Blackboard Ally

Blackboard Ally is a new feature from Blackboard that evaluates the accessibility of your content and helps you make your Blackboard space accessible for all. Ally also provides guidance and tips for improvements to your content accessibility.

 

Accessible Content Is Better Content

Blackboard Ally helps instructors build a more inclusive learning environment and improve the student experience by helping them take clear control of course content with usability, accessibility and quality in mind. For more guidance on how to

 


Alternative Formats for All Learners

Improve the overall student experience with alternative formats that provide students with the choice and added flexibility that comes with a more personalized approach. Ally will automatically check for accessibility issues and generate alternative accessible formats using advanced Machine Learning algorithms.

 

Tagged PDF
Structured PDF for improved use with assistive technology

HTML
For viewing in the browser and on mobile devices

ePub
For reading as an e-book on an iPad and other e-book readers

Electronic braille
BRF version for use on electronic braille displays

Audio
MP3 version for listening

BeeLine Reader
Enhanced version for easier and faster on-screen reading

Translated version
A machine-translated version of the original document

 

Please note:

  • Contents outside of the Blackboard such as reading lists items and videos cannot be converted into alternative formats.
  • Please ensure not to upload and enable alternative formats for any copyrighted materials (book chapters, journal articles, newspaper articles etc)​.
  • Add links to the digital items if UWL subscribes to them or they are freely available on the web if the item isn’t available to link to, use the library digitisation service.
  • Further information regarding copyright policy and guidelines is available via uwl.libguides.com/copyright

Instructor feedback

Guide instructors on how to improve the accessibility of their course content and alter future behaviour.

Accessibility indicators

Provide feedback to instructors about the accessibility of their content all embedded in the context of their course.

 

 

Simple guidance

Provide guidance on how to fix accessibility issues and generate a change in behaviour over time and at the point-of-need.

 

 

Instructor course report

Provide an overall course score and ways to quickly address course files at scale, raising engagement and deepening skills.

 

 


Top tips on making content more accessible

Creating accessible Blackboard Pages

Creating accessible handouts

Creating accessible PowerPoints


Frequently Asked Questions

 

No, students can only see the alternative format option. Nothing else.

Student view:

 

Staff view:

Yes, You can disable specific resources:

The report is available to Instructors, Teaching Assistants and Course Builders.

To access the report, go to Control Panel > Course Tools > Accessibility Report.

Course Tools Accessibility Report

More on the course accessibility report

Microsoft Support articles

Improve accessibility with the Accessibility Checker
Excel / PowerPoint /Word for Office 365, 2019, 2016

Make your Word Documents accessible
Word for Office 365, 2019, 2016

Styles in Word
Word for Office 365, Word 2019, Word 2016

Make your Excel documents accessible
Excel for Office 365, 2019, 2016

Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible
PowerPoint for Office 365, 2019, 2016

Change the default font size
Excel / PowerPoint / Word for Office 365, 2019, 2016


Microsoft Accessibility video training

Accessibility video training – landing page

Create more accessible Word documents

Create more accessible PowerPoint presentations

Create more accessible Excel workbooks


Adobe guides


Adding Alt Text to Images

 Video

Multimedia