML documents inside Accessibility Reports to resolve issues such as:- Alternative text for images.
- Non-descriptive hyperlink text.
- Unformatted lists.
- Find-and-Tag to Add Alt-Text to all Occurrences of an Image Within Canvas
Tired of alt-tagging the same image in multiple courses? Now Content Creators can instantly create and apply alt-text to all instances of the same image in multiple HTML areas of their LMS or only to instances without a description.
- Enhanced Support for OCR, PDF Tagging, DOCX, and HTML Conversions
We’re introducing an OCR conversion engine to provide greater capabilities in generating distinct documents based on the OCR-ed content.- OCR Overlaid Tagged PDF: Generate a tagged PDF that allows for selectable text overlaid on the original document.
- OCR Reconstructed Tagged PDF: Generate a brand new tagged PDF.
- OCR Reconstructed DOCX Document: Generate a brand new DOCX file.
- OCR Reconstructed HTML Document: Generate a brand new HTML file.
- Enable Panorama in Specific Sub-Accounts / Sub-Orgs / Nodes
Admins can now view a hierarchical list of institution sub-accounts / sub-orgs / nodes and choose which accounts to enable Panorama in to allow course-scanning for Accessibility Reports, Alternative Formats, and more.
- New Accessible Design Tool Elements
We’ve expanded our Accessible Design Tool to incorporate more elements when creating pages. Creators can now embed media content, create tooltips, highlight text, and so much more. To view all available features the Design Tool offers, visit our guide on the Accessible Design Tool Overview.
- WYSIWYG Design Tool Now Support Themes Based on Color, Spacing and Sizing Elements
Our previous release introduced the Design tool, which lets LMS users add customizable elements inside HTML editable areas. We now offer the option to save an element’s color, spacing, and sizing to create its personalized style. Elements can then be grouped into a Theme that can be saved and used when creating new designs.
- WYSIWYG Design Tool: Save Designs as Templates
Have you created a design that you’re really proud of and would like to use again? If so, save it as a template and reuse it in other areas of the LMS.
- Accessibility Report: Docx Lists Will Be Checked for Proper Formatting
The Accessibility Report for DOCX files will check if ordered and unordered lists within the document are formatted correctly.
- Broader Set of Accessibility Checks for Images
We’ve added additional accessibility checks to ensure images are accessible to all viewers.- Flag alternative text longer than 120 characters.
- Flag images that have the file name as the alternative text.
- Flag images that have placeholder text as the alternative text (e.g. “Photo” or “Image”).
- Increased the Number of Accessibility Checks for HTML Content
We’ve also added additional accessibility checks to ensure that HTML content is accessible with two additional checks:- Flag adjacent links with the same URL.
- Flag tables with no content.
- Accessibility Check to Ensure Vimeo Videos Contain Captions
Linked Vimeo videos in HTML documents will be scanned to ensure the video contains captions.
- Export Reports With a Date Range and the Preferred File Format
Admins and Instructors can now select the date range of data to include in their reports and receive them as a JSON or Excel file via email.
- Downloaded Course Reports Will Include All Issues
When downloading a Course Report, it will now contain all issues detected within the course. This will allow admins and instructors to receive all the information of the report as seen within the Panorama LTI app. - New Alternative Format: Enhanced HTML View
With Enhanced HTML view, HTML documents can be displayed in a dedicated tab to customize the appearance of the document using the Website Accessibility tool for a more personalized viewing experience.
- Keyboard Accessibility Support for the Design Tool
Creators can access and navigate through the Design Tool through the use of their keyboard. - Disable the Check for Specific Accessibility Issues
We now allow administrators to turn off their preferred checks for accessibility issues. While we recognize the significance of not disabling issues that Panorama can detect, we understand the importance of providing institution administrators with the flexibility to meet their institution’s accessibility needs.
- Panorama REST API to Generate Alternative Formats Reports
We have added additional support for third-party API integrations to allow individuals to access information regarding their documents and options to generate Alternative Formats and Accessibility reports. To learn how to use our APIs, please visit our Panorama API guide. - Option to Disable the Panorama Design Tool
We have provided a course-level setting instructors can use to disable the Panorama Design Tool.
