What is Ally?
Blackboard Ally is an accessibility tool that integrates with UQ's Learning Management System, Blackboard Ultra, to help staff understand and tackle accessibility issues in Ultra courses.
Blackboard course accessibility tools offer a range of functionality to improve the accessibility of Learn.UQ (Blackboard) courses including:
- Alternative formats: advanced machine learning algorithms automatically provide students with access to a range of alternative formats. For more information, refer to the Alternative Formats guide.
- Review accessibility scores and improve accessibility: course content is automatically checked and scored based on accessibility and detailed guidance is provided for instructors on how to fix the identified issues. For more information, refer to the Review accessibility scores and improve accessibility guide.
- Course accessibility report: an interactive report on course content accessibility to help drive accessibility improvements at a course and institution level. For more information, refer to the Course Accessibility Report guide.
How was this project initiated?
The Blackboard Ally deployment project was initiated by the Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation (ITaLI) to support the university's commitment to create an inclusive, equitable, and accessible learning environment for all students and staff, particularly across digital learning spaces and course content.
What is the objective of the project?
The objective of this project is to develop a deeper understanding of Blackboard Ally through testing and feedback gathered during the early adopters program. These insights will help inform a change management and adoption strategy to support broader university-wide adoption.
What is happening?
Summer Semester, 2025 - Ally enabled in all courses
Blackboard Ally was be enabled in all courses during Summer Semester, 2025.
Semester 1, 2026 - Early Adopters program & promotion of Alternative formats
Early Adopters
An early adopters program is running during Semester 1, 2026 for two key groups:
- Course Coordinators and students from a small number of courses chosen to reflect a range of teaching contexts and content types.
- Learning Designers across each faculty who are undertaking course development or redesign for Semester 2, 2026 courses.
Workshops, briefings and check-ins will be held throughout the semester for early adopters, with feedback being gathered at the end through a survey and focus groups.
Promotion of Alternative formats
The availability of automatically generated alternative formats for Blackboard course content will be promoted to students through multiple communication channels and digital signage. The Library included information on the tool in their Introduction to Learn.UQ (Blackboard) workshop at the start of Semester 1, 2026.
Semester 2, 2026 - Change management campaign
Based on learnings from the early adopters program, 'Blackboard Ally' is being rebranded as 'Learn.UQ (Blackboard) course accessibility tools' and will be promoted to teaching staff through a targeted change management campaign. The purpose of this campaign is to drive university-wide awareness and adoption through strategically timed communications, the delivery of workshops and the promotion of course accessibility resources, including a video case study with Ally Early Adopter, Dr Paul Vrbik.
Promotion of alternative accessible formats for students will be handed over to the Library, while academic staff will be encouraged to use course accessibility tools to identify and address key recurring accessibility issues in their courses, rather than focusing on increasing their accessibility score overall.
Communications
Student communications
- Email from Student Support and Wellbeing Services to all students with a Student Access Plan
- Digital signage circulating on alternative formats available for students
- UQ Life newsletter articles
Staff communications
- Teaching and eLearning News newsletter articles
- UQ Update newsletter articles
- regular presentations to the Learning Design and eLearning Update forum
- Updates to the Learning Design and eLearning community through Microsoft Teams
- Direct communications to key stakeholders
Resources
- Video case study with Ally Early Adopter, Dr Paul Vrbik (YouTube, 6m, 58s)
- change management resources for staff teaching Summer Semester and Semester 1 2026 courses
- Instructional guides have been created for staff on course accessibility tools
- Getting started with Learn.UQ student guide now includes information about Ally alternative formats
Support and training
- eLearning Adviser Consultations service now includes support for Blackboard Ally
- Established a service to support new Learning Designers with course accessibility tools and accessible course design
- Learn.UQ Ultra Basics self-paced online module updated to include Blackboard Ally
- Course Accessibility Tools (Blackboard Ally) workshops for professional staff and teaching staff
- New Ultra Tips and Tricks workshop has been created and includes information on Blackboard Ally
- Learn.UQ UItra Basics workshop has been updated to include information on Blackboard Ally
View a detailed list of all communications
FAQ's
Do I need to do anything to generate alternative formats?
No, Blackboard Ally will automatically generate a range of alternative formats using advanced machine learning algorithms for all content uploaded to your Blackboard Ultra course. If you upload a new content item, you may need to wait a short time while the alternative formats are generated.
