Accessibility & Universal Design for Learning

An accessible learning environment is a necessary first step towards a more inclusive experience for all students.  Blackboard strives to empower education institutions to create inclusive and accessible learning experiences.

Over 2 million alternative format downloads in formats such as PDF, mp3, ePub, HTML and OCR

Why Does Creating an Inclusive Environment Matter?

All students benefit from a more inclusive environment.  By leveraging pedagogy, content best practices and the right tools and technology, instructors can move towards implementing UDL principles into their courses that help each student take advantage of that benefit, not just those with a disclosed accommodation need. 

In Fall 2019 over 2 million alternative formats were downloaded with Blackboard Ally to support improved study habits through diverse forms of engagement and provide increased learner autonomy and choice.

The fact is that people learn in lots of different ways, and depending on the subject, you may choose a different method to learn along the way. To reduce barriers in learning, it is important to provide appropriate support, making information equally accessible to all learners by presenting the same content in varying materials.

Patricia Ritschel-Trifilo
Director of Online Learning
,
Wayland Baptist University
Wayland Baptist University - Patricia Trifilo

Expand Access to Education through Inclusive and Accessible Learning Experiences

Blackboard Ally

Personalized learning to support the diverse needs of 21st century learners and spark a culture-shift toward inclusive practice for instructors. A seamless integration within existing course workflows, Blackboard Ally for the LMS is available for Blackboard Learn, Open LMS, Canvas, Moodle, and D2L.

Blackboard Ally for WCM

Support diverse district members in accessing important information, school updates, and resources to foster a more inclusive, engaged community. Available for Web Community Manager users, Blackboard Ally for WCM helps ensure your district pages are both accessible and available in mobile-friendly, multi-lingual formats. 

Blackboard Ally for Web

Detailed reporting and feedback to systematically eliminate barriers to access at scale, and create a web presence that is responsive to the invisible needs of diverse site visitors. A CMS-agnostic solution, Blackboard Ally for Web provides enterprises with accessibility insights across their public-facing URLs, and allows site visitors to engage web content in a way that works best for them. 

Technology is wonderful; especially for an individual who might be experiencing some kind of challenge, whether it be a sight impairment or hearing impairment. We can use the Blackboard Ally tool to help us be inclusive, provide an opportunity for Universal Design for Learning, and provide a way for students to consume content regardless of any of their challenges.

Monica Brooks
Associate Vice President of Libraries and Online Learning
,
Marshall University
Monica Brooks

Want to Learn How You Can Create More Inclusive Content?