Last updated: March 2021

Easy fixes in AllyThis guide explores 9 common issues you can easily fix to enhance your accessibility scoring in Ally.

View All File Accessibility Issues.........................................................................................2Scenario: A course file has multiple issues to address.................................................................2

In-Browser Document Preview.............................................................................................4Scenario: You have a Power Point file with contrast issues..........................................................4

Remove Potentially Harmful Content...................................................................................6Scenario: You select a red indicator, its “potentially harmful”........................................................6

Add Alternative Description for Image Files.......................................................................8Scenario: You add an image file to your course for students........................................................8

Add Descriptions to Power Point Images..........................................................................10Scenario: Your favorite presentation has an orange indicator.....................................................10

Add Headings to a Word Document...................................................................................12Scenario: Ally tells you your Word Doc is missing headings.......................................................12

Add Headers to your Data Tables in Word........................................................................14Scenario: You upload a Word Doc with tables............................................................................14

Export a Word Doc as a Tagged PDF.................................................................................16Scenario: You upload an untagged PDF of your Course Handbook...........................................16

Add a Library Reference......................................................................................................18Scenario: About to launch your course and Ally flags a file.........................................................18

View All File Accessibility Issues

Creating accessible digital learning content can be challenging. A single course file may contain multiple issues impacting its accessibility for students. Ally gives you options for fixing those issues and allows you to craft an accessibility strategy suitable to your course needs.

Prioritise high-impact issues, or focus on quick fixes first with Ally “All Issues.”

Scenario: A course file has multiple issues to address

When you select an Ally indicator, the instructor feedback window will show the most pressing accessibility issue to correct. There is an option to view “All Issues” if the file has multiple accessibility issues to address.

In the “All Issues” tab, a list of all the accessibility issues appears. Ally shows you how much each change will improve your accessibility score.

(continue to next page)

Choose how you want to proceed in addressing each issue. Select “Fix” to view step-by-step details on how to correct each issue. Upload or add your changes with each issue, or address them all at once.

The closer to the 100% score, the closer you are to a more inclusive learning environment for your students.

In-Browser Document Preview

When attempting to fix accessibility issues within course files, it can help to know exactly where certain issues appear in the document. When you launch Ally’s instructor feedback (by selecting an indicator next to your course file), a preview of your document will appear next to the feedback panel.

For contrast issues, images missing a description, and tables missing headers, Ally will highlight where those issues appear in the document with a red box outline to help you make your fixes when returning to your authoring tool.

Scenario: You have a Power Point file with contrast issues

Select the orange indicator next to your PowerPoint presentation. You notice the file has multiple issues so you select “All issues”. Ally says the file has “contrast issues.” Select “Fix.”

In the document preview to the left of the feedback, a red box appears around part of your slide.

You can navigate through your document within the preview or using the navigation bar at the top of the preview.

You can use the up/down arrows to navigate issue by issue, or the page arrows to move page by page.

To toggle the red box outlines on/off, select the ‘eye’ icon.

(continue to next page)

The solid red square at the top of the preview reports the total number of times contrast issues appear in the document.

Select the download icon in the top-right corner of the navigation bar to download the file if you don’t have easy access to it elsewhere on your device.

Open a contrast checker like the “Colour Contrast Analyser” to ensure your colour combinations meet accessibility standards.

In Power Point, highlight the text and set the RGB values or hex code to select the desired colour. Then upload your fixed file.

Remove Potentially Harmful Content

The Internet is full of fun content, and adding creative media elements to your course can boost student engagement. However, GIFs and other visual media with rapid movement, flickering, or dizzying complexity have the potential to trigger seizures or other harmful responses in students.

Ally identifies these files, and scores them as “Red, 0% accessible.” Follow these instructions to help ensure all students can safely interact with your course content.

Scenario: You select a red indicator, its “potentially harmful”

You’re adding some visual media to your course to embed later in a discussion, and you notice a red Ally indicator next to the file. You select the indicator, and notice that Ally has marked the file as “potentially harmful.” You have two choices:

1. The recommended choice from an inclusion perspective is to remove the file, and replace it with something similar and less harmful. This will ensure that all your students can engage with the content safely.

(continue to next page)

2. If the content is essential to your course, Ally will flag the content and alert students before opening the file. In case the students are susceptible to seizure from flashing or visually complex images, they will receive a warning from Ally before opening.

Add Alternative Description for Image Files

Images can be a great way to engage your learners with different modes of learning, and can help communicate complex ideas to students.

For students with visual impairments, “alternative descriptions” explain the content of an image that is crucial for their learning. For all students, text descriptions can provide deeper context to aid their comprehension.

Scenario: You add an image file to your course for students

If your image lacks a text description, the Ally indicator will appear “red.” Selecting the indicator reveals that the file is only 25% accessible, because it lacks an alternative description.

Select the “What this means” button for an explanation, and “How to write a good description” for some quick tips.

When you’re ready, add your alternative description to the text field in the Ally feedback window. You can also edit existing text in the box. When you’re done, select “Add.”

Make sure your description is more than just the title of the file, or Ally will report an accessibility error. Describe the image and what’s important, and mention any text in the image to improve your score.

