Why does Ally display a different accessibility score for the same image in different places?

Quick Links: | Environment | Solution | Root Cause |

Instructors using Anthology Ally within Canvas may encounter difficulties ensuring that alternative text (alt text) for images is consistently applied across all contexts where a student might access them. While Anthology Ally provides several methods for adding alt text, inconsistencies arise when alt text is added in one context but not universally applied, particularly when courses are copied. This can lead to confusion and additional work for instructors, and potentially affect the accessibility score of course content.

Environment

  • This issue affects instructors using Anthology Ally within Canvas.
  • Relevant for images added to Canvas courses through Files, Pages, Discussions, Assignments, or any embeddable content area.
  • Applies to courses where content, including images, may be copied from one course to another.

Solution

To ensure that alt text is consistently applied to images in all contexts, including after course content is copied, follow these recommended practices:

  1. For images stored in the Files area:

    1. In a Canvas course, go to Files.
    2. Navigate to the image you want to add alt text to.
    3. Select the Ally score indicator dial.
    4. Add alt text.
    5. Select Save.

    Note: This method ensures that alt text is available when files are viewed directly in the Files area but may not propagate to embedded instances of the image in course content.

  2. For inline images in Pages, Discussions, Assignments, etc.:

    Add alt text using the Canvas Rich Content Editor (RCE):

    1. Edit the content with the image you want to add alt text to.
    2. Select the image.
    3. Choose Image Options.
    4. Add the alt text in the Alt Text field.
    5. Select Done.
    6. Select Save.

    Alternatively, add alt text using Ally

    1. Go to the content with the image you want to add alt text to.
    2. Select the Ally score indicator dial.
    3. Add alt text.
    4. Select Save.

    Note: These methods are preferred for content accessibility as they ensure alt text is present in inline images. However, the underlying file in the Files area may still display a low score. Using the RCE for adding alt text has shown reliable propagation of the Ally score in copied courses.

For instructors who restrict student access to the Files area, it is recommended to focus on the second method, especially using the RCE for adding alt text, to address content accessibility effectively.

Root Cause

When using Anthology Ally within Canvas, the process of adding alternative text (alt text) to images involves distinct methods that treat images differently based on their context—either as standalone files in the course's Files area or as elements embedded within HTML content (e.g., Pages, Discussions, Assignments). The root cause of the inconsistency in alt text application and its impact on accessibility scores stems from Ally's dual approach to evaluating content accessibility:

  1. As Standalone Files: When alt text is added directly to an image file in the Files area, Ally assesses this as an improvement to the file's individual accessibility score. This enhancement, however, is localized to the Files area and does not extend to instances where the image is embedded within course content. This method primarily impacts the overall Files score within Ally but lacks the mechanism to update the accessibility status of the same image when used in different content areas, leading to a disjointed accessibility evaluation.

  2. As Embedded HTML Content: Adding alt text to images that are embedded in HTML content addresses the image's accessibility in its specific context—within pages, discussions, assignments, etc. Ally recognizes these updates and reflects them in the content's accessibility score. However, this approach does not retroactively apply the alt text to the original file in the Files area, creating a scenario where the same image might have a full accessibility score in one context (embedded) but a lower score as a standalone file.

The essence of the problem lies in the lack of synchronization between these two evaluation contexts. While Ally encourages comprehensive accessibility practices by requiring alt text in both standalone and embedded scenarios, it does not automatically merge these updates across all instances of the image's use. This necessitates a more manual, two-pronged approach by instructors to ensure full accessibility compliance, which can be especially cumbersome in courses with extensive multimedia content or when courses are copied, as these settings and updates need to be re-verified in each new instance.

Historically, Ally also encountered issues with the propagation of alt text fixes to subsequent courses using the same content. The primary limitation stemmed from file-level changes not being consistently saved because Ally does not directly save the alt text on the image file within Canvas's own system. Instead, these changes were applied in a way that did not always synchronize effectively when content was copied from one course to another, leading to inconsistencies and the need for reapplication of alt text in the new course instance.

These synchronization problems have largely been resolved. However, it's important to note that images with alt text added through the Rich Content Editor (RCE) store the alt text within the context where the image is embedded. This approach allows the alt text to be copied along with the course content, ensuring that the accessibility adjustments are preserved in the new course without the need for Ally to reconcile the alt text upon scanning the course. This method proves more reliable for maintaining alt text consistency across course copies, thereby reducing the administrative burden on instructors and supporting the overall goal of accessibility.

Still need help? Reach out to the Technology & Learning Program for further assistance.

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