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.
How can I use Ally in my course?
Blackboard Ally offers a range of functionality to improve the accessibility of Ultra courses including:
- Alternative formats: Blackboard Ally uses advanced machine learning algorithms to automatically provide students with access to a range of alternative formats. For more information, refer to the Alternative Formats guide.
- Instructor feedback panel: Blackboard Ally checks and scores course content based on accessibility and provides detailed guidance for instructors on how to fix the identified issues through the instructor feedback panel. For more information, refer to the Instructor Feedback Panel guide.
- Course accessibility report: To drive accessibility improvements at a course and institution level, Ally produces reports on course content accessibility. For more information, refer to the Course Accessibility Report guide.
What is happening?
Summer Semester, 2025 - Ally enabled in all courses
Blackboard Ally will be enabled in all Summer Semester, 2025 courses.
Semester 1, 2026 - Early Adopters program & promotion of Alternative formats
Early Adopters
An early adopters program will run during Semester 1, 2026 for two key groups:
- Course Coordinators of a select few courses with students and staff who would most benefit from improved accessibility.
- 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 promoted to students through multiple communication channels. The Library will include information on this tool in their Introduction to Learn.UQ (Blackboard) workshop at the start of Semester 1.
Semester 2, 2026 - Change management campaign
The availablity of the Instructors feedback panel for documents and a Course accessibility report will be promoted to teaching staff through multiple communication channels. Workshops and resources based on learnings from the early adopters program will also be delivered.
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.
Resources and training
Completed
- Blackboard Ally guides for staff are available to support early adopters
- Getting started with Learn.UQ student guide has been updated to include information about Ally alternative formats
Planned
- design and deliver a Blackboard Ally workshop for Learning Designers
- update the Learn.UQ UItra Basics workshop (delivered via Zoom) to include Blackboard Ally.
- update the Learn.UQ Ultra Basics self-paced online module to include Blackboard Ally.
- create change management resources for both staff and students
Staff Communications
Completed
- Teaching and eLearning News articles:
- 25 November: Blackboard course accessibility tools article
- UQ Update articles:
- 24 November 2025: Blackboard course accessibility tools
- 25 November 2025: email to all Summer Semester Course Coordinators
- 25 November 2025: email to all Associate Deans (Academic)
- Updates to the Learning Design and eLearning community through Microsoft Teams:
- 12 November 2025: Ally Early Adopters for Learning Designers - Semester 1, 2026
Planned
- briefings and consultations with key stakeholders across UQ
- regular presentations to the Learning Design and eLearning Update forum
- regular updates to the Learning Design and eLearning community through Microsoft Teams
- regular Teaching and eLearning News and UQ Update articles
- project progress reports to Digital Learning Sub-Committee
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 |
| Learning Design Lead | Charlotte Young Manager, Learning Design | Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation |
| Technical Lead | Lucinda Ramsay Application Support Specialist | ITaLI, eLearning Systems and Support team |
Contact
If you have any questions regarding the Blackboard Ally Deployment project, please contact the project team: projects@elearning.uq.edu.au