Fix Your Content Day

May 19, 2022

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.

View Global Leaderboard

NIU Participants Complete Survey and Earn Fix Your Content Day Badge

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.

Earn a Digital Badge for Accessibility

Overview

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.

Earn a Digital Badge

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.

Requirements

Syllabus accessibility score is 90% or higher
AND
You have shared information with your students about alternative formats, such as posting information in your Blackboard course, adding a statement to your syllabus, sending information via email, or demonstrating it in class

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.

Requirements

Level 1: Increase the overall accessibility score in one course by 10% or more
Level 2: One course has an overall accessibility score of 80% or more
Level 3: One course has an overall accessibility score of 90% or more

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.

Requirements

Level 1: Make 5 or more fixes in one or across multiple courses
Level 2: Make 10 or more fixes in one or across multiple courses
Level 3: Make 20 or more fixes in one or across multiple courses (or have no issues left to fix in a course)

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.

Requirements

Level 1: One of the following:
- Edit captions on one video or multimedia presentation that you created
- Replace a video or multimedia presentation created by someone else in order to have accurate captions
Level 2: All video or multimedia content used that were created by others have corrected, accurate captions (i.e., not auto captions)
Level 3: All video or multimedia content that you created have accurate, edited captions (i.e., not auto 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!

Requirements

Fight for Good: Syllabus accessibility score is 90% or higher
Fight for Good: You have shared information with your students about alternative formats
Super Strength III: One course has an overall accessibility score of 90% or more
Detective Work III: Make 20 or more fixes in one or across multiple courses (or have no issues left to fix in a course)
X-Ray Vision II and III: All video or multimedia content used in the course (whether created by you or others) have corrected, accurate captions (i.e., not auto captions)

Apply for a Badge!