FAQ Categories


Using Panorama

What does it mean when I see a frowny face icon in my course? A frowny face indicates that the format you’ve posted isn’t accessible. However, Panorama provides alternative format options for students as a temporary solution while you work on fixing the content.


I fixed my document, but the frowny face won't go away. Why? One common reason is the file format. Panorama requires modern, accessible file types. For example, a Word document must be saved as a .docx rather than the older .doc format to be recognized as fixed.


Why might my overall accessibility score look better than expected? Because Panorama evaluates Moodle web content too, and Moodle pages are usually close to 100% accessible. Your overall score will be inflated compared to the accessibility of your uploaded files.


Does Panorama fix my documents automatically? While Panorama doesn't automatically change your original files without your input, it does offer a "Remediation Engine." For certain common issues—like missing alternative text for images or incorrect font contrast—you can apply fixes directly within the Panorama interface. Once you approve the changes, Panorama generates a new, accessible version of the file to replace the old one in Moodle.


Will Panorama check my Moodle "Labels" or "Pages"? Yes. Panorama doesn't just check uploaded files like Word and PDF; it also scans HTML content created directly within Moodle, such as "Pages," "Labels," and "Book" chapters. You will see an accessibility icon for these items just as you do for uploaded files.


Why doesn’t Panorama show anything for my H5P content? Panorama cannot check H5P content or any embedded content from external platforms. If the content cannot be checked by Panorama, there won’t be any icon displayed next to it. The Office of Distance Learning is working to identify which H5P content types are accessible.


If Microsoft’s Accessibility Assistant says my document is 100%, why might Panorama still flag issues? Microsoft’s tool checks general accessibility issues, while Panorama evaluates against WCAG 2.1 AA expectations and may flag additional items beyond what Microsoft detects.


Student View and Alternative Formats

Can students see the "frowny face" accessibility scores? No. Students only see a generic accessibility icon (a blue humanoid figure), which gives them access to alternative formats. They do not see the faculty-facing accessibility rankings or indicators.


How does Panorama help students who don't have a disability? Panorama follows the "Universal Design for Learning" (UDL) philosophy. For example, a student commuting on a bus might use the "Audio Podcast" format to listen to a lecture reading, or a student with a slow internet connection might download the "Plain Text" version of a heavy PowerPoint. These tools help everyone, regardless of their physical abilities.


Can all students benefit from these alternative formats, or just those with disabilities? All students can benefit from these features, not just those with documented learning disabilities or challenges. Features like audio podcasts, ePub files, and the Immersive Reader can be helpful for any student’s learning preferences.


Should I tell my students about these features? Yes! Faculty are encouraged to point out the alternative formats menu during syllabus review or course introductions. Students will see this resource in all their Moodle classes, and many may not know it exists without being told.


What is the Immersive Reader, and how does it help students? Immersive Reader is a feature that opens content in a special view with multiple accessibility options, including text-to-speech with voice narration, customizable fonts and colors, adjustable text size, highlighting of different parts of speech, and focus tools to help students concentrate on specific text sections. This is helpful for students with visual difficulties, learning disabilities, or anyone who prefers different reading formats.


What is the Audio Podcast feature? The Audio Podcast feature converts text content into an audio format with a pleasant voice. For example, a 6-7 page article can be converted in about 90 seconds. Students can listen to course materials while walking across campus, waiting for the bus, or during other activities.


PDF Accessibility


Do I still need to fix my PDFs if Panorama provides alternative formats? Yes. Panorama is a helpful stopgap measure, but you still need to remediate your documents or find accessible versions. The Panorama subscription may not continue indefinitely, so permanent solutions are necessary.


Are scanned PDFs/images difficult to remediate? Yes. Scanned PDFs and image-based documents are especially difficult to remediate.


What should I do if I have a scanned PDF that needs to be made accessible? First, if you don’t own the copyright to the document, reach out to the author or publisher for an accessible version. If you created the document yourself, you can use Panorama’s OCR (Optical Character Recognition) feature to generate a reconstructed PDF, which is much easier to remediate than the original scanned version.


Are there support documents available for remediating PDFs? The Office of Distance Learning has support documents that walk through methods for making PDFs more accessible, including using Panorama’s OCR feature or Adobe Pro.


Should I be uploading Word documents or PDFs to my course? Microsoft files (Word documents, PowerPoints) are generally more accessible than PDFs. If you’re creating PowerPoints or Word documents and then saving them as PDFs, consider uploading the original Microsoft files instead.


What should I do with inaccessible PDFs that I didn’t create? If you do not own the copyright (e.g., a journal article or textbook scan), you should not try to fix it yourself. Instead, contact the publisher and request an accessible version.


How do I get accessible versions of textbook or article PDFs from publishers? Contact the publisher directly and request an accessible version. The Office of Distance Learning has canned language/email templates you can use. Publishers are aware of federal and state accessibility mandates and should be prepared to provide accessible content. When selecting new textbooks, ask about accessibility as a key criterion.


What happens if I have a document that cannot be made accessible? If a document is truly impossible to remediate (such as a very old, poor-quality scanned PDF), the best practice is to provide an alternative. Panorama helps here by offering students "Alternative Formats" automatically, but faculty are encouraged to find a modern digital version of the text whenever possible.