- New Inline WCAG 2.1-Aligned Remediation Engine for HTML Issues Directly within Accessibility Reports
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October 20, 2023
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “King’s Peak” Version Released to US, CAN, AU, and EU Zones
Australian Zones Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, European Union and Australia. This release provides our users with remediation capabilities for PowerPoint issues, an Accessible Design Tool to replace YouDoIt design tools, enhanced website scanning to support linked pages and documents, removed the need for third-party cookies, new faster processing queues for Alternative Formats, the option to hide the Website Accessibility Icon, enhanced UI designs, and so much more.
- New Remediation Engine – WCAG 2.1 Aligned Microsoft PowerPoint Issues
To recap, we offer Accessibility Engines to identify accessibility issues across all major document types. Remediation Engines take things to the next level by actually fixing the document all while inside your LMS. With the introduction of our Remediation Engine tailored for real-time resolution of Microsoft Word documents, we now extend these capabilities to Microsoft PowerPoint. The new Microsoft PowerPoint Remediation Engine enables users to address PowerPoint-related WCAG 2.1 compliance issues directly within the LMS, including issues such as contrast, font size adjustments, provision of alternative text for images, and dozens more. - Gamify and Celebrate Your Accessibility Improvements (a Newly Architected Processing Pipeline Makes It Possible)
Improving the accessibility of documents is important work, and here at YuJa, we believe such efforts should be celebrated. Enjoy your success in using the Remediation Engine effectively with cheerful streamers and confetti animating your screen. We encourage and appreciate your ongoing efforts to impact student learning positively.
For those more technically inclined, to provide ultra-fast inline remediation and gamification-ready response times, we rebuilt the processing pipelines to have multiple “swim-lanes”, each with independently scaling infrastructure. This updated architecture was purpose-built to accelerate Accessibility Engine processing.
- New, Modern Accessibility Design Tools to Replace Need for YouDoIt Design Tools
Our goal with Panorama is to provide a one-stop-shop solution for Accessibility. Part of that vision is to provide a more modern and capable WYSIWYG design interface to ensure that more accessible content is being created right from the start.
Creating content within editable HTML areas of LMSs can be challenging, often resulting in content lacking visual appeal and accessible organization. To address these concerns, we’re introducing the Accessibility Design Tool to enhance the structuring, aesthetic, and usability of content in editable HTML areas.
This will be a multi-cycle release, starting with three crucial areas for enhancement. Firstly, the tool will allow instructors to craft Banner Titles, allowing them to select custom colors and text alignment to suit their needs. Secondly, it provides the option to create containers of varying sizes, each adaptable with individual padding for flexible content spacing. Finally, the Text element grants instructors the option to position their content within containers with an array of formatting options, including headers, alignment, spacing, and so much more.
- WCAG 2.1-Aligned Website Scanning Tool Enhanced to Offer Accessibility Insights for Linked Pages and Documents
To provide accessibility assistance outside of integrated LMS domains, Panorama offers Website Accessibility scanning designed to extend accessibility checks and support beyond integrated LMS domains. The scanning tool operates in three phases, starting by identifying content and linked pages within a specified domain. It then performs a scan to generate Accessibility Reports for the domain, documents, and linked pages. Finally, it enables users to create Alternative Formats for discovered documents.
A comprehensive list of all scanned domains can then be viewed within the Website Report, offering the overall accessibility score, individualized scores for content found within the domain, and access to generate Alternative Formats.
- No More Third-Party Cookies!
Panorama’s LMS integration, with its established and IMS-certified implementation of LTI 1.3/LTI Advantage protocols, has traditionally utilized third-party cookies to ensure secure data transfer between integrated tools. Now, thanks to the adoption of new enhanced protocols, the necessity for third-party cookies is no longer required. This development enables users to benefit from a more secure connection and straightforward product integration, especially with browsers that might default to having cookies turned off.
