To support NIU’s commitment to being an inclusive institution, the Division of IT will be enabling Blackboard Ally in all courses on December 15. Ally provides your students with alternative formats of the files in your course that fit their device, need, and learning preference. It also helps you to assess the accessibility of your course content and make improvements over time.
After Ally is enabled, you will notice alternative format icons (a large A) and accessibility indicators (red, orange, light green, and dark green gauges) next to your course files.
Alternative Formats
Ally provides alternative formats for students based on their needs, whether that is due to a disability, using a mobile device for their coursework, or their preferences for how and where they learn. These formats are made available with the original content (which is not modified) so students can find everything in one convenient location.
The best part is that you don’t need to do anything! The alternative formats are created automatically.
Accessibility Score Indicators
Ally also measures the accessibility of each file attached in a course and shows you at-a-glance how it scores (these scores are not visible to students). Scores range from Low to Perfect. The higher the score, the fewer the issues.
For files with Low to High scores, Ally provides you with information about the issues and gives step-by-step guidance on how to fix them.
Learn More
We hope you are excited to explore Ally and take some first steps to improve the accessibility of your course content. We have developed resources to get started at citl.niu.edu/blackboard-ally, including a helpful video overview, a guide to improve content accessibility, an FAQ, and a communication toolkit to let your students know about Ally.
