Topics Map > Services > Teaching, Learning and Classrooms > Assistive Technology

Blackboard Ally Basics

Blackboard Ally automatically checks the accessibility of most course content in Blackboard and provides instructors guidance and tips for making lasting accessibility improvements. All Blackboard users can download content in an automatically generated alternative format that best fits their current needs.

What does Ally do?

Ally automatically scans most attached files and other content and:

Generates multiple alternative formats students can use to access the content.
Provides accessibility scores to instructors.
Gives instructors feedback on how they can improve the accessibility scores of their content.
Generates a Course Accessibility Report which provides an overview of all accessibility issues in one place.

Alternative Formats

Blackboard Ally Quick Start for Students

More information about Alternative Formats

Ally automatically generates alternative versions for PDF, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, OpenOffice/LibreOffice, uploaded HTML files, and most content created in the Blackboard Content Editor. Students and instructors can choose the format that works best for them. For example, HTML for improved reading on mobile devices, electronic braille for those using a braille reader, audio for learning on the go - and more!

Note: The Alternative Formats generated are only as accessible as the original file posted by the instructor. To improve the accessibility of the Alternative Formats, instructors should use the feedback provided by Ally to improve the accessibility of the original file. Instructors and students will see the Alternative Format icons in the course content areas.

Instructor Feedback and Accessibility Scores

Blackboard Ally Quick Start for Instructors

Ally checks most new and existing content for different accessibility issues and assigns it an accessibility score. Each score consists of a numerical percentage and a colored gauge that visually reflects that percentage. Instructors can use the accessibility score and the Instructor Feedback panel or the Course Accessibility Report to learn more about accessibility issues and view steps they can take to improve the score. Though we would like to be 100% accessible, this is a work in progress and improvement is what counts!

The accessibility score icons and the instructor feedback panel are not visible to students. Move the mouse pointer over the 'gear' icon to see the accessibility score, then click the icon to open the Instructor Feedback panel for information and instructions for improving the accessibility of that item.

Note: Some guidance documentation is still in development in Ally. If an item is marked with the message "Guidance coming soon":

Search for additional information within the Instructor Feedback panel
Conduct a web search for more information
Contact the NDSU IT Help Desk

The Course Accessibility Report

The Course Accessibility Report displays "the big picture" and specific details about the accessibility of all course content from one place.

The Overview tab groups content by type and by "easiest issues to fix" and "fix low scoring content" to help instructors decide which items to focus on first! The Content tab lists all of the content items with accessibility issues individually, the number of issues each content item has, and the 'gear' icon showing the accessibility score. Instructors can click each 'gear' icon to open the Instructor Feedback panel from the Accessibility Report.

To open the Course Accessibility Report, open a course in Blackboard > click Course Tools (below the Control Panel on the left) > Accessibility Report.

What do the accessibility scores mean?

Improve the content to raise the score

The Ally Community

Join the Ally User Group (usergroup.ally.ac)