- On-Demand Processing Queue for Faster Accessibility Report and Alternative Formats Generation
As Panorama continues to expand, we have built an Elastic Media Cloud (EMC) that can process institutions and courses with hundreds and thousands of files within an hour. We’re now introducing an extension to the EMC, On-Demand Processing, to help manage processing requests for Alternative Formats and updates to documents made through our Remediation Engine. With a workload that is 99.9% lighter than the traditional general processing workload, the On-Demand queue assures the completion of these immediate processing tasks in two minutes or less.
- Option to Hide the Website Accessibility Icon
With an approach to optimizing viewability on smaller screens, such as mobile devices, instructors and students can conceal the Website Accessibility icon until they navigate to a new page or for a specified duration of one day. For those who prefer a consistently minimal interface, the option to hide the icon permanently is also available.
- Customize the Institution Name on the Institution Information Page
Panorama offers the option to customize the institution name displayed on the Institution Information page to provide a custom viewing experience. Administrators wishing to modify the name to align with specific branding or internal naming conventions can do so by contacting their Customer Success Manager.
- My Content Tab Supports Multi-File Drag-and-Drop
We’ve introduced a new drag-and-drop functionality to Panorama, allowing users to upload multiple documents into their My Content Files or created folders.
- Filter Issues by Severity in the Accessibility Report
The Accessibility Report now allows instructors and students to organize and view identified issues based on their severity level—Severe, Major, and Minor.
- Enhanced UI for Panorama’s WYSIWYG Editor
To ensure a unified and modern user interface across Panorama, we’ve upgraded the WYSIWYG editor, aligning its UI with the refined aesthetic and functionality similar to that of the Accessibility Report UI. Users will now be able to view an organized list of accessibility issues, with the option to filter by severity to resolve the most concerning issues immediately.
- On-Demand Refresh of Institution-Level Reports
For institutions utilizing the option to Pre-Generate Reports, we’ve introduced a new feature to update reports manually. A “Refresh” button is now available for each report, providing the option to initiate an update that will generate the most recent data within the hour.
- Updated Support for LibreOffice Version 7.6.2
Panorama continues to align with advancements in document technology, now offering support for LibreOffice version 7.6.2. This update is crucial in ensuring the security of documents, aligning with our commitment to providing a safe and up-to-date environment for all users.
- Improved Interface for Performing Accessibility Weighting Adjustments
We have updated the interaction for adjusting accessibility weighting for various issue types—Severe, Major, and Minor. Admins can now select their preferred weights using a sliding bar while still having the option to input precise values with the textbox.
- Panorama Expansion with a Dedicated Server for Australian Institutions
As Panorama grows, we’ve introduced a dedicated server specifically for Australian institutions to take advantage of our accessibility learning features.
- New Remediation Engine – WCAG 2.1 Aligned Microsoft PowerPoint Issues
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September 8, 2023
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Jackson Peak” Version Released to US, CAN, and EU Zones
Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, and the European Union. This release provides our users with a new workflow for remediating accessibility issues, a Remediation Engine that fully supports Microsoft Word issues, a refreshed Accessibility Report, custom weighting for severity types, the option to replace the original document with a generated alternative format, localization support for Dutch and Finnish languages, and so much more.
- Streamlined Workflow for Remediating Accessibility Issues
As part of our development for Panorama’s Remediation Engine, we have taken a deep dive into how users can easily resolve issues in real time within the Accessibility Report. As a result, we are introducing a dedicated ‘Fix Issue’ feature that offers immediate insights into the current problem and practical suggestions for a resolution. After adding the necessary changes, a comprehensive list of all fixes can be reviewed before applying the changes to update the document.
- Expanded Support for Microsoft Word Remediation Engine for Inline Remediation Within the LMS
Our previous release introduced our new Microsoft Word Remediation Engine, designed to address font-size issues in real-time within Microsoft Word documents. Building upon this, we’re expanding our remediation capabilities by allowing users to resolve more WCAG 2.1 Microsoft Word issues:- Contrast issues
- Alternative text for images
- Non-descriptive hyperlink text
- Refreshed Accessibility Report Interface
We have updated the Accessibility Report with a modernized UI showcasing an organized display of issues. To accomplish this, we have made the following changes: 1) issue can be seen within the new list-style view; 2) The number of issues have been categorized by their severity; 3) Filtering options to allow users to view specific issues in each severity. - Create a Custom Weighted Scale for Severity Types
Panorama has consistently assessed accessibility issues with Severe, Major, and Minor importance. We’re now providing administrators the option to fine-tune the weight of each severity, allowing institutions to create a more precise accessibility score aligning with their unique priorities.
