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View File Accessibility

After you upload files in your course, Ally produces an accessibility score for each file. In lessons with multiple files, the accessibility score is shown for each file. In areas where you access files, the accessibility icon is located to the right or left of the file. Select the icon to view information and improve file accessibility.

An Ally accessibility score gauge with the tooltip text "Accessibility score: Low Click to improve" showing above it.

View file accessibility issues

For files with Low to High scores, Ally shows you the issues and gives a step-by-step guide on how to fix them. Find a file and select the Accessibility score to view the Instructor Feedback panel.

A gauge reading 7% denoted by an A. A button to show All Issues denoted by a B. Buttons for "What this means" and "How to add descriptions" denoted by a C. A place to drag and drop or browse to select an updated version denoted by a D.

The Instructor Feedback panel provides everything you need to understand and fix the accessibility issues in your file.

  1. Accessibility score: See the overall score for the entire file.

  2. All issues: Select All issues to see every issue in the file. This view shows you by how much the score can improve by fixing each issue. Find the issue you want to start fixing and select Fix.

    The All Issues button selected and a list of issues below it, each with a Fix button next to it.

  3. Description of issue and step-by-step help: See the description for an issue with the file.

    • Select What this means to learn more about the issue.

    • Select How to and follow the steps to improve the file's accessibility.

      Tip

      These instructions change depending on the file and the accessibility issues found. For example, with a PDF you may see instructions on how to make the PDF tagged. Select How to Make a PDF Tagged.

  4. Upload: Upload updated files to replace the existing one.

Tip

More on improving the accessibility score

Blackboard

Content must be attached in a course to be scored. If you are using Blackboard Learn, content in the Content Collection needs to be added to a course for Ally to provide a score. Any items in the Content Collection that aren’t attached in a course are ignored.

Find accessibility scores in the Original Course View

File accessibility icons are always located next to your file, but the specific location will vary throughout different areas in your course. Throughout Blackboard Learn, most accessibility icons will be to the left of the file.

The Content area of a Blackboard Original course, showing a list of files with Ally accessibility scores to the left of each file name.

Watch a video about viewing file accessibility in Blackboard

The following narrated video provides a visual and auditory representation of some of the information included on this page. For a detailed description of what is portrayed in the video, open the video on YouTube, navigate to More actions, and select Open transcript.


Find accessibility scores in the Ultra Course View

Edit a file to find the accessibility score. On the Course Content page, find the file you want to improve. In the More Options menu, select Edit. Next to Accessibility score, an icon appears to quickly show the file’s accessibility score. Hover over the icon to view the score.

On the left, the Course Content page in Blackboard Ultra with the more options menu for a piece of content selected. On the right, the menu options for that piece of content, including the Accessibility score.

Instructure Canvas

File accessibility icons are always located next to your file, but the specific location will vary throughout different areas in your course.

Assignments

A list of Assignments with accessibility scores to the left of each.

Files

A file title with the accessibility score in a column to the right.

The accessibility icon is located to the right of the file in the Accessibility column.

Text-based

A text-based piece of content, with the accessibility score inline with the content.

Find the accessibility icon in-line next to the file.

Moodle

A file title with the accessibility score to the left.

Find the accessibility icon to the right of the file's title.

D2L BrightSpace

A list of files with the accessibility scores to the right.

Find the accessibility icon to the right of the file's title.

Schoology

A file name with the accessibility score to the right.

Find the accessibility icon to the right of the file's title.