Blackboard Unveils New Accessibility Features for Educational Institutions
WASHINGTON, Sept. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Blackboard has announced enhanced capabilities for its Blackboard Ally™ service, designed to help educational institutions address the pressing challenges of digital accessibility. As institutions prepare to meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II web and mobile accessibility requirements, these innovations aim to streamline remediation of existing content and support the creation of more accessible learning materials.
Key Innovations Include:
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Reporting and Visibility:
- Enhanced Course Accessibility Report: Assists faculty in identifying areas for improvement within their courses.
- Ally Usage Report for Administrators: Features interactive visualizations to help institutions monitor and enhance usage.
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PDF Remediation:
- PDF Auto Tagging: Automates the tagging of untagged PDFs using a new PDF Quick Fix.
- Decorative Image Workflows: Guides faculty in managing decorative images effectively.
- OCRed PDF Guidance: Highlights remaining accessibility issues following optical character recognition (OCR).
- AI Alt Text for PDFs: Extends the AI Alt Text Assistant to images within PDFs.
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Enhanced Student Experience:
- Enhanced Reader: Offers personalized engagement options for students, including customizable fonts, text sizes, and spacing.
These features will be available under the standard Blackboard Ally license, allowing institutions to enhance their accessibility initiatives without additional costs.
Dr. Amy Lomellini, Director of Accessibility at Blackboard, emphasized, “When we give faculty the tools to create more accessible content, and provide students with diverse engagement methods, we foster a culture of accessibility that enriches the learning experience.”
Blackboard Ally is compatible with all major learning management systems and has received several accolades, including the 2026 EdTech Breakthrough Award for Accessibility Learning Solution of the Year.
For further details, join a live webinar on September 17 or visit Blackboard’s booth at EDUCAUSE 2026 in Denver, from September 29 to October 2.
About Blackboard
Blackboard provides a transformative digital environment for teaching and learning, serving numerous institutions with its advanced LMS and accessibility solutions. Learn more at blackboard.com.
