Free Digital Accessibility Workshops from Blackboard
Self-paced solutions for faculty & staff flexibility
Instructional Technology is pleased to offer four workshops on digital accessibility and Ally, available at no cost to UMBC faculty and staff, through July 31, 2026 using a special registration link and code. Created by Blackboard, the available workshops are designed to give you practical skills and a deep understanding of creating accessible and inclusive course content.
Workshop #1: Accessibility Fundamentals
This foundational training is designed to provide participants with a broad understanding of accessibility issues in educational environments. Participants will learn how disabilities can limit access to electronic instructional materials and what they can do to make their course content as accessible as possible to the greatest number of learners.
Workshop #2: Writing Effective Alt Text
Alternative text is a key component of digital accessibility, ensuring that all learners can engage with visual content. Participants will begin with the fundamentals of alternative text, exploring its definition, significance, and how context shapes what makes it meaningful and effective. In addition to learning how to write high-quality alt text, participants will receive practical instruction on how to add alt text in commonly used tools such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat.
Workshop #3: Introducing Ally to Learners
Creating an inclusive and accessible learning environment goes beyond just providing accessible content -- it requires clear, intentional communication with students. Introducing Ally to Learners is designed to help instructors effectively engage with students about accessibility and empower them in their use of Ally's Alternative Formats.
Workshop #4: Empowering Learners with Ally's Alternative Formats
This training introduces the alternative formats available through Ally and explores how they support a more inclusive and flexible learning experience for all students. Participants will gain an understanding of each format -- including audio, electronic Braille, BeeLine Reader, HTML, ePub, etc. -- along with practical use cases that highlight when and how learners might benefit from each option.
How to Get Started
There is a special process for UMBC faculty and staff to access this subscription for free, and to enroll in these workshops. Please open an RT ticket to receive the special instructions, registration code, and workshop links.
We encourage UMBC faculty and staff to take advantage of this valuable resource to further your digital accessibility training and professional development! Faculty who complete all four workshops and submit certificates to Instructional Technology can earn the new Accessibility A11y meta microcredential. Certificates must be submitted using this Google Form by the end of SP2026.
Ready to take the first step? Visit UMBC's Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.
Don't forget: Tuesday, November 18 is Fix Your Course Content Day! This one-day push is a chance for faculty, staff, and instructional designers to review Ally accessibility reports, make fixes, and strengthen our commitment to inclusive teaching.
Connect with Instructional Technology
As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology, please consider the following options:
On Tuesday, November 18, UMBC will host its own Fix Your Course Content Day, dedicated to improving the accessibility of digital course materials in Blackboard. This one-day push is a chance for faculty, staff, and instructional designers to review Ally accessibility reports, make fixes, and strengthen our commitment to inclusive teaching.
Why Fix Content?
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Every fix, big or small, helps. Whether it's adding alt text to an image, adding meaningful link text, correcting heading structure, or improving document formatting, each step makes content more usable for a student using a screen reader, assistive device, or alternate format.
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You already have insights. The Ally tool in Blackboard surfaces course-level accessibility reports and flags problematic files (scanned documents, missing image description, contrast issues, etc.). Use this as your guide.
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It's about more than one day. Fix Your Content Day is not just a one-off event. It's a focused moment for action -- and a reminder that digital accessibility is an ongoing responsibility in course design.
What to Do on November 18
Here's a simple roadmap you can follow:
1. Review your Ally report.
Log into your course and go to Books & Tools from the right navigation menu to access your Ally accessibility report. Note your starting score. Prioritize files you use most (syllabus, major readings, assignment sheets, etc.) or where you have inaccessible images that impact meaningful content.
2. Make at least 3 targeted fixes.
Use the Ally "repair" workflow (built into Blackboard) to take action:
3. Strive for 85.
As you make your fixes, aim for an Ally score of 85 percent or higher in your courses. This benchmark represents solid progress toward accessible, student-ready materials. Each improvement -- adding alt text, correcting headings, or replacing scanned PDFs -- moves your score closer to 85, or exceeds it, and helps ensure your course is usable for every learner.
4. Document or share progress.
Record which courses and files you've improved. If you'd like to be recognized with a microcredential for your portfolio or LinkedIn profile, submit your results using this Google Form. Instructional Technology will also share the top five departmental improvements.
5. Reflect and plan next steps.
Think about recurring patterns in your courses (e.g. many scanned articles, many images lacking alt text). Use that insight to inform future course redesign or content creation. Consider sharing your top three fixes with your departmental to help normalize accessible practices across campus.
A Few Tips to Make It Easier
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Start small. Pick a single course or module to focus on first, or focus on a single type of issue like image descriptions. You also don't need to "fix everything" in one day.
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Schedule your time. Block a 30-60 minute slot on November 18 in your calendar just for accessibility fixes -- or drop by our open lab in ENGR 102 from 1 to 3 PM to work alongside colleagues, share progress, and get help from the Instructional technology team in a relaxed, social space to celebrate the day’s improvements.
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Work together. Team up with a colleague -- it can be in your department or another for cross-disciplinary support. Two sets of eyes often catch more than one.
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Drop in for virtual support. Instructional Technology is standing by with quick guides or quick consultations.
On November 18, join us in making a measurable impact on our course content. Whether you fix three items or thirty, your work matters. Let's make UMBC's digital learning environment more inclusive together.
Ready to take the first step? Visit UMBC’s Digital Accessibility site or run an Ally course report today. Support is also available from Student Disability Services and Instructional Technology.
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On Tuesday, November 18, UMBC will host its own Fix Your Course Content Day, dedicated to improving the accessibility of digital course materials in Blackboard. This one-day push is a chance for...
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