The accessibility gauge

Wherever you add a file, Ally places a small colored gauge dial beside it. The color tells you at a glance how accessible that file is. Select the gauge to open the instructor feedback panel, where Ally explains each issue and walks you through fixing it. Students never see this indicator.

The Course Accessibility Report

The course-level report gives you the big picture. In Blackboard Ultra:

1. Open your course and look under Details & Actions.
2. Select Books & Course Tools.
3. Choose Accessibility Report from the available tools.

How long does scoring take?

After you upload or edit content, Ally usually finishes processing in about 15 to 90 seconds. Larger or more complex files can take longer. Ally only reads your files; it never stores, moves, or deletes the originals.

Ally gives every supported file a score from 0 to 100 percent, shown as a colored dial. The score reflects both the number and the severity of the issues found, so fixing one serious problem often raises your score more than fixing several small ones.

Score ratings at a glance

Rating	Range	What it means
	0–33%	Needs help. There are severe accessibility issues. Make this content a priority.
	34–66%	A little better. The file is somewhat accessible but still needs improvement.
	67–99%	Almost there. The file is accessible, but more improvements are possible.
	100%	Perfect. Ally didn't identify any issues, though further improvements may still be possible.

What Ally checks

Ally reviews the content types you use most:

• PDF
• Word
• PowerPoint
• OpenOffice and LibreOffice
• Uploaded HTML
• Images (JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF)
• Content typed in the Blackboard editor
• YouTube captions

From a score to a fix

Select any gauge to open the instructor feedback panel. You can review all issues at once or work through them one at a time. For images, PDFs, Office files, and editor content, Ally shows an in-browser preview that highlights exactly where the problems are, such as an image missing a description or a table missing headers.

The gauges help you fix one file at a time. The Course Accessibility Report gives you a dashboard view of your whole course, which makes it the best place to decide where to start.

Issues are ranked by severity

Priority	What to do
	The greatest risk to accessibility. Address these first.
	Significant impact on students. Worth addressing soon.
	Smaller refinements that will raise your scores.

Two ways to make progress

• Start with the easiest fixes. Ally can point you to the content with the quickest wins, which is a fast way to raise your course score and build momentum.
• Start with the lowest scores. If you'd rather tackle the biggest problems first, sort by lowest-scoring content and work your way up.

The report also reviews content you type directly into Blackboard, including assignments, discussions, your syllabus, pages, and announcements, not just uploaded files.

This is the part your students see. Next to each of your files, Ally adds a menu where students can download the same content in the format that works best for them, with no accommodation paperwork required. You don't create these formats; Ally generates them automatically from the file you posted.

The more accessible your original file is, the better every one of these formats becomes. That's why improving the source document is the most useful thing you can do.

Most accessibility fixes are small habits that take seconds once you know them, and they carry over to every document you create.

Everyday checklist

• Use real headings. Apply built-in heading styles in a logical order rather than making text big and bold.
• Add alternative text to images. Describe the full meaning of the image, and mark purely decorative images as decorative.
• Check color contrast. Make sure text stands out clearly from its background.
• Avoid scanned PDFs. Scanned pages are only images. Start from the original document when you can.
• Tag your PDFs so screen readers can follow the structure.
• Use tables for data only, and always give them column headers. Don't use tables for layout.
• Write descriptive link text. "View the syllabus" is far more useful than "click here."
• Use built-in lists. Create bulleted and numbered lists with the list buttons instead of typing dashes.
• Set a readable font size, at least 12 pixels for body text.
• Caption your videos with real captions rather than auto-generated ones.

Let Ally guide you

1. Select the gauge next to a file, or open an item from the Course Accessibility Report.
2. Read Ally's explanation of what the issue is and why it matters.
3. Follow the guided instructions. Some fixes, such as adding an image description, can be typed directly in Ally.
4. Save your change or upload the corrected file, and the score updates automatically.

Will my students see my accessibility scores?

No. The gauges and scores are visible only to instructors. Students see only the alternative formats download menu.

Does Ally change my original files?

No. Your originals stay exactly as they are. Ally never stores, moves, or deletes them. It only reads them to generate scores and alternative formats.

Do I have to create the alternative formats?

No. Ally generates them automatically. Your job is to make the original file as accessible as you can, and the formats follow from there.

What happens when I copy my course?

Alternative formats and instructor feedback carry over to the new course, though there can be a short delay before everything transfers. Images added in the editor may need their descriptions added again.

Are there file limits I should know about?

A few worth remembering: uploads up to 50 MB, scanned or untagged PDFs under 100 pages, audio up to 200,000 characters, and translation up to 60,000 characters. Password-protected files score 0 percent because Ally can't read the content.

Which browsers work with Ally?

Ally works in the same browsers Blackboard supports, including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Safari.

I only have a little time. Where should I start?

Open the Course Accessibility Report, sort by the easiest fixes or the lowest scores, and spend fifteen minutes adding image descriptions and correcting headings. Small changes add up quickly.