Blackboard Ally will be available inside your courses this fall as a practical tool for improving the accessibility of digital course materials. Ally provides easy-to-recognize accessibility indicators for course content and offers step-by-step guidance for improving documents, files, and other instructional materials. This session will give faculty an opportunity to explore how Ally can make accessibility work more manageable, meaningful, and directly connected to student learning. Participants will learn how to interpret Ally’s ratings, use its feedback to make targeted improvements, and apply accessibility practices that reflect both legal responsibilities and effective course design.

Learning Objectives: 1. Understand how Ally identifies and rates the accessibility of course materials. 2. Interpret Ally’s feedback and use its guidance to make targeted improvements to digital content. 3. Use Ally as part of an inclusive course design approach that supports student access, engagement, and success.

Presenter: Michael Verdusco, Nathan Balter Blume