Raise a FA26 Bb Course Ally Score by Fixing the Prior Version

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 15:23:44 -0400
ally, blackboard, core, core-foundations, da, digital-accessibility, strive-for-85

As announced last month, UMBC is working toward a campus-wide goal of highly accessible courses by the end of 2026. To help, DoIT recommends that faculty identify accessibility gaps in prior versions of the same course, and make meaningful improvements before the Fall 2026 term begins.

Improve Existing Courses with Ally

Fall 2026 Blackboard course shells will be available in late July. If you’ve taught a course before, you have a head start. UMBC’s Blackboard Ally tool has already scanned your previous course content and generated accessibility scores. As such, you can:

Review your Ally Course Accessibility Report to identify which materials need improvement

Remediate low-scoring content using Ally’s recommendations

Update your course accessibility score toward UMBC’s “Strive for 85” goal

Copy improved content into your fresh Fall 2026 course shell

This approach allows you to build on your existing work while creating a more accessible experience for your fall students.

Get Support Along the Way

You don’t have to tackle accessibility alone. UMBC is committed to helping you succeed:

Attend CoRE Digital Accessibility Summer Camp (June 3 or June 10)

Enroll in CoRE Foundations training: This flexible, self-paced Blackboard course teaches practical tools for digital accessibility and can even lead to a microcredential recognizing your expertise.

Review Ally FAQs: Visit umbc.edu/go/allyfaqs for answers to common questions.

Request a consult with Instructional Technology staff.

Your efforts contribute to UMBC’s institutional goal of achieving an 85% or better Ally score across all courses by the end of 2026.

Connect with Instructional Technology

As always, if you have any questions about teaching, learning, and technology at UMBC, please consider the following options:

Check our extensive FAQ collection

What's new in Ultra? | Known Issues

Open a ticket via RT

Follow the Instructional Technology & DoIT myUMBC groups

Request a consult with instructional technology staff

UMBC Digital Accessibility| Ally FAQs | Ally Demo | Ally Report (VPN required)

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