Ally in Canvas

Ally in Canvas (Instructors)

Anthology Ally is an accessibility tool integrated into Canvas that helps instructors analyze course content for accessibility issues. It provides actionable feedback and step-by-step guidance to improve materials. Ally simplifies identifying and fixing accessibility challenges, improving the overall quality of course content. Visual indicators and detailed reports allow continuous improvement, fostering an inclusive educational experience that benefits every student.

Ally generates alternative formats for students, such as audio, electronic braille, and tagged PDFs, ensuring content is accessible to all learners.

How to Access Ally in Your Canvas Course

Anthology Ally helps instructors improve the accessibility of their course materials in Canvas. The tool provides real-time accessibility scores, identifies specific issues, and offers resolution guidance. Key features include:

• Accessibility Indicators - Color-coded gauges (Red, Orange, and Green) show the accessibility score of course materials.

• Course Accessibility Report - Provides a detailed overview of accessibility issues for all course materials in one place.

• Feedback and Fixes - Ally offers step-by-step instructions for improving accessibility.

• Alternate Formats - Ally generates alternate formats of your course materials automatically for students.

To access Ally in your Canvas Course:

1. Navigate to your Canvas course.

2. Look for the small gauge icon next to files and content items. These indicate the current accessibility score.

3. Click the icon to see detailed feedback and suggested fixes.

Review Anthology Ally for Instructors

Using the Course Accessibility Report

The Course Accessibility Report provides a centralized view of accessibility issues in your Canvas course. It highlights problem areas and prioritizes them by severity, allowing you to focus on the most impactful fixes. Key features include:

• Comprehensive Overview - Displays an accessibility score for the entire course.

• Prioritized Issues - Identifies the files and content items with the greatest accessibility impact.

• Direct Links to Fix Issues - You can jump directly to specific files to resolve problems.

Benefits include:

• Time-Saving - Focus on the most critical issues first.

• Comprehensive - Ensures that no accessibility issue is overlooked.

• Progress Tracking - Watch your course accessibility score improve as you resolve issues.

How to Access the Course Accessibility Report:

1. Navigate to your Canvas course.

2. In the course menu, click on Course Accessibility Report.

3. Review the overall course accessibility score at the top of the report.

4. Scroll through the list of flagged content to identify priority items.

5. Click on specific files or issues to view Ally’s feedback and follow the recommended steps to improve accessibility.

Review Course Accessibility Report 

Using Ally to Fix Accessibility Issues

Anthology Ally provides tools to fix accessibility issues in your course content, such as adding alt text, correcting heading structures, and tagging PDFs. Common fixes include:

• Add Alt Text - Ally highlights images without descriptive text and explains how to add it.

• Improve Heading Structure - Use Ally’s feedback to ensure proper heading levels (e.g., Heading 1, Heading 2).

• Remediate PDFs - Ally helps you identify untagged or image-only PDFs and provides steps to make them accessible.

Steps to Fix Accessibility Issues

1. Open your Canvas course and locate the Ally gauge icon next to a file or content item.

2. Click the icon to view specific issues and recommendations.

3. Follow the Ally step-by-step instructions to fix each issue.

Review Improve Content Accessibility

Understanding Accessibility Indicators

Anthology Ally uses color-coded indicators to display the accessibility score of course materials. These indicators help instructors prioritize improvements. Indicator Colors include:

• Red - Low accessibility (requires immediate attention).

• Orange - Moderate accessibility (needs improvement).

• Green - High accessibility (meets accessibility standards).

How to Use Accessibility Indicators:

1. Navigate to your Canvas course.

2. Locate the Ally indicator next to files or items.

3. Hover over the indicator to see the current score.

4. Click on the indicator to view feedback and suggested fixes.

Review Understanding Accessibility Indicators 

Support Options

1. Contact Terisa ODowd (todowd1@twu.edu) to create accessible content for students, attend training to use Ally, or talk about effective ways to implement student accommodations in your Canvas courses. 

2. Canvas Support will be available 24/7 by phone, live chat, or email through the Help menu within Canvas after you have logged in. For more information see How to Contact Canvas Support.

3. If you are unable to log in, please contact the Technology Service Desk at 940-898-3971 or servicedesk@twu.edu for assistance.