Microsoft Word Document Accessibility


Why do I need to use heading styles if I can just make text bold or large? Bold or large text is purely visual formatting — it carries no structural information. Heading styles embed metadata tags that screen readers use to help users navigate the document. A screen reader user can jump between headings the same way a sighted person skims; without heading styles, they must read from start to finish every time. 


What is the "document title" and why does Panorama keep flagging it? The document title is a metadata field stored inside the Word file, completely separate from any text in the document body, any heading styles, and even the file name itself. It can only be set in the desktop version of Microsoft Word via File → Info → Title. If it's blank, Panorama will flag it every time. Make the title descriptive — something like "Chem 101 Syllabus" rather than "Document 2." 


Can I still use color in my documents? Yes, but with two important rules. First, always use high contrast colors — Word's font color picker has a "high contrast only" toggle to help. Second, never rely on color alone to convey meaning. If color is used to group or distinguish content (e.g., "complete the pink assignments"), there must be an additional non-color indicator, such as bold text or a label like "(Group A)." 


What font size and style should I use? Use a minimum of 10pt font. Avoid overly decorative or stylized fonts, all-caps text, and excessive use of bold. If everything is bold or capitalized, nothing stands out as truly important — and stylized fonts can be genuinely difficult to read, even for users who don't rely on screen readers. 


How do I add a caption to a table in Word? Click on your table to select it, then right-click the small move handle (the up/down arrow icon) that appears in the corner. From the context menu, choose Insert Caption. A dialog box will appear where you can type a descriptive caption and choose whether it appears above or below the table. Make the caption meaningful — for example, "Table 1.4: Children's Snacks on Weekdays" rather than just "Table 1.4." 


What's wrong with merged table cells? Merged cells disrupt the logical grid structure that screen readers rely on to announce cell content in context. Each data point should occupy its own cell. If two cells need to display the same value, that's fine — just don't merge them. 


How should I format hyperlinks? Never paste a raw URL (e.g., www.example.com) directly into a document. Instead, use descriptive anchor text that tells the reader where the link goes — for example, "News from UL Lafayette." Avoid vague phrases like "click here," "learn more," or just "more," as Panorama will flag these as potentially inaccessible link text. 


Do all images need alt text? All images that convey meaning need alt text that describes that meaning clearly. Images that are purely decorative should be explicitly marked as decorative in Word's alt text settings, so screen readers know to skip them. 


Does this apply to Word documents used in any context, or just Moodle? The accessibility principles discussed apply universally to Word documents, but the specific flagging behavior mentioned (e.g., Panorama flagging the word "click") is specific to the Panorama accessibility checker used within Moodle. The underlying best practices — heading structure, alt text, descriptive links, proper tables — apply any time you share a Word document with others. 


Panorama Course Report and DocHub


Can I see the accessibility of my entire course at once? Yes. From the Reports section in your Moodle course, you can select "Panorama" to view the Course Report. This gives you a high-level overview of your entire course's accessibility health, showing you which documents need the most work and providing a list of all issues across all files in one place.


What does the “Reprocess course” button do and why is it a concern? Reprocessing can remove prior Panorama remediation work and effectively “wipe the slate clean,” so avoid clicking it unless you intentionally need to reset/re-run processing.


Can I see accessibility broken down by file type (PDF vs PowerPoint vs web content)? Yes. The Course Report shows a cumulative accessibility score broken down by content types. You can view the data as a graph or a table.


What’s the benefit of the “Files” and “Issues” sections? The "Files" section is a file-by-file list with scan dates and accessibility scores, which is often faster to use than scrolling through the course page. The "Issues" section shows repeated issues (e.g., many non-descriptive links) grouped together so you can prioritize the most common patterns.


Can I remediate files directly from the Course Report? Yes. Selecting the file’s indicator opens the alternative formats menu and the accessibility report so you can remediate from the report view; updates then show back on the Moodle page.


What does “Cumulative alternate formats downloaded” mean? It is intended to indicate student use of alternate formats in your courses. 


Can I use Panorama for documents outside of Moodle? Yes. While it is integrated into Moodle, faculty can access a "Document Hub" through the Panorama dashboard. This acts as a storage space where you can upload and fix documents before using them elsewhere, such as on a university website.


Can I move a remediated Doc Hub file directly into a Moodle page? Not directly. The workflow should be to: (1) download from Doc Hub, then (2) upload into Moodle.


Compliance Expectations and Timelines


Is there an “acceptable range” (like 80–90%), or is the expectation 100%? The mandate states that all material provided to students shall be accessible. This indicates that the target is 100%. There is no language regarding a percentage-based “wiggle room.” The requirement is framed as compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA.


What will enforcement look like? At this time, we do not have that information. We will update our resources once the enforcement plan from the state and federal government has been made clear.


When do accessibility changes need to be in place? According to the presentation, changes need to be in place by April 24, 2026. Faculty should be proactive about reaching out to publishers and remediating content now.


Support and Help


Who do I contact if I'm stuck and can't get a document to "Green"? The Office of Distance Learning is the primary point of contact for technical help with Panorama. You can email them at distancelearning@louisiana.edu or attend one of their weekly "10-Minute Tech Talk" sessions for hands-on assistance.