Ally is an accessibility tool integrated into Blackboard that helps instructors improve the accessibility of their course content.
It identifies issues such as text readability, missing image descriptions, and inaccessible document formats. By creating content with inclusion in mind, instructors support all students, including those with disabilities like visual impairments or dyslexia. Ally’s Alternative Formats and feedback make courses more accessible, benefiting all learners.
What is Ally?
Legal Requirements for Accessibility
Educational institutions are legally required to ensure their course materials are accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. Federal laws and guidelines, such as the following, set the standards for accessibility:
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): Prohibits discrimination and requires institutions to provide equal access to education.
- Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act: Ensures students with disabilities receive accommodations and access to educational resources.
- Section 508 Standards: Mandates that all electronic and information technology used by federal agencies and institutions receiving federal funding is accessible.
Accessibility compliance is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provide strategies, standards, and resources to make the web accessible to people with disabilities.
Key Features of Ally:
- Accessibility Indicators
- Feedback and Suggestions
- Alternative Formats
- Detailed Reports
Accessibility Indicators
Ally is built into Blackboard and provides a color-coded accessibility score for each piece of course content. These scores make it easy for instructors to identify and prioritize areas for improvement.
Viewing Ally Scores:
- Accessibility scores appear as small gear icons next to each content file (e.g., PDF, Word).
Understanding the Ally Score:
- Scores range from 0% (Red) to 100% (Green), indicating the level of accessibility.
- Higher scores mean the content is more accessible to students.
Feedback and Suggestions
Ally provides clear, actionable feedback to help instructors improve content accessibility.
View Ally Feedback:
- Log in to your course and look for Accessibility Indicators (colored gear icons) next to files (e.g., Word Docs, PowerPoints, PDFs, images).
- Click on the indicator to view detailed feedback and follow the step-by-step instructions to fix any issues.
Common Issues and Fixes:
- Alternative Text (Alt Text): Add descriptive alt text to images and graphs to assist visually impaired students.
- Headings: Use proper heading structures (H1, H2, etc.) to help students using screen readers navigate content more easily.
- Text Color and Contrast: Ensure sufficient contrast between text and background for readability.
- Document Formatting: Follow Ally’s recommendations to format documents for compatibility with screen readers.
Alternative Formats
Ally automatically generates eight different Alternative Formats for course files and HTML content. These formats are optimized for assistive technologies, mobile devices, and study tools.
How to Access Alternative Formats:
- Click the “A” icon or the “Alternative Formats” option for the course content item.
- Select the desired alternative format and click “Download.”
Note: The original file remains unchanged when alternative formats are generated.
Ally Reports and Insights
Ally provides instructors with detailed reports on their course’s overall accessibility performance.
Viewing Reports:
- Access the Ally report through the “Ally” tool in the Content Market (Books & Tools).
- The report offers an overview of accessibility issues across all course content and highlights the most critical areas to address.
Conclusion
By using Ally, instructors can make meaningful improvements to the accessibility of their course materials, creating a more inclusive learning environment for all students. Ally not only supports students with disabilities but also benefits all learners by offering flexible, accessible content formats that are easy to use and navigate.