{"id":5139,"date":"2023-01-19T13:51:56","date_gmt":"2023-01-19T18:51:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/spsfaculty.commons.gc.cuny.edu\/?p=5139"},"modified":"2026-03-03T16:20:30","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T16:20:30","slug":"ofdit-newsletter-january-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/openlab.sps.cuny.edu\/sps-faculty-community-hub\/2023\/01\/19\/ofdit-newsletter-january-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"OFDIT Newsletter January 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>January 2023<\/h1>\n

Dear Faculty,<\/p>\n

Happy 2023 from your OFDIT team!<\/p>\n

This month\u2019s newsletter includes updates about Ally, a new accessibility tool enabled across all SPS course sites in Blackboard. We also share some details about the upcoming CUNY Games Network as well as Teaching Matters workshops, along with information to assist with your Spring course preparation.<\/p>\n

We hope you had a wonderful break, and look forward to supporting your work with students in the coming year!<\/p>\n

\n

Course Accessibility with Ally<\/strong><\/p>\n

We\u2019re excited to announce that Blackboard Ally, an accessibility tool, was enabled for all CUNY SPS course sites on January 3, 2023.<\/p>\n

Ally provides the following:<\/p>\n

Alternative content formats for a variety of devices and assistive technologies,\u00a0available to all course users<\/strong>. Alternative formats can be accessed for both students and instructors by clicking on the Ally icon found to the right of the item, and includes format options such as HTML, ePUB, audio (MP3), electronic braille, and translated language versions, among others.<\/p>\n

\"Ally<\/a><\/p>\n

Accessibility scores and accessibility improvement guidance<\/strong>, for instructors only<\/strong>. Instructors will see an accessibility gauge icon next to all individual attachments and files in their courses, which indicates the accessibility score for that item. If the gauge icon indicates a low accessibility rating, clicking the icon gives instructors access to a Feedback Panel<\/a> for detailed explanations and how-to steps for making that item more accessible.<\/p>\n

Accessibility Report, for instructors only<\/strong>. Instructors can view a summary of the accessibility scores and issues for their course site via Ally\u2019s Accessibility Report<\/a>, available under Control Panel – Course Tools on the course menu. It includes a list of the course\u2019s content items, accessibility scores, and issues.<\/p>\n

Ally Resources and Support<\/strong><\/p>\n

See our Blackboard Ally Resource Page<\/a> for more details, helpful links and resources, or watch this recording of an Ally instructor training<\/a>.<\/p>\n

OFDIT will also be offering Ally trainings for SPS faculty next month; details will be announced at the start of Spring semester.<\/p>\n

Questions regarding Ally can be directed to Faculty Support (facultysupport@sps.cuny.edu<\/a>). We are pleased about the tools Ally provides for creating more accessible courses for all at SPS, and know you will be, too!<\/p>\n

Announcing Ally to Your Students<\/strong><\/p>\n

Below we\u2019ve drafted some language explaining Ally, which you can share with your students via an announcement in your course, if you would like (please edit as you see fit):<\/p>\n

Dear students, I have some exciting news: CUNY SPS now has a Blackboard accessibility tool called Ally. You may have noticed the Ally icon next to course content text and attachments. You can click on this icon to access available alternative formats for the course material. For example, you can convert a PDF into an HTML document for easier reading on mobile devices, or into an MP3 audio file for a text-to-speech version. You are welcome to explore this tool at your convenience but please note you are not required to do so.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more details, see the resources listed below, or contact the Office of Disability Services (<\/em>disabilityservices@sps.cuny.edu<\/em><\/a>) with any questions about this new tool.<\/em><\/p>\n