About Ally & Accessibility

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What content does Ally check?

 Currently, Ally checks files in these formats:

• PDF files

• Microsoft® Word files

• Microsoft® PowerPoint® files

• OpenOffice/LibreOffice files

• Uploaded HTML files

• Image files (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BPM, TIFF)

• YouTube Videos

• WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) content created in Blackboard

Instructors don't see accessibility scores for WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) content in their courses. The results for WYSIWYG content only appear in the Institution Report.

What accessibility issues does Ally check for?

Ally’s accessibility checklist is based on WCAG 2.1 AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines). This is an international accessibility standard, and most of the legislation and legal requirements worldwide aligns with this standard. Additionally, Ally also adds a number of additional checks on top of this that start to target the usability and quality of the course materials a bit more.

What does Ally do with content it can’t check?

 Ally includes content it can’t check for accessibility issues, such as ZIP archive and XML file, under “Other” in the institutional report. This content does not receive an accessibility score and does not have an indicator or option to download alternative formats in the User Interface.

What is a contrast check?

Contrast checks verify whether there is sufficient contrast between the text color and its background color. Text with poor contrast can be difficult to read for everyone, but especially for students with visual impairments such as color blindness. Ally uses the contrast requirements specified as part of the WCAG 2.1 AA guidelines.

Use the Colour Contrast Analyser from The Paciello Group any time to check your content.