Ally is a UB Learns tool that helps instructors enhance the usability and accessibility of their course materials in UB Learns.
The University at Buffalo is committed to ensuring equal access to information that is available online. As part of this commitment, the Center for Educational Innovation and UB Information Technology are collaborating to bring Blackboard Ally to UB Learns.
Ally automatically checks UB Learns course materials against WCAG 2.0 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards and provides an accessibility score for each file. For files that don’t align with accessibility guidelines, Ally offers step-by-step instructions on how to improve the accessibility of the document. Accessibility scores are only visible to course instructors; students do not see the icons.
Ally also creates alternative, accessible file formats (Tagged PDF, HTML, ePub, Electronic braille and Audio) for students to download.
After you upload a file in your UB Learns course, Ally evaluates it and:
Ally is automatically enabled in all UB Learns course sites.
Ally measures the accessibility of each file attached to your course and shows you at-a-glance how it scores. Scores range from Low to Perfect. The higher the score, the fewer the issues.
For files with Low to High scores, Ally shows you the issues and provides step-by-step instructions on how to fix them.
Currently, Ally checks files in these formats:
Ally creates alternative, accessible file formats of your course documents based on the original. These formats are made available along with the original file so students can find everything in one convenient location.
You don’t need to do anything. The alternative formats are created for you.
To see the different formats available to your students, select the menu next to your file and choose Alternative formats.