Embedded Files
Using Blackboard Ally
Using Blackboard Ally
Improve the usability and accessibility of your content with Blackboard Ally. You can do three things with Ally:
● Generate alternative formats for students/faculty to download
● Get accessibility scores on uploaded content AND in-site content (content editor box)
● Get instructor feedback on how to improve your accessibility score
Ally will parse your attached content and tag it with a gear. This same process is used for the content editor box.
Please note that Ally will not scan content that exists outside of Blackboard Ultra. This includes Google docs, which must be checked with Grackle inside Google Docs.
To get a full set of instructions, please access the embedded document at the bottom of the page.
Ally checks these file types:
Ally checks these file types:
PDF files
Microsoft® Word files
Microsoft® PowerPoint® files
OpenOffice/LibreOffice files
Uploaded HTML files
Image files (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF)
WYSIWYG/VTBE content
YouTubeTM videos embedded in WYSIWYG/VTBE content
Ally also checks the text-content editors in Blackboard Ultra.
Key types of errors Ally identifies:
Key types of errors Ally identifies:
Visual issues:
Lack of alt text on images
Low color contrast
Missing captions for videos
Structural issues:
Tables without headers
Improper heading hierarchy
Skipped heading levels
Navigation issues:
Broken links
Unclear navigation structure
Document format issues:
Incompatible file formats
Complex document structures that are difficult to navigate with assistive technology
Ally gage(score icon) assesses content -> Instructor Feedback Page (IFB) -> Download the document/File -> Open the accessibility checker -> Fix your document or content ->Upload to Ally IFP
Ally Work Flow
Ally Work Flow
Ally workflow starts with the instructor or course designer looking for the Ally "gear" icon, which can indicate that there is an issue with the document.
You can find this score icon by going through your course and looking for where Ally has flagged you. Otherwise, in Blackboard Ultra, go to the
Details and actions menu
SelectBooks and Tools
Select Accessibility Report LTI 1.3.
The accessibility report opens. This section is powered by Ally. It will list all the documents and files it has issues with.
Select the score icon (gear) to go to the instructor's feedback page.
For a full workflow, review the embedded document below. You can also download it and save it to your computer.
This is a playlist of videos, on Ally, produced by Anthology (Blackboard). Please watch the first video for an overview. It was uploaded in February 2025.
To access the playlist, select the three-line menu at the top right of the video. You will see seven videos listed.
Blackboard Ally Help: Documents and Media
Blackboard Ally Help: Documents and Media
The document embedded below will list instructions and includes links to videos and other sites.
How to Use Blackboard Ally.docxPage updated
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