Each severity level will now uniquely influence the final accessibility score through its customized weight. For instance, if Major issues are assigned a weight of 10 and Minor issues a weight of 1, Major issues will affect the accessibility score ten times more than Minor issues. To learn more about this feature and how to set custom weights for the severity of issues, please visit our guide on Customizing Severity Weighting Settings for Panorama - Replace Original Documents with a Generated Alternative Format
Instructors have the option to seamlessly replace the original document within their Learning Management System with a newly generated alternative format.
- Accessibility Icons Can Be Hidden at the Course Level
To give instructors more control over their courses, they can now disable accessibility icons at the course level. This option will prevent students and instructors from accessing the Alternative Formats menu and Accessibility Reports within their LMS but will still provide analytical tracking for the course.
- Integrate Panorama into Specific LMS Sub-Accounts for LTI 1.3
Panorama now offers targeted integration within specific LTI 1.3 sub-accounts to accommodate institutions utilizing hierarchical sub-accounts in their LMS. This will allow administrators to only enable Panorama for their desired accounts instead of applying it to the top-level account, which would activate Panorama for all sub-accounts. - The Course Setting Page Offers Access to the LMS Course
Administrators and instructors who wish to navigate back to their course after making course-setting adjustments can, with a click of a button, navigate directly to their course.
- Local Support for Dutch and Finnish Languages
Complementing our English, French, and Spanish localization, Panorama will now fully support Dutch and Finnish languages across the entire Platform. Simply access your settings to adjust your language preferences.
- Updated Colors and Icons for the Panorama Sidebar
As part of our ongoing commitment to elevate the Panorama experience with our new branding, administrators can expect vibrant color enhancements and new icons that provide a refreshed look to the sidebar.
- Screen Readers Can Detect When Alternative Formats Are Generated
Users who navigate through Panorama with the help of accessibility tools will now be notified by their screen reader when an alternative format has been successfully generated. - Pre-Generate Course Reports to Provide Instant Viewing of Analytics
Similar to pre-generating institution reports, activating this feature ensures that the Course Report stays consistently up-to-date, providing institutions with large data sets instant access to their analytics.
- Increased Responsiveness for the Panorama LTI App on Canvas
To enhance Panorama’s accessibility for users who prefer utilizing their browser’s zoom functionalities, Panorama will now dynamically adapt its interface to accommodate zoom levels exceeding 100%.
- Streamlined Workflow for Remediating Accessibility Issues
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August 18, 2023
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Mount Jasper” Version Released to US, CAN, and EU Zones
Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, and the European Union. This release provides our users with reports for webpage accessibility scanning, a new interface for Website Accessibility, the option to adjust Accessibility Icon colors, unified HTML reporting, map Canvas custom roles to Panorama, the option to scan newly added courses, and more.
- New WCAG 2.1-Aligned Webpage Scanning and Reporting
To expand on Panorama’s Website Accessibility Widget, the Platform can now perform WCAG 2.1-aligned accessibility analysis on webpages and its linked content.
Website Administrators can easily view low-scoring webpages within a dedicated table to identify web pages that may hinder students’ learning or compromise an institution’s commitment to website accessibility. In an upcoming release, we will be adding optional, automated domain-level website traversal to provide fully automated scanning of websites which can replace legacy website accessibility scanning tools. - Refreshed Website Accessibility Interface
The Website Accessibility Widget, designed to improve the usability and accessibility of any website, now offers an improved user interface with a tabular view organizing Color Adjustments, Content Adjustment, and Accessibility Profiles. Select any adjustment or Profile to quickly apply an accessible preset or apply custom granular adjustments for accessibility issues such as text color, background color, font sizing, letter spacing, and so much more.
