Instructional Design Services

_{Ally is a tool in Blackboard that scans your content to determine how accessible it is for students using a screen reader. Ally also provides instructions on how to improve the accessibility of your course materials.}

Learn more about Ally in this brief Overview for Instructors video (1:28).

Viewing the Accessibility Score

After you upload a file like a Word document, PDF, PowerPoint, or image into Blackboard, an Accessibility Score Indicator will appear beside the file. These indicators are only visible to the instructor.

• A red indicator means the file is not accessible.
  
  
• An orange indicator means the file is somewhat accessible, but could still be improved.
  
  
• A light green indicator means the file is mostly accessible, but could benefit from some minor improvements.
  
  
• A dark green indicator means the file is very accessible.

Improving the Accessibility Score

To learn about the accessibility issues and how to improve them, simply click on Accessibility Score Indicator. Ally will provide an explanation of the issue and instructions for remediating the document. Once you have made the improvements, you can upload the new document for Ally to re-scan.

Alternative Formats for Student Download

Ally can also generate alternative formats for many file types. These may include HTML, electronic braille, audio, and others. These alternative formats are not a substitute for making the recommended accessibility improvements, but can provide students more options. Students can view the menu of alternative formats and download their preferred format by clicking on the Alternative Formats icon.

Ally Access

Ally can be enabled upon instructors request by contacting ITTD at (336) 285-4499.

This guide will help you meet ADA compliance and Quality Matters standards for accessible Word documents, PDFs, PowerPoint Presentations, and videos.