How to Use Ally for eLC

Ally for eLC checks the files in your eLC courses for common accessibility issues and shows you how to fix them. This article walks instructors and TAs through reading Ally scores, fixing issues, and using the course accessibility report. It also covers the alternative formats that everyone in a course, including students, can download.

On this page:

Find and read accessibility scores

When you open a file in your course's Content area, a small gauge icon at the top of the page shows the file's accessibility score. Only instructors and TAs see scores; students don't.

eLC Content toolbar with the Ally accessibility score gauge icon highlighted, to the left of the Add Existing and Create New buttons.

Ally scores these file types:

  • PDF
  • Word, PowerPoint, and OpenOffice files
  • Uploaded HTML files
  • Images (JPG, GIF, PNG, and similar)

Scores range from Low to Perfect. The higher the score, the fewer the issues. What each level means:

  • Red (Low): The file is not accessible and needs immediate attention. Fix these first.
  • Orange (Medium): The file is somewhat accessible and could use improvement.
  • Light green (High): The file is accessible but could be improved.
  • Dark green (Perfect): The file is accessible. No improvement needed.

You don't need to tell the colors apart to use Ally. The needle on the gauge points in a different position for each level, and selecting the gauge always opens the score as a percentage with a written list of issues.

Fix an issue

  1. Open your course in eLC, go to Content, and open the file you want to check.
  2. Select the accessibility score gauge icon. The feedback panel opens with a preview of the file, a list of issues, and step-by-step instructions for each one.
    Ally feedback panel for a Word document with a 27% score. A preview of the document is on the left. On the right, Ally explains that the document has images missing a description and offers an area to upload a fixed version.
  3. If the file has more than one issue, select All issues to see every issue in the file and decide which to fix first.
  4. Open the original file on your computer (for example, in Word or PowerPoint) and make the fixes the panel describes.
  5. Save the file, then return to the feedback panel. Drag the fixed file into the upload area, or select Browse to choose it. This replaces the course copy with your fixed version.
  6. Ally scans the new version and updates the score.

Tip: Fix the original source file, not just the PDF exported from it. That way the fix carries forward the next time you teach the course.

Use the course accessibility report

The course accessibility report shows your course's overall score and lists the content with the most issues, so you can put your time where it helps students most. A practical order of work:

  1. Start with red (Low) files that every student must use, such as the syllabus and required readings.
  2. Next, look for issues that repeat across many files, such as missing headings or image descriptions. Changing one habit fixes many future files.
  3. Check the report again after each round of fixes to track your progress.

To open the report:

  1. Go to your course homepage in eLC.
  2. In the right-hand column, find the Ally for eLC (Instructor) widget (it may be below the Calendar and Updates widgets). Students don't see this widget.
  3. Select Ally Course Accessibility Report.

An eLC course homepage with the Ally for eLC (Instructor) widget highlighted in the right-hand column, below the Calendar and Updates widgets. The first link in the widget is Ally Course Accessibility Report.

The widget also links to this article, Ally help documentation, and the EITS Digital Accessibility Program. If you don't see the widget on your course homepage, contact the Digital Accessibility team (see Get help).

Alternative formats for students

Everyone in a course, including students, can download course files in other formats. Formats include audio (MP3), HTML, ePub, electronic braille, tagged PDF, OCR'd PDF for scanned documents, BeeLine Reader, Immersive Reader, and translated versions. The formats offered depend on the file type.

To download one, open the file in eLC, select the Alternative formats icon, choose a format, and select Download.

Note: Alternative formats are only as good as the original file. A scanned or poorly structured file produces a hard-to-use audio or braille version, which is one more reason to fix the source. Alternative formats also don't replace approved accommodations. Students who need accommodations should work with Accessibility and Testing.

What Ally does not check

A dark green score is a good sign, but it doesn't mean a file fully meets accessibility standards. Automated checks can't judge whether:

  • Image descriptions are accurate and useful
  • Reading order and link text make sense
  • Videos have accurate captions, or audio has a transcript
  • Content on external sites or publisher tools is accessible

Check these by hand, or contact the Digital Accessibility team for help (see Get help).

Get help

  • Questions about Ally or making course materials accessible: Visit dash.uga.edu or email the Digital Accessibility team at dash@uga.edu.
  • Ally documentation: See Ally for Instructors on the Anthology help site for more on scores, the course report, and fixing specific issues.
  • Websites: See the related article, Ally for Web.
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Ally for Web
Ally for Web is an accessibility tool in UGA’s web publishing environment that helps website editors identify and fix accessibility issues in webpages and uploaded files. It provides automatic scanning, color-coded accessibility scores, and clear guidance to improve the accessibility of UGA websites. Editors with access to WordPress or Omni CMS can use the Ally for Web Dashboard to view scores and address common issues.