Academic Application: Ally

Ally Integration Brightspace

Overview

What is it?

Ally (formerly Blackboard Ally, now Anthology Ally) is an accessibility tool integrated directly into Brightspace.

Ally has two main features

Automatically generates alternative formats for students:
- Students see a download button next to course files that lets them choose the format that works best for them — such as audio, ePub, or electronic braille, without any action required from the instructor.
Provides an accessibility score on each course file and how to fix it:
- It automatically scans every piece of course content—PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoints, HTML pages, and images—and assigns each item an accessibility score based on WCAG 2.1 standards.

Faculty see color-coded score indicators next to each file and receive step-by-step guidance to fix accessibility issues.

Who is it for?

Faculty: Helps to identify accessibility issues in uploaded course materials and provides guidance on how to fix accessibility problems within course materials.

Students: Download any course file in an alternative format (audio, ePub, tagged PDF, HTML, electronic braille) that suits individual learning needs or preferences.

Access

Ally is built into Brightspace, no separate login or installation is needed. Faculty access the accessibility scores next to each course file in Brightspace. Students see the Alternative Formats icon next to compatible course files.

Authentication

Villanova SSO. Ally uses your existing Brightspace login; no separate account is needed.

LMS Integration

Brightspace (D2L).

Cost

No cost: licensed by Villanova for all faculty and students.

Availability

Ally is automatically enabled in all Brightspace courses.

Vendor

Anthology, Inc. anthology.com

Managed By

Learning Technologies, Academic Technologies, University Technology Services

Key Features & Use Cases

For Faculty / Instructors

Accessibility Score Indicators: A color-coded speedometer icon appears next to each content item in your course: Low (red, 0–33%), Medium (orange, 34–66%), High (light green, 67–99%), or Perfect (dark green, 100%). Only faculty can see these indicators.
Step-by-Step Fix Guidance: Click any score indicator to see exactly what the issue is, what it means for students, and specific instructions for fixing it. Ally guides you through improvements for missing alt text, untagged PDFs, missing headings, poor contrast, and more.
Alternative Format Generation: Ally automatically generates alternative versions of compatible files (tagged PDF, HTML, ePub, audio, electronic braille) without any effort from the instructor. Students choose their preferred format.

For Students

Alternative Formats Download: An Alternative Formats icon (stylized “A” with a down arrow) appears next to compatible course files. Click it to download audio, ePub, electronic braille, tagged PDF, or HTML versions of the file.
No Action Required: Students do not need to request alternative formats or notify anyone. The options are available immediately for all compatible files.
Supports All Learners: Alternative formats benefit students with disabilities, students studying on the go (audio), non-native English speakers, and anyone who prefers a different reading experience.

Getting Started / Quick Start

Faculty / Instructor Setup

Open any course to see Ally score indicators next to your uploaded files.
Click any score indicator to see accessibility issues and follow Ally’s step-by-step guidance to improve that file. Start with items scored Low (red) for highest impact.
Open your Course Accessibility Report on the course Nav Bar in Brightspace to see a full overview of your course’s accessibility and track your progress.
Best practice: Create accessible documents before uploading them to your course. Contact Learning Technologies for guidance on creating accessible Word, PowerPoint, and PDF files.

Student Setup

No setup required. Look for the Alternative Formats icon (stylized with a down arrow) next to files in your course. Click it to choose your preferred format.
Select from available formats such as audio (MP3), ePub, electronic braille, tagged PDF, or HTML. Download the format that works best for you and your device.

How-To Guides & Related Articles

Getting Started Videos

Vendor Resources

Best Practices & Tips

Start with the red (Low) items. Ally’s scoring makes prioritization easy. Fix items scored Low first — they have severe accessibility issues and affect the most students.
Create accessible files before uploading. It is faster to create an accessible document from scratch than to remediate a scanned PDF. Use proper heading styles in Word, add alt text to images, and ensure good color contrast.
Tell students about Alternative Formats. Many students don’t know this feature exists. Add a brief course announcement at the start of the semester explaining that all course files are available in multiple formats via the Ally icon. (Here’s a sample announcement you can provide to your students:
Avoid scanned PDFs. Scanned PDFs are images of text and are inaccessible to screen readers. Use OCR software or recreate the document digitally. Ally will flag these with a Low score.
Ally provides you with accessible course content in alternative formats. Simply click on the "A" symbol next to a course file.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can students see my Ally accessibility scores?

No. Score indicators are visible only to faculty. Students only see the Alternative Formats download icon, not the accessibility scores.

Does Ally replace the need to create accessible content?

No. Ally automatically generates alternative formats, but it does not fix the original files. Faculty are responsible for improving the accessibility of source documents using Ally’s guidance.

What file types does Ally support?

Ally checks PDFs, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files, OpenOffice files, HTML pages, and images (JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.). It generates alternative formats for most of these types.

Is Ally available in Brightspace?

Yes. Ally is available in Brightspace at Villanova. As the university transitions fully to Brightspace in Summer 2026, Ally will remain available.

Training & Resources

Vendor Information

Anthology Ally Help: help.blackboard.com/Ally

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