Description

Blackboard Ally is a tool that focuses on making digital content accessible within your LMS. This tool can be integrated into your Learning Management System (LMS).

For whom and why

• Students:
  • Ally can generate alternative formats of teaching materials within the LMS, so students can consume this content in a way they prefer.
• Lecturers:
  • Lecturers are provided with tools to improve the accessibility of the teaching materials.
  • The reports from Blackboard Ally provide insight into the accessibility of the teaching materials within the LMS.

How does it work

• Alternative formats | Blackboard Ally creates alternative formats (for the original documents in a course) that are easier for all students to use. The following formats are currently available:
  • Mobile compatible HTML
  • OCR PDF
  • EPub
  • Audio
  • Electronic Braille
  • Translated versions
• Feedback and advice | Lecturers receive feedback and advice so that they can improve the accessibility of their teaching materials.
  • For example: Lecturer is notified that there is too little contrast in his document, which can cause problems for students with a visual impairment. Then it also states how they can solve this problem.
• Institutional reports | The institutional reports from Blackboard Ally provide a complete overview of the accessibility of all teaching materials within the LMS. These reports help identify certain parts of the system to optimize the accessibility of teaching materials.
  • For example: Insight is gained into the evolution of the accessibility of documents.

Pricing

Blackboard Ally is not free of charge.

Language

Blackboard Ally is available in several languages, including English.

Type and platform

Blackboard Ally is a tool, available for laptops or computers (Windows and Mac) and for smartphones and tablets running on Android and iOS. Blackboard Ally can be integrated with Blackboard Learn, Canvas, D2L and Moodle.