An Exciting New Tool for Access and Inclusion: Anthology Ally
New tool to increase accessibility and inclusion in Canvas courses.
Kady Katona | TIPS Lia Schraeder, PhD | TIPS Apr 22, 2024
If you’re teaching this semester you probably noticed a new tool is now active in Canvas, called Anthology Ally. You may be wondering what Ally does and why faculty and students might benefit from using it. In this post we briefly discuss what Ally does and how it supports campus goals of inclusive and learner-centered teaching.
What does Ally do?
For students, the central feature of Ally is that it can make course readings available in a variety of formats. When students go to a Canvas course using any web browser, they can now access alternative formats for much of the textual content, including screen reader-friendly formats, audio formats (mp3 files), and dynamic text formats with translation tools and reading enhancement tools, to name a few. Though in many cases alternative formats are created automatically, it’s still helpful for faculty to remember that the more accessible the source content, the more useful Ally is to students.
On the faculty side, Ally serves as a guide to understanding and improving the accessibility of a Canvas course. When faculty go to a Canvas course, they now see color-coded gauges next to content, indicating level of accessibility. To improve accessibility, faculty can click on any gauge to find more information about how to remediate a given file, image, page, etc. to be more accessible. Faculty can also access a “Course Accessibility Report” with useful information about course level trends and identifying easier issues to fix and lowest scoring content. By making the recommended edits, faculty not only improve the accessibility of the source content, but they also improve Ally’s ability to make more alternative formats available to more students.
Why is Ally beneficial?
According to the Campus and Workplace Culture Survey 2021, 41% of students report disabilities, though many more disabilities may go undisclosed for a variety of reasons (such as cost of testing and stigma associated with disability). So by automatically creating alternative formats, Ally can be especially beneficial for students with disabilities. For Rhonda, a non-traditional student diagnosed with ADHD and Autism spectrum disorder, Ally tools are “really life changing….I’m a phenomenal reader but it really did help me once I realized I had both formats [audio and written] I process things faster and retain it better.” And by allowing all students to personalize content, such as to access readings on a mobile device, to listen to an mp3 while commuting, or to find help with reading comprehension, Ally serves the diverse needs and preferences of all students, including but not limited to students with disabilities. As Rhonda points out about Ally alternative formats, “I think a lot of people don’t even realize that they need them. I didn’t realize that using a speech to text program would help me, because I read perfectly well.” In increasing choice and flexibility, Ally’s alternative formats can increase learner empowerment, engagement, and comprehension, potentially for the benefit of all students.
Ally benefits faculty as well, by providing insights and guidance on how to improve accessibility of digital content. In supporting student access and faculty awareness of accessibility, Ally aligns with accessibility laws and campus policies, as well as with our campus emphasis on learner-centered and inclusive instruction. In supporting choice, flexibility, and diverse formats for all students, Ally also aligns with Universal Design for Learning pedagogy, which encourages us to design educational materials, activities, and assessments that can be accessed and used effectively by a diverse range of learners, including students with disabilities, students with limited language proficiency, and students facing barriers of any kind. At the institutional level, Ally can track progress of our accessibility efforts as well as identify areas which need support and/or training resources, to help us fulfill our campus mission and vision to serve all students.
Ally Resources
Get Support
Disability Resources & Services (DRS): Find support in making accommodations for students with disabilities to give them equal access to all the university’s programs, activities and services.
Teaching Innovation and Program Strategy (TIPS): Sign up for a consultation for help with accessibility, technology, or instruction.
Learn More
Anthology Ally: This TIPS website provides information about this powerful tool and its uses. You can also sign up for workshops on Ally and Universal Design for Learning.
OIT Accessibility: This OIT website serves as the CU Denver and CU Anschutz information hub about accessible technology.
Get Involved
Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Opportunities for faculty and staff to get involved in affinity groups, operational teams, and the inclusive excellence council.
Faculty Assembly Disabilities Committee (DisC): Advocates for and recommends programs, policies and activities that support inclusivity for faculty and students.