This document provides an overview of the Blackboard Ally learning management system and how it can be used to improve the accessibility of course content. Blackboard Ally analyzes files and provides accessibility scores, flags issues through indicators, generates alternative formats for files, and gives instructors feedback on how to make corrections to improve accessibility. It helps ensure all students can access content in the formats they need through features like alternative file formats, descriptions for images, and correcting issues with scanned documents.

1. BLACKBOARD
LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
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2. AGENDA
 Introduction
 Improve content accessibility with Ally's
 Alternative Formats
 Accessibility Indicators
 Instructor Feedback
 Common Accessibility Flags
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3. INTRODUCTION
What is Blackboard Ally ?
Ally works seamlessly with Blackboard Learn to gauge
the accessibility of your content. Ally provides
guidance and tips for lasting improvements to your
content accessibility.
 Accessible Content Is Better Content
 Alternative Formats for All Learners
 Institutional Reporting for the Bigger Picture
 Instructor-Specific Feedback to Save Time &
Resources
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4. ALTERNATIVE FORMATS
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Ally creates alternative formats of your course files based on the original.
Alternative formats aren't just for a select group of students. Alternative
formats benefit everyone. For example, maybe a student has a lot of
course material to read and gets eye strain, or maybe (s)he is an auditory
learner and would prefer to listen to an MP3 audio file.
1. Click the A with the down arrow icon to open the list of available
alternative formats
2. Review the list of alternative formats available.
3. Click Download to download the selected format.

5. ACCESSIBILITY INDICATORS
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Ally measures the accessibility of each file
attached to your course and shows you at-a-
glance how it scores.
Currently, Ally checks files in these formats:
 PDF files
 Microsoft® Word files
 Microsoft® Powerpoint® files
 OpenOffice/LibreOffice files
 Uploaded HTML files
Ally's accessibility checklist is based on WCAG 2.0
AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)
standards.
Accessibility indicators and scores are not displayed in
the student view of Blackboard Learn. The only Ally
feature available in the student view are the Alternative
formats generated for each file.

6. INSTRUCTOR FEEDBACK
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To access instructor feedback and guidance to
fix file issues:
1. Hover over the Accessibility score
indicator. A message will pop up. Click on
it to open the instructor feedback.
2. Click What this means for guide explaining
what the issue is and why it is important.
3. Click the How to for step-by-step guides
of how to fix each issue.
4. Once you've remediated your file, upload
it in the Ally Instructor Feedback window
to automatically replace the previous
version and see your new score.

7. COMMON ACCESSIBILITY FLAGS
FEEDBACK ON THE ACCESSIBILITY LEVEL OF YOUR COURSE FILES
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Scenario: You see a red indicator “dial” next to a file
Ally provides you feedback
on the accessibility of your
course files with the
colored dials that appear
next to your file names
(Red, Orange, Light Green,
and Dark Green). These
indicators are only visible
to you and other
instructors with access to
your course. Ally checks
most file formats, but there
may be some files in your
course that don’t have an
Ally indicator next to them.
Remember, Green is the
Goal
1. You notice the red indicator appear after adding a new file to
your course. Or, your institution just added Ally, and now you see a
red indicator next to your course file. You mouse over to the red
dial and see the “accessibility score” when you hover over the
indicator
2. When you click the indicator, Ally walks you through a series of
steps to make the file more accessible. Ally organizes this feedback
in a decision tree, so all you need to do is read the directions and
respond to the prompts. Learn what the issue is, why it matters,
and how to correct it appropriately.
3. In some cases, Ally will allow you to make the fix
directly, such as adding an alternative description to an
image file. In other cases, Ally links you to resources to
help solve the problem in the tools you’re using to create
content. Upload a new file directly to Ally, and watch your
score improve.

8. COMMON ACCESSIBILITY FLAGS
ADD ALTERNATIVE DESCRIPTION FOR IMAGE FILES
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Scenario: You add an image file to your course for
students
1. If your image lacks a text description, the Ally indicator will
appear “red.” Clicking the indicator will reveal that the file is only
25% accessible because it lacks an alternative description. Click the
“What this means” button for an explanation, and “How to write a
good description” for some quick tips.
2. When you’re ready, simply add your alternative description to
the text field in the Ally feedback window. When you’re done, click
“Add.” Make sure your description is more than just the title of the
file, or Ally will report an accessibility error. Describe the image and
what’s important, and mention any text in the image to improve
your score.
3. If your image is only for visual effects, and does not
contain info relevant to the learning content, you can also
mark the image as “decorative.” This means no alternative
description is necessary , and your accessibility score will
improve. This helps assure students of the purpose of
those files.
Images can be a great way
to engage your learners
with different modes of
learning, and can help
communicate complex
ideas to students. For
students with visual
impairments,
“alternative descriptions”
that explain the content of
an image are crucial for
their learning. For all
students, text descriptions
can provide deeper context
to aid their comprehension

9. COMMON ACCESSIBILITY FLAGS
SCANNING PAGES FROM OLD TEXT BOOKS RESULTS IN INACCESSIBLE DOCUMENTS
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Scenario: A red indicator informs you of a scan. What
now?
Preparing to teach a course
is a lot of work, and
sometimes you might be
left with a scanned copy
from a book in your files.
Unfortunately, scanned
texts are very inaccessible,
and create lots of
challenges for all students
to read and study
effectively. When you come
across a scanned PDF, do
your best to replace it with
a proper digital text
document.
As a last result, Ally will perform “Optical Character
Recognition” (OCR) to try to better identify text
elements. Unfortunately, this is not a final solution so it
won’t improve the score, and you will still want to
replace the scanned version when possible
It might still be difficult for you to find a digital text version.
Reaching out to your library or accessibility services before the
start of the term can help make sure students who need those
formats don’t fall behind. You can also add a “Library
Reference” to Ally to help your students.
Uh oh. You see a red indicator and its a poor score. You click
the indicator for the Ally feedback, and realize it is a scan with
0% accessibility. Yikes! First thing: Can you find a text version
online through search? Upload a digital text to Ally to improve
your score.

10. THANK YOU
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Summary
 Improve content accessibility with
Ally's
 Alternative Formats
 Accessibility Indicators
 Instructor Feedback
 Common Accessibility Flags