Accessibility Resources
Accessibility Compliance Content Monitoring
Digital content across thousands of web pages and courses represents a living resource, so accessibility becomes a process of continual monitoring and remediation. Web accessibility evaluation tools are software programs or online services help the UH System conduct ongoing monitoring and remediation.
UH System universities use to two major tools to monitor and remediate digital content for accessibility with Anthology Ally (Ally for LMS) on the Learning Management System (LMS) and SiteImprove on its websites.
Anthology Ally™ (Ally for LMS)
Ally is an accessibility solution that integrates seamlessly into several Learning Management Systems (LMS) including Canvas and helps faculty monitor and manage their digital course content for accessibility.
Ally scans files uploaded into the LMS and searches for common accessibility issues and provides feedback both individually and in report format. Faculty members can utilize the reports and guided instructions within the LMS to manage their course content.
When the content uploaded is accessible, Ally empowers students to select a format best suited for their success. According to the Instructor Guide on Ally for LMS, “Instructors don’t need to do anything. Ally creates the alternative formats for you. For example, Anthology Ally creates audio and electronic braille alternatives for students with visual impairments. Alternative formats aren't just for a select group of students. Alternative formats benefit everyone. For example, your students may be prone to eye strain, or maybe they are an auditory learner. They can listen to an audio format of the content instead. Or use the HTML or ePub formats for easier reading on a mobile device.”
Ally also pairs with Microsoft Immersive reader, which allows students to:
- Change font size and text spacing;
- Change the contrast between the text and the background color;
- Learn spelling and grammar by splitting words into syllables;
- Highlight verbs, nouns, adjectives, and sub-clauses;
- View a picture dictionary;
- Increase reading speed with line focus; and
- Convert text-to-speech.
Training Video: Ally for Instructors
The following video covers explains Ally for LMS, what is does and how to use it. The video demonstrates the features of Ally, user interface within Canvas LMS, and how to use the tool to identify and fix accessibility in content.
After viewing this Overview for Instructors of Ally for LMS video, UH System encourages faculty to explore our Self-Guided Accessibility Learning page.
Overview for Instructors of Ally for LMS
Anthology, Inc.
Download ‘Ally for Instructors’ accessible PowerPoint
SiteImprove
SiteImprove is a software tool used as part of UH System universities' website development and maintenance processes. The website crawling tool provides detailed website accessibility feedback and support to web content managers.
The tool provides authorized users with a visual dashboard that indicates site-wide and/or sub-site metrics (e.g. Digital Certainty Index, Quality Assurance, Accessibility, and SEO). Each institution employs technical web staff to troubleshoot and improve departmental websites.
Training Video: SiteImprove for Web Technologists and Web Content Owners
After viewing the SiteImprove for DCI Score: Accessibility, SEO, and Quality Assurance video, UH System encourages web content managers to learn more information about each of the measurements which SiteImprove collects as provided at SiteImprove’s Help Center, and explore UH System Self-Guided Accessibility Learning page.
Siteimprove for DCI Score: Accessibility, SEO, and Quality Assurance
Siteimprove, Inc.
Get Help with Accessibility
If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access UH System websites, videos, online forms, or other EIR, please send a detailed message to your EIR Accessibility Coordinator (or EIRAC) as listed on the Contact Us page, or submit an anonymous report using the instructions on that page.