Ally is a diagnostic tool in Brightspace that can help fix digital documents to ensure your course content is accessible. You'll see an Ally gauge next to your content items in Brightspace. The gauge will be red (not compliant), yellow (partially compliant) or green (compliant). You can click on the gauge to learn more about specific accessibility issues with the document, as well as instructions about how to fix them. You can also view the overall accessibility of your course by using the Ally Course Report. 

Regardless of the type of document you have, Ally checks for issues and makes suggestions to fix the document. The goal is to make sure documents can be accessed and understood by all students. For more information, please review the Ally for D2L Brightspace video.

New to Ally Resources

• Ally Basics 

• Ally Instructor Feedback - learn how to fix accessibility issues

• In-browser Document Preview - identify where the accessibility issues appear in your files

• Accessibility Checklist - quick start reference guide

• Course Accessibility Report - Brightspace

Microlearning Documents 

• Accessibility Indicators - accessibility level of course files

• Add Alternative Descriptions for Image Files - Alt text

• Scanned PDFs: An Enemy to Accessibility

• Remove Potentially Harmful Content

• View All file accessibility issues

• Add descriptions to PowerPoint Images

• Add headings to a Word document.

• Add headers to your data tables in Word

• Export a Word document as a tagged PDF

Audio and video captioning is essential for college students because it ensures accessibility for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, improves comprehension, and supports English language learners. It also helps students in noisy environments, enhances learning through visual reinforcement, and allows easier content search and review. Overall, captions make course materials more accessible and flexible for all learners. 

Captions are required in college courses to meet legal accessibility standards under both the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. We are required to provide access to educational materials for all students, including those with disabilities.

Resources for Captioning

• Panopto Basics

• Sending in a Video for Captioning (Slides) (Doc)

• Automatic Captions in Loom

• Turning on Captions in Padlet

• Google Live Captions

• Video Notes in Brightspace

• Record Your Screen in Brightspace

• Add/Edit Captions in Brightspace Media Library

Brightspace offers a host of accessibility features to support inclusive learning environments. These features aim to ensure that all students, including those with disabilities, can engage with course materials effectively. 

Brightspace follows WCAG 2.1 guidelines, ensuring that its platform is usable for screen readers, keyboard-only navigation, and other assistive technologies. The LMS includes options for instructors to add alt text for images, accessible HTML templates, and tools like Ally that provide accessibility feedback on course content. Through these tools, Brightspace empowers educators to create courses that accommodate diverse learning needs.

Brightspace Resources

• Brightspace Accessibility

• Creating Accessible Courses in Brightspace

• Brightspace Accessibility Checker

• Adding/Editing Captions

• Video Notes

Grackle is an accessibility checker specifically designed for Google Workspace documents, such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. It helps ensure that digital content is accessible to people with disabilities by checking for common accessibility issues, such as missing ALT text for images, insufficient color contrast, and improper use of headings.

Grackle ensures accessibility compliance with ADA standards, making content more inclusive. It improves usability by identifying and fixing issues for users relying on assistive technologies, like screen readers. Grackle is pre-installed in your Gateway Google Sheets, Slides, and Docs, allowing quick accessibility checks and improvements. 

Grackle Resources

• About Grackle Docs (Grackle Docs Demo)

• Grackle Tip Sheet

• Grackle Errors and Solutions

• GrackleDocs Knowledgebase

• GrackleGo - FREE Online PDF/UA Validator (Grackle Go Demo)

• Google Workplace user guide to accessibility - — information on screen readers, keyboard shortcuts, and more arranged by each app 

• Google Accessibility Products and Features — instructions on how to make apps more accessible.

✅ Checkoff sheets

• Docs

• Slides

• Sheet

The Microsoft suite is a tried and true standard in word processing and documents of all kinds. While you may be familiar with the various programs in the suite, it's important to consider accessibility in your document design. The following resources can help you get started.

• Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities 

• Make your PowerPoint presentations accessible to people with disabilities 

• Make your content accessible to everyone with the accessibility checker

• Accessibility best practices with Excel spreadsheets

✅ Checkoff sheets

• PowerPoint

• Word

• Excel

Gateway Technical College is required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide services and programs that are accessible to those with disabilities.  

To get started, take a look at the Accessibility FAQ.

Office of Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights Resources

• 2024 Web Accessibility Rule Slides

• Accessibility

• Closed Captioning

• Sending in a video for captioning in IIQ Ticketing

This section contains additional resources on accessibility. If you're looking to further your knowledge and gain a few certificates along the way, you may want to peruse and try out some of these options. Check out this comprehensive list of Accessibility Courses and Certifications - from  Nicole L’Etoile. LinkedIn Learning also offers accessibility courses.

LinkedIn Learning Courses

• • Foundations of Accessible E-Learning

  • Inclusive Learning Design

  • Using Design Principles to Enhance Remote Trainings

  • Canva: Designing Engaging, Accessible Presentations

This section contains quick times for accessible document creation. Use it as a guide to help get started. If you'd like more detailed information, you can also view this Disability Resource Guide.

Images

Images and photos should include descriptive text, known as ALT text, which assists visually impaired users by providing descriptions that can be read by assistive technologies. For example, in Brightspace, if you use a photograph of a student sitting at a desk reading, include a brief description of their action. Similarly, for visual data like a pie chart, describe the chart in detail, including the segments and their corresponding percentages. 

Fonts

Choose fonts that are easy to read and large enough for clear visibility. Fonts like Arial, Calibri, Century Gothic, Helvetica, Tahoma, or Verdana are good choices. Use dark-colored fonts on a white background for better readability. 

Colors

Best practices recommend using black text on white backgrounds for optimal readability. Ensure that there is enough contrast between text and background colors. For example, avoid combinations like yellow on light blue or red and green, as they may be difficult to distinguish, especially for colorblind users. To improve accessibility, use high-contrast color schemes and avoid relying solely on color to convey meaning. Where possible, use labels or patterns to differentiate important information. 

Hyperlinks

When adding hyperlinks to documents or presentations use descriptive display text that identifies the destination. For example, include a brief description within the link to explain what the student will find when they click it. Avoid generic instructions like "Click here," as these are not helpful for students and can slow down their navigation. Descriptive links provide better context and make course materials more accessible and user-friendly.