Use the Ally Alt Text Assistant in Canvas

Quick Links: | Prerequisites | Instructions | Troubleshooting |

Images in Canvas course pages need descriptive alt text so that students using screen readers can understand the content. Writing effective alt text can be challenging, especially for complex images. Ally, an accessibility tool integrated into Canvas, includes an AI-powered assistant that can generate a starting description for your images, saving time while helping you meet accessibility standards.

Prerequisites

  • An active Canvas course
  • Teacher or equivalent role in the course
  • At least one image embedded on a Canvas page that is missing alt text

Generate Alt Text With Ally

To add alt text to an image using Ally's AI assistant, do the following:

  1. From your Canvas course, open the page containing the inaccessible image.
  2. Next to the image, select the Ally accessibility dial.
  3. Select Auto-generate description located below the text box.
    Adding an image description in Ally.
  4. Review the suggested description. You can edit the provided text or delete it entirely to write your own.
  5. Once you are satisfied with the description, select Add to apply the alt text to the image.

The image now has a description that will be read aloud by screen readers, improving accessibility for all students.

 Important: AI-generated descriptions are a starting point. Always review and refine the text to ensure it accurately and meaningfully represents the image in your instructional context.

Troubleshooting

The generated description is inaccurate or too vague. This is expected for complex, discipline-specific, or text-heavy images. Edit the description manually or write your own. For guidance on writing effective alt text, see Anthology's documentation on adding image descriptions with Ally or DoIT's Accessible Images guide.

Still need help? Faculty and staff can reach out to the Technology & Learning Program. Students can reach out to the Center for Technology Equity.

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