What is Ally?

Ally is a Canvas accessibility plugin that allows students to download alternative file formats to suit their needs. The purpose of this campaign is to raise awareness among students of what Ally is and how it can benefit them, as well as inform them of the different file types available.

What formats are available for students to download?

Alternative formats usually include audio, ePub, Immersive Reader, Beeline Reader, tagged PDF, Braille, HTML and others.

Please Note:

• Not all output alternative files may be fully “accessible” or usable. The accessibility of alternative formats depends on depends on the state of the original file. Files with distorted text or scanned files with text embedded in images may cause issues for the conversion tools.
• Not all alternative format types may be available for a particular file.

Do I need to do anything to utilize the Alternative Formats feature?

No, the feature will be automatically available in all Canvas courses in Fall 2023 (and some courses in Summer 2023).

How do I or my students download the alternative formats?

1. Open any individual page in Canvas such as a file, page, quiz or assignment,
2. Select the “Alternative Format” () icon next to the title at the top. A window listing available formats opens.
3. Select the desired format
4. Click the Download button. The alternative format will be downloaded to your computer or device.

Example Screenshots