Ally Just Got Smarter: You Can Now Fix Key PDF Issues Without Leaving Blackboard

We have great news for faculty! Blackboard Ally has introduced a new update that makes improving document accessibility even easier, and you no longer need Adobe Acrobat to address some of the most common accessibility issues.  

New Updates

1) Document Title 

Add a clear, descriptive title that appears in screen readers and improves document structure. 

2) Document Language 

Set the correct document language (like English or Spanish), so screen readers can pronounce content correctly.

3) Scanned PDF Files 

Ally can now recognize scanned PDFs and guide you through converting them into machine-readable text using Optical Character Recognition (OCR). This is a game-changer for image-only files that were previously inaccessible.

Why This Matters 

These issues are some of the most common barriers flagged in Ally, and until now, they could only be fixed by editing the original PDF in a separate tool like Adobe Acrobat. With this update, you can improve accessibility and increase your Ally score more quickly and efficiently, right inside Blackboard.

Making your content accessible doesn’t just support students with disabilities, it improves usability for everyone and helps W&M meet federal compliance requirements.

How to Fix It

If any of your PDFs are flagged in Ally for a missing title or missing language, simply:

1. Click on the gauge icon next to the file in your Blackboard course.
2. Click the issue listed in the panel.
3. Select “Fix” and follow the step-by-step instructions Ally provides—no need to open the original file!

For scanned PDFs, Ally will guide you through converting the file into a readable format using OCR, all within the same workflow.

Not sure what to do? We’re here to help! Stop by our Digital Accessibility Office Hours!