- Adjust Branding Colors for Accessibility Icons
Recognizing the diverse branding and accessibility requirements of different institutions, Panorama now offers administrators the flexibility to adjust color preferences for icons. Simply navigate to your institution settings and add any color to the accessibility icons.
- Unified Accessibility Reporting for HTML Regions and Documents
In an effort to unify how we present Accessibility Reports across Learning Management Systems, HTML pages will feature only the Accessibility Icon to access Alternative Formats and Accessibility Reports when additional HTML gauges are disabled.
- Map Any Custom Canvas Role to a Panorama Role
Administrators have the option to align their custom Canvas roles with Panorama’s Administrator, Instructor, or Student roles. This integration will allow unique institution roles to be recognized by Panorama, ensuring controlled access to accessibility features. To learn how to align custom Canvas roles with Panorama, please visit our support guide on How to Add Custom Canvas Roles to Panorama.
- Enhanced Scan Management Tools to Scan New Courses or Re-Scan All Courses
To enhance administrators’ control over scanning and processing courses, the Scheduled Scans panel offers new tools to scan newly added courses and rescan all existing courses. This will allow administrators to exclusively scan and process newly added courses or re-scan all existing courses according to their needs. - Self-Service Tools to Test the Correct API Access on the Institution and Course Level
Administrators will be able to test Panorama’s LMS API access to ensure APIs can retrieve relevant information about the institution or course, such as a list of roles, the names of courses, files added to a course, HTML pages created, etc.
- The Course Report Content Search Can Filter by Dates
To allow admins and instructors to locate documents efficiently within a course, we have introduced a filtering option for the Content table that organizes search results by recently added. - The Accessibility Report Will Prioritize Showing Document-Wide Issues
We’ve enhanced our Accessibility Report layout to prioritize listing document-wide issues at the top of the issues list, organized by severity. For instance, concerns such as malformed or untagged documents now appear before issues such as alt text or hyperlinks. This can be used to focus on and resolve critical accessibility issues that have affected the entire document.
- New WCAG 2.1-Aligned Webpage Scanning and Reporting
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July 14, 2023
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Iceberg Peak” Version Released to US, CAN, and EU Zones
Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, and the European Union. This release provides our users with automatic font size adjustments through our new Remediation Engine, a comprehensive report for Website Accessibility, a student-centric tool to display Website Accessibility on any page, the option to add downloadable files from any page to My Content, new improvements to the WYSIWYG Editor, filters for content search in the Course Report, new admin-specific settings, and more.
- Remediation Engines: A New Class of Accessibility Tools
With our latest update, we’re introducing an industry-first by launching a new class of Engines to Panorama called Remediation Engines. This type of Engine complements our existing set of Engines with the distinction that while an Accessibility Engine identifies accessibility issues, a Remediation Engine can actually remediate the issue within the document. In upcoming releases, we plan to broaden the scope of available Remediation Engines that will perform document remediations across a wider set of accessibility concerns and supported file formats. - New Microsoft Word Remediation Engine Capability – Adjust Font Size Issues for all Word Documents
Our first innovation in the Remediation Engine space is a new Microsoft Word Remediation Engine which allows content owners to select specific font size adjustments for each issue, review their selection, and then directly apply the change to their actual document.
- Comprehensive Website Accessibility Reporting Based on the Website Accessibility Widget
Panorama now provides a new Website Accessibility Report, offering a comprehensive summary of key accessibility modifications performed when using the Website Accessibility Widget. This report includes:- The total number of adjustments, encompassing Content and Color Adjustments.
- Most frequently utilized Content and Color Adjustments.
- A detailed breakdown of each Content and Color Adjustment employed.
By taking advantage of this feature, administrators gain valuable insights into students’ preferences for the accessibility of their Learning Management Systems (LMS) and external websites.
