Frequently Asked Questions
There are a number of benefits to improving the accessibility of documents and these are appreciated by all students - including those without a disability.
The Blackboard Ally website provides some instances where improving the accessibility of documents will be beneficial:
Having a proper digital copy of a document instead of a scan makes the document more usable for all students. It might make the document easier to read, especially for low-quality scans, and it also allows students to search through the document and find specific content, copy and paste sections of the document, and so on.
Having a video with captioning or a transcript will make the video more usable for all students. It allows the student to search through the video and find specific parts, the video can still be watched in high-noise environment (for example, commuting), and so on.
Providing a good heading structure for a long document makes the document more usable for all students. It provides additional structure, which makes it easier to work through and process the content. It also allows for a Table of Contents to be generated, which can improve the navigability of the document.
Students see an arrow to the right of each uploaded document. Clicking on this arrow, they can select Alternative formats to access available versions they can download. The alternative documents that are created still depend on the quality of the original document so please improve the original as far as possible.
The only difference that you'll see is the accessibility indicator to the right of documents you upload and the download arrow. Students are not able to see the accessibility indicator. Only the download arrow is visible to them.
To find your Course Accessibility Report, on your Moodle course, click on Course Management. Under the Course column, click on More.. Then under the Reports tab, click on Accessibility Report. You can also see these steps in the Ally Course Accessiblity Report video or simply scroll down and watch the video below.
Ally
Ally helps institutions 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.
Log in to Moodle, and you will find the Ally indicators next to files or content. If you have no course files yet, upload one, and an indicator will appear next to the file name. Click the indicator to view your accessibility feedback. Follow along step-by-step to improve your original file.
Please bear in mind that external content linked to through Moodle cannot be checked or converted by Ally. If you need to access external content in alternative formats, please consult the library's webpages about the SensusAccess service.
For more general information on inclusivity and accessibility, please see our web page on this subject.
Guides
What is Ally?
Ally Course Accessibility Report
Alternative Formats
Ally automatically generates these “Alternative Formats” for all your course files, and makes them available for download to you and your students. Your original file will not be affected by the alternative formats.
Ally Indicators
Ally integrates with your institution’s learning management system, and provides feedback within your course workflow.
Log-in to your course site, and you will find the Ally indicators next to files or content. If you have no course files yet, upload one, and an indicator will appear next to the file name. Click the indicator to view your accessibility feedback. Follow along step-by-step to improve your original file.
Images and text on Blackboard Ally by Blackboard is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.