(continue to next page)

If your image is only for visual effect and does not contain information relevant to the learning content, you can also mark the image as “decorative.” This means no alternative description is necessary, and your accessibility score will improve. This helps assure students of the purpose of those files.

Add Descriptions to Power Point Images

Sharing presentation slides with students can provide them useful review and study materials. Many presentations include images, and it is important that the images contain an alternative description. This helps in both labelling document images and supports students with visual impairments.

Scenario: Your favorite presentation has an orange indicator

When you select the orange indicator next to your Power Point file, the Ally instructor feedback informs you that the presentation has images missing descriptions. You’ll need to fix this issue in Power Point, and upload a new file to Ally when you’re ready.

Use the in-browser document preview to the left of the feedback to learn which images are missing descriptions.

Ally will describe to you how to write effective alternative descriptions if you are unfamiliar.

You can download the file from your course to work on it if you don’t already have it on your computer. Open the file in Power Point to add your alt descriptions.

(continue to next page)

In Power Point, you can add alternative descriptions to an image:

1. Select the Image.

2. Choose the “Picture Format” tab and locate the “Format Pane” button.

3. Select “Size and Properties” tab, and then alt text from the drop-down.

4. Add your text in the description field, don’t worry about title. Save your file.

Back in your course, select the Ally indicator for PPT file, and upload your new saved file into the upload area.

Add Headings to a Word Document

Reading long, dense text documents can be a daunting task for learners. Well-structured documents help students organise and process texts. By using headings in your Word document styles, you can design sections and sub-sections for your documents.

Headers can help students navigate and comprehend texts and are essential for screen readers.

Scenario: Ally tells you your Word Doc is missing headings

You add a MS Word document to your course site, and notice a red Ally indicator, so you select it. Ally tells you that your document is missing headings.

You’ll need to download the file, open it up in MS Word to make your changes, and then upload your new version of the file to improve your score.

Check out the Ally feedback to learn more about why headings are important, how to use headings effectively, and where to find tutorials to help you add headings to the document.

Think of headings like the outline of a paper. Headings should provide a clear, consistent structure for students to follow throughout the doc.

(continue to next page)

If you’re using MS Word, first highlight the text you want to change into a heading. Then, find “Styles” and select the appropriate heading type. You can adjust the font and colour of the heading if you don’t like the default. Use a logical heading order, and try not to exceed 6 levels.

Once you’ve corrected the heading structure, save the Word file and upload to Ally.

Add Headers to your Data Tables in Word

Using tables in your documents can be a great way to help organise complex information for students. To create accessible tables, only use tables for data, and not for visual layouts.

This means you should avoid blank or merged cells, and ensure that the content in rows and columns align.

By adding headers to your tables, you will improve how your students navigate tables, especially if they use a screen reader.

Scenario: You upload a Word Doc with tables

When uploading a Word document to your course, you notice a light green indicator. You select the indicator and discover that Ally reports tables in your document are missing headers.

In the preview on the left, red outlines appear around the tables missing headers. Select “What this means” in the sidebar to learn more about accessible tables.

To correct the issues, download the file and open it in MS Word or your authoring tool.

(continue to next page)

To add headers:

1. Highlight the first row in your table that explains what’s in each column 2. From the “Table Design” tab at the top, check the box for “Header Row”.

3. Next, right select your highlighted row, select “Table Properties”, and check “Repeat as header row”

4. Once you’ve corrected the heading structure, save the Word file.

In Ally, select the indicator for the Word File you fixed. Upload your saved file by dragging into the box or selecting ‘browse’ at the bottom of the Instructor Feedback.

Export a Word Doc as a Tagged PDF

Although keeping your documents as a .doc or .docx file is the best way to ensure the document remains accessible, many instructors prefer to export their Word docs as PDF.

When exporting as PDF, it is important that you check your export settings to make sure that the PDF will be tagged, as this will make sure the document is easy to navigate.

Scenario: You upload an untagged PDF of your Course Handbook

You created your Course Handbook in a Word doc, exported it as PDF, and added it to your course. A red Ally indicator appears next to your file, and informs you that your PDF is untagged.

A tagged document provides readers with improved navigation, helping to keep texts organized, and is essential for students who use a screen reader.

You can upload the Word file to maintain accessibility, or your Word doc as a PDF with the correct settings.

(continue to next page)

To export a Word document as a tagged PDF,

1. Go to “File”

2. Select “Save As”

3. Select PDF from the drop-down.

4. Choose “Best for electronic distribution and accessibility.”

Then upload your newly tagged PDF to Ally.

Add a Library Reference

There may be times when you simply cannot find a fully accessible version of your course file. As a last best effort, Ally will allow you to add some more bibliographic information to the file.

Scenario: About to launch your course and Ally flags a file

While embedding a PDF link in your course, a red Ally indicator appears. You select the indicator, and realize the PDF is of a scanned document. You see the option to upload a digital text version, but you do not know where to access a digital text version.

Ally will ask you if the document can be found in the library.

If it can be, select “Yes” and add whatever info you have about the document in the form, including a link to the document in your library catalogue. This will help students work with the library to find a suitable version.

(continue to next page)

Once you add the Library Reference, students can access the document info by going to the file and selecting “alternative formats” from the drop-down next to the file name.

This will open the Ally alternative formats window, where students can access the library reference info from the “library reference” tab.