- New Accessibility Tool Built for Students to Improve Accessibility of Any Website
Our 2023 Four Quadrant Accessibility Strategy focused on delivering accessibility solutions on four quadrants:- LMS Accessibility
- Website Accessibility
- Content Library Accessibility
- Student Self-Service Accessibility
We are now delivering on the last quadrant – Student Self-Service Accessibility- with a Panorama Browser Tool that a user can apply to any website to create a more personalized and accessible web browsing environment. This means that students can traverse any website in their learning journey that is outside of university-managed infrastructure and benefit from Panorama’s accessibility tools.
- Website Accessibility Scans for Documents to Add to My Content
When students have access to My Content, Website Accessibility seamlessly scans and presents a comprehensive list of downloadable files found on the web page. This intuitive feature allows students to effortlessly view files and conveniently add them to their personal repository, My Content.
- New WYSIWYG Real-Time Engine Improvement: Detection of Unhelpful Descriptive Texts for URLs
URL Descriptions provide users with information about the content contained within a website. Understanding that certain descriptive texts may not be helpful, the WYSIWYG Editor identifies common unhelpful descriptions, such as “click here” and “click more,” and allows users to adjust the descriptive text for their URLs.
- New WYSIWYG Real-Time Engine Improvement: HTML Table Caption Check
As part of our ongoing efforts to ensure comprehensive accessibility checks for our WYSIWYG editor, we have implemented a check for missing table captions. This check is essential in ensuring the content within tables is accurately described to users.
- New WYSIWYG Real-Time Engine Improvement: Classify Images as Decorative
Decorative images are specifically intended for visual enhancement and do not provide any additional information. By categorizing an image as decorative with the WYSIWYG Editor, assistive technologies, such as screen readers, will disregard it, enabling users to navigate through relevant content in their learning environment.
- New WYSIWYG Real-Time Engine Improvement: HTML Lists will be Checked for Proper Formatting
To generate precise accessibility reports for content, Panorama’s WYSIWYG Editor verifies the adherence to proper HTML formatting for ordered and unordered lists. This ensures that content meets the required standards, enhancing the overall accessibility of the material.
- Adjust the Visibility of User Setup at the Institution Level
Similar to how administrators can adjust the visibility of My Content, we are now extending this feature to include the User Setup page. Simply adjust the visibility under Global Settings to be visible to all, available to instructors and administrators, or completely hidden from view.
- Customize the “Help” Link for the Alternative Formats Menu
The Alternative Formats menu offers a Help button which can now be customized by the administrator, allowing for a custom link to be specified.
- The Course Report Content Search Now Offers Filters by File Type
To facilitate easy navigation for administrators and instructors, we have introduced a filtering option that organizes search results for Content in Course Reports based on file type.
- Administrators can Disable Course Settings for Instructors
To provide administrators with complete control over the accessibility of learning environments for courses, we now allow them to turn off course-specific settings for instructors.
- Panorama will Verify Document Availability for Accessible Alternative Formats in Canvas
Canvas offers instructors the option to mark specific documents as unavailable. When generating alternative formats, Panorama conducts a check every hour to verify that students have access to the document before proceeding with the generation of alternative formats. This ensures that alternative formats are created only for documents that are accessible to the student.
- Pre-Generation of Analytics Reporting will be Automatically Enabled
As institutions incorporate more campuses into Panorama, we will automatically enable Pre-Generate Reports when All Courses are selected in the Scope Settings. This will provide institutions with increased performance results for their institution reports.
- Enhanced Scanning of Courses for Large Institutions
We have enhanced our backend infrastructure to facilitate efficient scanning for institutions with thousands of courses. - Custom Placement for the Website Accessibility Icon on Individual Domains
Previously, administrators could designate a single location for the Website Accessibility icon on web pages. We have enhanced this feature to provide administrators with the flexibility to set custom icon placements for each domain, offering greater control over the visual integration of Website Accessibility.
- Enhanced Branding Across the Panorama Platform
As we continue to grow and partner with more institutions, we’re dedicated to providing a modern look and feel to the Panorama Platform. To achieve our branding goals, we have refined our designs for buttons and dialog boxes. Future releases will focus on color schemes for layouts, icon enhancements, and updates to our fonts.
