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Blackboard Intros Web Accessibility Checker

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Blackboard today introduced Blackboard Ally for Web, a solution for assessing and improving the accessibility of institutions' websites. The tool expands on Blackboard's Ally product (launched last year), which focuses on the accessibility of course materials in learning management systems.

"Blackboard Ally for Web integrates with a website's content management system and scans website pages and embedded media for a range of accessibility issues based on key areas of the WCAG 2.0 AA Standard," the company explained in a news announcement. Reporting tools allow web administrators to view a site's overall accessibility score, trends over time, domain-specific data and more. Accessibility issues are organized by severity level, allowing users to "prioritize key areas of focus and deploy resources to the most affected areas."

"Accessible websites create a better online experience for everyone, but we know it can be difficult for organizations and institutions to see how they are doing when it comes to web accessibility," said Katie Blot, chief strategy and portfolio officer at Blackboard, in a statement. "We look forward to working with clients worldwide to help them incorporate accessible practices into their websites, so that they're providing a high quality and inclusive online experience."

For more information, visit the Blackboard site.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

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