Blackboard Ally Knowledge Base

Ally is now available in Blackboard!

As part of our ongoing charge to improve the accessibility of course content, Ally has been added to Blackboard. Ally provides visual indicators (gauges), detailed tips and feedback, and alternative accessible formats of uploaded course content.

Contents

Background

The Blackboard Ally tool lets instructors make sure teaching materials are accessible and can be viewed and consumed by students with disabilities. Accessibility is required by the U.S. government (Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act).

Blackboard Ally can:

  • Check Blackboard files for accessibility.
  • Give instruction on how to improve accessibility.
  • Allow in-browser previews of files.
  • Provide accessible, alternative formats.

Blackboard Ally is not a file editor.

  • It only lets you add alternative text (Alt Text) to images in scanned files.
  • For all other issues, edit files on your computer and upload a new version to Blackboard.

Allowed Files

Once uploaded to Blackboard, Blackboard Ally can review:

  • PDFs
  • Microsoft Word documents
  • Microsoft PowerPoint slides
  • HTML files
  • Images
  • YouTube Videos

Alternative Formats

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 instructors create and students download the following alternative file formats:

  • 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 mobile devices)
  • Electronic Braille (BRF version for consumption on electronic braille displays)
  • Audio (MP3 version for listening)
  • BeeLine Reader (enhanced version for easier and faster on-screen reading)

Alternative formats available depend on the original file format:

Tagged PDF HTML ePub Electronic Braille Audio BeeLine Reader
PDF ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
MS Word ✔ ✔  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
HTML  ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔
MS PowerPoint ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔ ✔

Resources

Videos:

Blackboard Ally website:

Instructors

Checking accessibility with the Accessibility Meter

Blackboard Ally automatically scans Blackboard files after it is integrated.

The accessibility meter appears either before or after a file in Blackboard, depending on the file’s location.

Red & pointing left:
File is not accessible		 Orange & pointing up:
File is partially accessible		 Green & pointing right:
File is accessible

Click the meter to go to the file preview and see detailed accessibility information.

In Files

  1. Click Files in the Course Navigation Menu.
  2. There will be a column labeled Accessibility.Files in blackboard and their accessibility scale

In Assignments (and anywhere else that uses the Rich Content Editor)

Go to Assignments, Announcements, or any other tool that uses the Rich Content Editor. Blackboard Ally will scan and report on the accessibility of files attached in the Rich Content Editor.

  • The accessibility meter appears before each file.
  • It appears on the preview screen, not the edit screen.

Viewing accessibility details

  • Click the Accessibility Meter next to any file. Inaccessible scale next to file in Blackboard Files
  • The accessibility report shows percent accessibility, missing components, and an explanation of issues.

    • You can use Blackboard Ally to add Alt Text to an image (see Add Alt Text below).
    • For all other issues, fix the file on your computer and re-upload to Blackboard (see Improve Content Accessibility for detailed instructions).

 

Adding Alt Text for image descriptions

  1. In the accessibility report for an image, click Fix.
  2. Add an image description (Alt Text).
    1. Click How to write a good description for instructions.
    2. Check Indicate image is decorative if the image is an icon, logo, or graphic element that does not contribute to the content of the file.
    3. Save.Solution to fix score in Ally tool

Fixing other accessibility issues

Blackboard Ally is not a file editor.

Ally only lets you add Alt Text to images in scanned files. For all other issues, edit files on your computer and upload a new version to Blackboard. See Improve Content Accessibility for detailed instructions.

Managing alternative formats

Enable alternative formats

  1. Go to course Files and click a file.
  2. Click Alternative formats.Alternative formats circled in page view
  3. On the Alternative formats popup, click Enable for this file.Enable for this file circled in Alternative formats pop-up

Disable alternative formats

  1. Go to course Files and click a file.
  2. Click Alternative formats.
  3. In the Download alternative formats popup, click the drop-down arrow next to Download alternative formats → Disable alternative formats for this file. Drop-down circled in Download alternative formats tab

Download alternative formats

  1. Go to course Files and click a file.
  2. Click Alternative formats.Alternative formats circled in sample page view
  3. In the Download alternative formats popup, click the format you want to download. The available formats will vary based on the file type. Then click Download. Downloadable formats

Students

About alternative formats

The table below outlines the best formats for your particular study needs.

  • The alternative formats generated depend on the original file uploaded.
  • Some alternative formats may not be available for download.

Electronic Braille

Audio

PDF, OCR

PDF, Tagged

HTML, Semantic

ePUB

Beeline Reader

Adjust text, font, and background color

✔

✔

Adjust audio playback speed

✔

Commuting

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Commuting, driving

✔

Copy, paste, and search

✔

✔

✔

✔

Format adapts to device, responsive

✔

✔

✔

Highlighting, note taking, and bookmarking

✔

✔

✔

Mobile device

✔

✔

✔

✔

Offline

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Prefer listening

✔

Prefer reading

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Print

✔

✔

✔

✔

✔

Text to speech with speed adjustment

✔

✔

✔

✔

The above table is licensed by Blackboard under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

Downloading alternative formats

  • You can only download alternative formats if (1) your instructor has integrated Blackboard Ally, and (2) they have enabled alternative format downloads.
  • Alt format should be available from the three vertical dot menu on any page that contains a file.
  • Student FAQs About Ally

From Files

  1. Go to course Files and click a file.
  2. Click Alternative formats.
    • If the instructor has disabled alternative formats, this option will not appear.Alternative formats circled in sample page view
  3. Click your alternative format, then click Download. The available formats will vary based on the file type. The first student to download an alternative file will need to wait for it to generate. All other students can download the file immediately.

Downloadable formats

From Assignments

  1. Go to Assignments and click and assignment.
  2. Click the down arrow next to the file -> Alternative Formats.download option circled next to file in assignment
  3. Click your alternative format, then click Download.
    • Available formats vary based on original file type.
    • The first student to download an alternative file will need to wait for it to generate. All other students can download the file immediately.

Troubleshooting

I can’t fix my file in Blackboard Ally

Blackboard Ally is not a file editor.

  • Blackboard Ally scans files in Blackboard and reports on accessibility.
  • It only lets you add Alt Text to images in scanned files.
  • For all other issues, edit files on your computer and upload a new version to Blackboard.

We recommend instructors check the accessibility of their files before uploading to Blackboard.

I don’t see alternative formats

If an instructor chooses to disable alternative formats for a specific file, the alternative format option will not be available. Please contact your instructor with questions and concerns.

Blackboard froze when I clicked alternative formats

Leave the Blackboard page, reload, and try again.

Blackboard froze when I tried to download an alternative format

The first person to download an alternative format must wait up to a minute for the format to be generated. After that, subsequent people can download the generated file immediately.

Getting Help

For technical support with Blackboard or Blackboard Ally, please contact Blackboard@olemiss.edu.

For accessibility support or questions, please contact accessibility@olemiss.edu.