Improve the accessibility of your course files
(See also: Microsoft Office Accessibility Tracker)
Anthology Ally and Microsoft Office Accessibility Tracker (see link above) are two tools that can easily be used to drastically increase the accessibility level of your course materials.
Anthology Ally works seamlessly with Canvas to gauge the accessibility of your course files. Although Ally does not guarantee that your documents are 100% accessible or usable by a screen reader, Ally does provide guidance and tips for improvements that will drastically increase the accessibility of your course content.
- Receive feedback on the accessibility of your course files
- Improve file accessibility with Ally's step-by-step instructions
Accessibility scores
Ally measures the accessibility of your course files. Each score is composed of both a numerical number and a colored gauge that reflects the number. Accessibility scores are determined by the severity of issues in each file. A low score indicates the file has severe or multiple accessibility issues; a high score means there are minor or no accessibility issues.
For accessibility scores less than 100 percent, Ally gives you suggestions for improving the accessibility of the file.
There are three colors of gauge icons that measure your file’s accessibility:
| Accessible | |
| Somewhat Accessible | |
| Not Accessible |
View file accessibility
After you upload files in your course, Ally produces an accessibility score for each file. Select the gauge icon to the left of the file to view the file’s accessibility score.
Improve file accessibility
Once you select a file's score, a panel opens to show the numerical score value along with information on the file accessibility. For accessible files, Ally tells you what you did correctly. For files that are not accessible, Ally shows issues within the document and shows you how to fix the problem.
You will find the following details in the file accessibility panel:
- Accessibility Score. The file's accessibility color and numerical score based on severity of accessibility issue.
- Description. The description of the accessibility issue affecting the file.
- Additional information. Detailed information about how the issue affects accessibility and why it is important to correct.
- Instructions to improve. Step-by-step instructions for your preferred software that show you how to improve file accessibility.
- Direct file upload. A drag-and-drop area to upload original or fixed files.
Ally produces either image or text feedback. Image feedback often involves adding a description for clarity. Text feedback will often include multiple step instructions for your preferred software, such as Microsoft Word or LibreOffice.
Ally might prompt you to add additional information or upload resources to make the file more user friendly. Common issues include untagged PDFs, missing descriptions on images, or contrast issues.
After you make your file more accessible, the accessibility score updates next to the file. If you are unable to make your file more accessible, the file will remain with a low accessibility score.
Anthology Ally is a great tool for improving the accessibility of your course. For additional Anthology Ally information or support, please contact the Help Desk. We will be glad to assist.