Please see the recording below for tips on how to make your documents accessible in a variety of formats; screen readers, etc.
5/16/2024
Category Archives: Blackboard Ally
Ally for Students
What is Ally?
Ally is a tool in Blackboard to help instructors make their content more accessible. Your class is full of diverse students with unique learning abilities, needs and devices. Course content created with this in mind can benefit not only students with disclosed disabilities such as visual impairments and dyslexia, but improve the learning experience for all of students.
Ally for All Courses in Blackboard July 1, 2022
Concordia supports course content accessibility with Ally, a tool inside Blackboard. Ally automatically creates alternative formats of documents (such as an audio file of a document) and informs instructors how to improve course content to make it more accessible. This tool benefits not only students with documented accessibility needs receiving accommodations through the ARC, but benefits all students. CELT and Blackboard Support are planning to activate Ally for all courses July 1, 2022.
Resources for Students
- Video introduction of Ally
- Choosing the alternative format that works best for you (video)
- More about alternative formats in Ally (web page)
- Student FAQs about Ally (web page)
How to Get Help
For help with using Ally contact the IT Help Desk at 262-243-4357 or ithelpdesk@cuw.edu.
Ally Resources for Faculty
Ally is a tool in Blackboard to improve course content accessibility that benefits all students. Learn more by watching this 5-minute video introduction for faculty.
Ally resources:
- Ally Resources and Support
- Overview documents for faculty new to Ally
- Ally Toolkit
- Additional resources to assist faculty in creating Blackboard course content that follows principles of Universal Design.
One Small Change Can Make a Big Impact: Universal Design Benefits All Students
Session presented by Laura Traynor (Pharmacy) and Susan Gallanis (CELT) on Thursday June 4, 2020.
The presenters will introduce the concept and principles behind Universal Design and how making small changes can positively impact all students in a course. A new Blackboard tool that enhances Universal Design, Ally, will be introduced. Ally assists faculty in developing a course that benefits all types of learners.
Ally Toolkit
Additional resources to assist faculty in creating Blackboard course content that follows principles of Universal Design.
Word formatting basics (video)
This is an open resource that contains MANY resources for how you can make your content more accessible: OER_Accessibility_Checklist
Microsoft Word has a built in Accessibility Checker. Learn more about the MS Word Accessibility Checker.
This document is from a January 2020 Course Design for Student Success that incorporates many of the features addressed above, but in a printable format with screenshots: Course Design for Student Success – Ally 01202020 (2)
Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (comprehensive website): http://udloncampus.cast.org/home
Link to session recording and PPT of a session regarding UDL and Ally held at Concordia University Wisconsin on June 4, 2020: link to materials