- Remediation Engines: A New Class of Accessibility Tools
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June 15, 2023
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Mount Haltia” Version Released to US, CAN, and EU Zones
Australian Zones Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, and the European Union. This release provides our users with video tutorials for all “How-to-Fix” guides, Custom LTI Role Mapping, expanded support for D2L Brightspace, enhanced scanning for Powerpoint presentations, Accessibility Reports regeneration for HTML content, Shared files no longer include Accessibility Reports, and enhanced security for the panorama LTI app.
- Every “How to Fix” Guide Now Includes a Video Tutorials
We have enhanced the Panorama “How-to-Fix” guides by introducing short video tutorials for every accessibility concern. Embedded directly within the Accessibility Report, these videos aim to assist users in creating accessible documents.
- Custom LTI Role Mapping
Administrators now have the option to configure how users are signed into the Panorama LTI app upon launch. By configuring their LTI role mapping, LMS-specific roles can be adjusted to match the institution’s needs for their Panorama role structure.
- Real-Time Updates for Accessibility Scores in Course Reports
We have implemented an auto-update feature for the Accessibility Scores of documents within Course Reports. Now, whenever a file is updated, the Accessibility Score will be updated immediately, enabling users to receive instant insights into the accessibility status of their documents.
- Expanded Support to Identify Files and Content Areas within D2L Brightspace
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhancing the accessibility of D2L Brightspace, Panorama has been updated to detect files in additional areas. Specifically, Panorama will now detect files inside HTML areas in Lessons View, ensuring comprehensive accessibility coverage across the platform.
- Automatic File Scans During the Creation of HTML-Based Pages in D2L Brightspace
To streamline the accessibility workflow on D2L Brightspace, Panorama now incorporates real-time scanning for files added to HTML pages being created. This ensures that when files are added to a page, Panorama will automatically perform a scan before the page is saved, providing immediate accessibility analysis.
- Enhanced PowerPoint Scanning for Generating Alternative Formats
We have expanded Panorama’s scanning capabilities to include improved recognition and detection of various background colors and images in PowerPoint presentations. This ensures Panorama can recognize any PowerPoint and generate its Alternative Formats in a timely manner.
- Editing an HTML Page Will Regenerate its Accessibility Report
To provide the most accurate reports for HTML pages, we have implemented an automatic process that regenerates the Accessibility Report whenever an HTML page is edited. This real-time regeneration guarantees that the report always reflects the most up-to-date information, allowing for improved accuracy and timely identification of accessibility issues. - Improved Panorama’s Compliance with JAWS
We have aligned Panorama more closely with JAWS, one of the most widely used screen reader software. We have extended keyboard navigation to additional areas like the My Content page and ensured consistent labeling of elements.
- Shared Files No Longer Include Their Accessibility Report
When sharing files from your personal repository, My Content, the associated Accessibility Report will no longer be shared. This allows you to have exclusive access to accessibility improvements, relieving the intended recipients from the need to interpret the report.
- Every “How to Fix” Guide Now Includes a Video Tutorials
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June 5, 2023
YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform – “Huron Peak” Version Released to US, CAN, and EU Zones
Canadian Zones European Union Zones Panorama for Digital Accessibility United States ZonesWe have successfully pushed an update to all YuJa Panorama Digital Accessibility Platform instances residing in the United States, Canada, and the European Union. This release provides our users with several updates. Highlights include: UI enhancements to the Alternative Formats menu, options to customize How-to-Fix guides, new Course Analytics for Institution Reports, expanded support for the WYSIWYG editor inside D2L Brightspace, Accessibility Reports for content created with TinyMCE 6.0, expanded support for Panorama in Blackboard Ultra, new Panorama rest APIs to retrieve reports, and the option to set a data retention policy.
- Refreshed Alternative Formats Menu Interface
We have updated the Alternative Formats Menu with a refreshed and modernized UI that showcases all available alternative formats while minimizing the steps required to view a preferred format. In future releases, we aim to provide custom branding through icon colors and font adjustments to meet the branding needs of institutions.
