Blackboard Ally

Using Ally to Increase Accessibility in Blackboard Courses

Ally is an external tool integrated into Blackboard to support accessibility and universal design for students and instructors at the University of Mississippi. Ally provides instructor-facing accessibility reviews for Blackboard course content. It then provides guidance and tips for improving accessibility, as well as automatically creating alternative formats of downloadable files for your students. Only instructors can see the colored accessibility score dial next to each file. All students have access to on-demand alternative versions of course files. The videos and associated resources below highlight the key features of Anthology Ally in Blackboard.

Accessibility Course Report

Instructor Feedback

Alternate Formats – for Students and Instructors

Instructor Guides and Resources

Share Ally Resources with Your Students

Many learners benefit from materials in an alternative format that better support their learning preferences or abilities. Some formats are easier to access for assistive technologies such as screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, or text-to-speech applications. Blackboard Ally lets instructor AND students download content in a way that best meets their needs and preferences.

Your Needs	Braille	Audio	OCR'd PDF	Tagged PDF	Semantic HTML	ePub	Translated Version	BeeLine Reader
Adjust text, font, and background color
Adjust audio playback speed
Commuting (Passenger)
Commuting (Driver)
Copy, paste, and search
Format adapts to device, responsive
Highlighting, note taking, and bookmarking
Mobile device
Desktop Browser
Prefer listening
Prefer reading
Print
Text to speech with speed adjustment
Different language

We encourage you to share the resources below in your syllabus or in a prominent place in your Blackboard course.