Each year, the global accessibility community unites on the third Thursday of May for Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) to highlight the need for more inclusive digital content. This year, NIU joined in by hosting our inaugural Fix Your Content Day, a 24-hour global event sponsored by Blackboard.
The objective: improve the accessibility of as many digital course files as possible through Blackboard Ally.
Congratulations NIU!
We made 1,177 fixes to digital course content during our first annual Fix Your Content Day, finishing #34 among higher ed institutions globally! We contributed to the over 110,000 fixes that were made around the world using Blackboard Ally during the 2022 Global Accessibility Awareness Day.
While Fix Your Content Day is over, you can still earn recognition for the great work that you are doing to improve the accessibility of your course materials and being a champion for accessibility.
On May 19, 2022, the NIU community had 24 hours to make as many content fixes as possible via the Blackboard Ally instructor feedback tool. By the end of the day, we made a significant impact on the accessibility of our course materials, reducing barriers for students with disabilities and creating a more inclusive environment for all of our students!
While the goal is to do the right thing and support our students, was also a competition among institutions to keep us motivated. Using data from Blackboard Ally, the global leaderboard ranked each participating institution by the ratio of files improved to the total number of students.
While Fix Your Content Day is over, you can still earn recognition for the great work that you are doing to improve the accessibility of your course materials and being a champion for accessibility.
You can earn a digital badge for your work to be student centered, increase your overall accessibility score, find and fix accessibility issues, and add captions to multimedia materials. When you earn them all, you will truly be an Ally Hero!
Because improving accessibility is an ongoing process and not an all-or-nothing endeavor, most of the badges offer multiple levels. Start small and work your way up to the top!
The easiest way to get started with Ally is to ensure that your syllabus is accessible and that your students are aware of the alternative formats. Check out the communication toolkit for resources to help you tell students about Ally. This badge has one level.
Your overall accessibility score is a great indicator of how accessible your course materials are. As you improve the accessibility of your content, you will lift your overall score, as well. This badge has three levels so that you can start small as you build your super strength.
Finding and fixing accessibility issues in your course materials requires a keen eye for detail. This badge has three levels so that you can hone your investigation skills as you become a super sleuth.
Captions are a critical element of accessibility for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, but they can benefit all students. This badge has three levels so that you can focus your X-ray vision to see through the sound to the text captions.
When you have mastered all of the superhero skills for accessibility, then you will truly be an Ally Hero. To earn this badge, you must have achieved the highest levels of all of the individual skill badges. Truly, Ally Heroes are elite champions of accessibility!
815-753-8100
servicedesk@niu.edu