- Editable “How-to-Fix” Guides to Meet the Unique Needs of Institutions
Administrators can edit the “How-to-Fix” guides using an integrated WYSIWYG editing interface to meet the exact needs and protocols of their institutions. Add new text, images, and links, and adjust formatting for guides. To provide guidelines on accessible content, each issue will now be accompanied by a link to its relevant Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to provide more information when editing the “How-to-Fix” guides.
- Upgraded Text and Images within Each “How-to-Fix” Guide
We have upgraded the Panorama “How-to-Fix” guides by improving all texts and images to provide more easy-to-follow instructions for improving the accessibility of content. In a near-term release, we will focus on bringing short video tutorials for each issue to help users create accessible content for their documents.
- Institution Report Offers Viewing for Key Course Metrics
The Institution Report provides a greater depth of analysis for admins looking to quickly gain more information about courses in their institution. Administrators now have access to key metrics, such as accessibility scores, storage sizes, and the number of files and downloads for all courses. If more detailed reports for courses are required, administrators can select any course to view its corresponding Course Report.
- Expanded Support for WYSIWYG Editor Inside D2L Brightspace Lessons View
As part of our ongoing efforts to increase accessibility in all areas of D2L Brightspace, we now support real-time accessibility checks with our WYSIWYG editor in the new Lessons View. By offering real-time analysis and actionable suggestions, Content Creators can create accessible content within their D2L Brightspace environment. Our checks are essential in ensuring content is accurate and in compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- Accessibility Score Support for TinyMCE 6.0 in Moodle 4.1
With the recent TinyMCE 6.0 release available to all Moodle 4.1 users, Panorama can now assess the accessibility of content created using the TinyMCE 6.0 editor. This enables Panorama to accurately evaluate the accessibility of content created using TinyMCE 6.0 and provide users with accessibility scores.
- Expanded Support for Panorama in Blackboard Ultra
To increase accessibility scans for our Blackboard Ultra users, during course scans, files are now identified in the Content and Assignment sections of Blackboard. In addition, if HTML reporting is enabled, files from the Discussion section and Assessment region will also be included in the reports. With these enhancements, administrators and instructors will benefit from increased accuracy in accessibility scores for both institution and course-level reporting.
- Apply Multiple Filters to the Roster Management
To enhance the Roster Management experience, administrators can now apply multiple filters that provide greater precision when viewing the roster.
- Accessibility Scores for HTML-Based Pages in List View
Previously, instructors would have to click on each HTML-based page to review its accessibility score. We have now refined how instructors view accessibility scores by providing accessibility icons in sections where HTML pages are listed.
- Enhanced Panorama’s Screen Reader Compliance
In line with our dedication to fostering inclusivity and accessibility, we have significantly improved Panorama’s screen reader compliance. Screen readers can now efficiently and more accurately interpret content found within Panorama, such as the LTI App, Website Accessibility, LMS Visualizer, and more. - Course Reports Provide Average Accessibility Scores of Documents
Institution and Course Reports now provide a graph showcasing the average accessibility score for each file type.
- Panorama REST API to Retrieve Reports
We have added support for third-party API integration to allow administrators and instructors to access information regarding document accessibility issues and institution and course-level reporting. To learn how to use our APIs, please visit our Panorama API guide. - View Accessibility Impact Scores
Administrators can view impact scores for each course to see how they affect the overall institution score. This feature will allow administrators to focus on the least accessible courses and view changes to the impact score as users adjust courses.
- Improved Color Adjustments for Website Accessibility
Previously, adjusting the Contrast, Saturation, and Monochrome settings for Website Accessibility would, in certain circumstances, change the formatting of pages. We have updated these settings to ensure the original formatting of pages is kept intact.
- Administrators Can Now Create Data Retention Policy
Administrators can set Panorama to remove all data after a specified number of months automatically. This feature gives administrators and instructors a clean slate when using Panorama between semesters or school years.
- Adjust the Visibility of My Content
Administrators can adjust the visibility of My Content, the personal repository for users, to be visible to all, available to instructors and administrators, or completely hidden from view.
- Refreshed Alternative Formats Menu Interface