Accessing Alternative Formats of Documents in myLesley (Blackboard Ally for Students)

Modified on Wed, Jul 2 at 5:42 PM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is Ally?
How do I access alternative formats in my course?
What types of alternative formats does Ally generate?
Accessibility in Blackboard (myLesley)

What is Ally?

Ally is a tool within myLesley designed to improve the usability and accessibility of your course content. Providing accessible content allows you to choose the formats that work best for you, including HTML for improved reading on mobile phones, Electronic Braille for the visually impaired, and Audio and ePUB files for learning on the go. Ally automatically scans your course content and performs a series of steps to make it more accessible.

For more information refer to the Ally Quick Start for Students support article.

How do I access alternative formats in my course?

Ally scans the content in your course and provides alternative formats for the following types of content:

PDF files (PDF)
Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX)
Microsoft PowerPoint (PPT, PPTX)
Content created in Blackboard (Ultra Documents, Items in Original Course View)

You may access alternative formats of your content by selecting the item you wish to access and clicking the Alternative Formats icon.

You will then be provided with a list of Alternative Formats. Select your preferred file type and click Download.

Depending on the file, it may take several minutes to download.

What types of alternative formats does Ally generate?

Based on the original file or content type, Ally may generate the following types of alternative formats:

OCR PDF: Makes scanned documents searchable, more readable, and accessible to users on a screen reader.
Tagged PDF: Improves use with assistive technology (currently for Word and PowerPoint files).
Immersive Reader: Aids in reading comprehension and grammar skills. Watch the Ally Immersive Reader video tutorial for more information.
Audio: MP3 version for listening on a computer or mobile device.
Semantic HTML: Mobile-friendly version for reading in browsers or mobile devices.
Electronic Braille: BRF version for tactile reading on electronic braille displays, other braille reading devices, or within braille software.
ePUB: For reading and annotating on mobile devices or e-book readers.
BeeLine Reader: Enhanced version for faster and more focused on-screen reading. Watch the Ally Beeline Reader video tutorial for more information.
Translated Version: This alternative format provides a machine-translated version of the original content into a total of 50 different languages. Supports PDF, Word, PowerPoint and HTML documents.

For more information and details about each of the Ally alternative formats, including how to use them, refer to the Alternative Formats support article or watch the Ally Alternative Formats tutorial video.

Accessibility in Blackboard (myLesley)

Both Blackboard Ultra and Blackboard Original courses are designed to be accessible to all users. Additional information regarding Blackboard accessibility may be found here:

For more information and resources, refer to Accessibility in Blackboard.