What Is Ally and What Does It Do?

Ally is an accessibility tool that allows students to download alternative file formats to suit their needs. Within Le Moyne’s Canvas, Ally automatically creates alternative formats of certain file types so that you can access the version that is most appropriate for your devices and needs (e.g., structured PDF for assistive devices, HTML and ePub for mobile devices, MP3 for audio, electronic braille for braille readers, etc.). 

For example, students can choose to absorb material by listening to audio files rather than reading material off of a screen. Additionally, options such as electronic braille and OCRed PDF make course material more accessible to students with disabilities.

 Instructions on how to access Alternative Formats in Canvas

The capital A with the down arrow to the right of a file indicates that alternative formats can be generated on the fly and downloaded. Among the supported file types are PDFs, Microsoft Word and Microsoft PowerPoint documents, OpenOffice/Libre Office files, and uploaded HTML documents.

1. Click on the file in the course to view it.

2. Click on the Alternative Formats link. 

Alternative Formats may look like any of the following:

3. The list of available file types will be listed. Select the one you want, then click Download. (Depending on the file size, it may take a minute, so be patient.)

Note: The quality of the alternative formats depends on the quality of the original document (e.g., a scanned document that has a lot of shadows on the text may not generate the correct wording in the alternative formats). Please contact your instructor if the quality of the alternative format is not good, they would submit a ticket with the IT Service Desk to get started on improving the quality of the documents.

 Related Resources

Ally Alternative Formats for Students

More on types of Alternative Formats