Here you will find information about the purpose of this tool, what to consider when implementing, and helpful resources to get started.

What is Ally? Things to Consider Getting Started Checklist Helpful Tutorials

On a tight schedule? ⏰ Click the links above for quick access to the topics found on this page.

What is Ally?

Ally is a technology tool that integrates into Canvas and assists instructors in assessing and improving the accessibility of their course content in Canvas. Your class is full of diverse students with unique learning abilities and providing all students with more accessible original content means they can choose formats that work best for them. Ally provides you with detailed feedback and support to help you become an accessibility pro.

Screenshot of Ally

Below are some benefits of using Ally within your online course at UNCW:

Benefits in using Ally at UNCW

✅ Identify accessibility issues with select content inside the LMS.

✅ Guide you through the process of making items accessible.

✅ Create multiple formats to help students access the content in a variety of ways.

✅ Give you a high-level report of how accessible your course content is at the moment so that you can plan for continuous improvement.

⚠️ Important Note: Ally does not change how anything works in a course and won’t affect course files.

Getting Started with Ally Checklist

Within the "Helpful Tutorials" section below, you will find additional resources to help you get started with Ally, but here is a quick checklist of the tasks you will need to do to access Ally at UNCW successfully:

Step 1: Locating the Ally Indicators 👀

Log in to your course in Canvas and locate the Ally Indicators. Small gas gauge icons will appear next to items in your course that Ally can check.

These indicators let you know the file’s level of accessibility and are there to help you prioritize which files you want to fix first. Don’t worry! Your students can’t see them. When you hover your mouse over the Ally indicator, it will give you a small window that tells you an overview of what the indicator signifies: “low,” “medium,” or “high.”

pop up window

Step 2: Reviewing Ally's Instructor Feedback 📓

Click the indicator to see the percentage score, specific issues affecting the file, and instructions for improving the file. Ally's Instructor Feedback will walk you through the process of:

- Identifying the accessibility issue.
- Why it is important to fix the issue.
- Some potential examples of who you might help by addressing the issue.
- How to fix the issue.

Once you have completed the process to update your content, Ally will automatically re-score your content to reflect any changes or updates. If you need assistance updating your course content, please feel free to schedule an appointment with an Instructional Designer for personalized assistance.

Things to Consider

To save yourself from some technical headaches, here are some things to keep in mind when using Ally:

Tip 1: It's not easy being green! 🟢

Don't let the percentages overwhelm you. When you begin using Ally, you may have more "red" and "orange" indicators than "green." Concentrate on the files that are the easiest to fix. Then, as your knowledge and confidence grow, tackle more complex accessibility issues.

📍DEeL Tip: The goal isn't to get to 100% green all the time.

Tip 2: Priorities ⚖️

If a document has multiple issues that are flagging as inaccessible, then Ally will prioritize the issues according to the most important items to fix. However, it will only show you one issue at a time by default. This can cause frustration if you think that you have fixed the only issue and another is flagged when you upload again.

- Solution: To see a complete list of the issues in a single document instead of just the top priority, please click on the "All Issues" indicator on the walk-through panel.

Tip 3: Think to Link 🔗

Obviously, uploading accessible files at the beginning of designing and developing a course is ideal. However, there are other ways to prevent potential issues. For instance, Think to Link! Rather than providing students with a pdf of an article you want them to read, simply provide the publication information and embed a link to the article via library databases.

Links are the best practice for accessibility because they will lead students/readers to library database tools that provide alternative ways to access the material. For more tips on preventing accessibility issues, please check out our Accessibility page.

Tip 4: Ally vs. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ♿

Ally checks against the full WCAG guidelines. Ally's algorithm scans using all of the current WCAG 2.0 accessibility guidelines, which means that it is more scrutinous of the items within your course.

Tip 5: You're not alone! 🤝

You have an entire village of Seahawks ready, willing, and able to help you create accessible and inclusive content:

- For faculty assistance with creating accessible content, the Office of Distance Education and eLearning (DEeL) is here for you! We have a team of people who are experts in universal design for learning and creating accessible course materials. Consider setting up an appointment with an Instructional Designer to help you update the content and design to be more inclusive. They can also help you create a plan for continuous improvement of your teaching practices. The choices you make can help all students in your course to enhance their learning.
- For student assistance with requesting accessibility services, your students can contact the Disability Resource Center for help.

Helpful Tutorials and Resources

The resources listed below provide both UNCW's internal resources and curated external resources that may help you as you use this tool within your online courses. These pages will continue to evolve as additional resources are identified.

Creating Accessible Content: This support resource provides guidance on how you can create accessible content at UNCW.

Ally FAQs at UNCW: This support resource provides a list of frequently asked questions related to Ally.

Getting Started with Ally (Student Guide): Step-by-step instructions for using Ally at UNCW.

Don't see what you are looking for on this page? No worries, DEeL is here to help! You can schedule an appointment with us today by clicking the "Contact DEeL Team" button down below or you can email us directly at elearning@uncw.edu.

🧭 Contact DEeL Team

For technical assistance, please contact UNCW Technology Assistance Center (TAC).

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