Why can't I see the alternative formats icon or accessibility score for my Ultra document?
You will need to click on the course document to view it first. The A icon for alternative formats and the accessibility score will be displayed in the top right of the course document, unlike files directly uploaded to your course where they are displayed next to the item on the Content page.
Can students see the accessibility score for all course content?
No, students can only see the option to download alternative formats and will not see the accessibility score for course content.
Who can access the Course Accessibility Report?
Only staff enrolled in the course as an Instructor, Teaching Assistant or Course Builder have access to the Course Accessibility Report through Books & Tools. Markers, Students and Guests do not have access to the report.
What type of content does Blackboard Ally scan for accessibility?
Blackboard Ally scans the following file types for accessibility:
- PDF files
- Microsoft Word and PowerPoint files
- OpenOffice/LibreOffice files
- Uploaded HTML files
- Image files (JPG, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, TIFF)
- WYSIWYG/VTBE content
- YouTube videos embedded in WYSIWYG/VTBE
Note: Content that is hidden from students is still scanned by Ally, including items in hidden folders or learning modules.
Known issues
Embedded Echo360 video being flagged
Issue: The Course Accessibility Report is flagging embedded Echo360 videos as This item contains links with missing text (i.e. a link with no textual content). This shows as a small highlighted square in the preview, making it impossible for staff to identify what is being flagged, unless they know the exact location of the embedded video. The risk is that staff would select Remove the link from the remediation options and unknowingly delete the embedded video. The videos are not being flagged as inaccessible within the native document in which they are embedded, only in the Course Accessibility Report.
Fix: From the remediation options in Blackboard Ally, there is an option to select Add text to the link, however this option does not seem to be working correctly. We are currently investigating this issue further with ITS and the vendors. In the meantime, a warning has been added to the Course Accessibility Report guide.
50MB file size limit for uploading remediated files
Issue: If Blackboard Ally has identified a document over 50MB with accessibility issues that need to be addressed, staff would need to download that file to make the required changes and reupload the remediated version to Learn.UQ. However, the maximum file size limit is 50MB when uploading files to Blackboard Ally and files over this size cannot be uploaded.
Fix: Staff should first reduce the file size, before making accessibility improvements and reuploading to Learn.UQ. It is also important that file sizes remain as small as possible to ensure they are accessible to students with low-bandwidth internet connections.
Ally deployment project team
Role | Member | Organisational Unit / team |
Project Manager | Ailsa Dickie Manager, eLearning Designers and Advisers | ITaLI, eLearning Systems and Support team |
Change Manager | Iliria Stenning Senior eLearning Designer and Adviser | ITaLI, eLearning Systems and Support team |
| Technical Lead | Lucinda Ramsay Application Support Specialist | ITaLI, eLearning Systems and Support team |
Ally Early Adopters
Learning Designers
Course code(s) | Learning Designer(s) | Faculty |
|---|---|---|
| ANAT3022 | Dr Amy Chan | Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences |
| LAWS2220, TOUR7031, BSAN7213, BSAN7209, ACCT3106, TRVT3004 | John Raiti, Fiona Stroud, Evangelene Dickson and Manomay Chaskar | Business, Economics and Law |
| SPAN1010, SPAN2010 , SPAN3330, SLAT7805, SLAT7852, WRIT1001 | Alicia Gazmuri Sanhueza | Humanities and Social Sciences |
| PHYS1001 | Jonathon Dawson | Science |
| Various | Emily Russell | Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology |
Course Coordinators
Course code | Course title | Course Coordinator | School | Faculty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CSSE1001 | Introduction to Software Engineering | Dr Paul Vrbik | Electrical Engineering and Computer Science | Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology |
| LAWS7724 | Current Issues in International Law | Professor Paul Harpur | UQ Law School | Business, Economics and Law |
| LING2010 | Phonology | Dr Kathleen Jepson | Languages and Cultures | Humanities and Social Sciences |
| STAT2003/7003 | Mathematical Probability | Associate Professor Yoni Nazarathy | Mathematics & Physics School | Science |
| SLAT3001 | Cognitive and Social Aspects of Bilingualism | Dr Anna Mikhaylova | Languages and Cultures | Humanities and Social Sciences |
| CRIM1000 | Introduction to Criminology | Associate Professor Suzanna Fay and Amy Templar | Social Science | Humanities and Social Sciences |
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the Blackboard Ally Deployment project, please contact the project team: projects@elearning.uq.edu.au