Ally Resources for Students

Ally is a tool integrated in Canvas that generates alternative formats of course content giving you access to a variety of formats to suit your learning needs and preferences. It also helps instructors design a more inclusive and accessible learning environment. 

• Why is SJSU using Ally?

  • SJSU is committed  to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and sense of belonging for all students. Ally is a key component to helping San José State University enact this mission as well as adhere to Section 508 federal policy.

    While Ally is designed with the needs of students with disabilities in mind, it’s actually a tool that has the potential to positively affect the learning of all students. Alternative formats enable you to choose the format that best suits your learning needs, accounting for temporary or undiagnosed conditions and whether you are a non-native speaker of English. 

    By using Ally, SJSU students and faculty will learn and teach in more accessible and inclusive environments. 

• What are the alternative formats Ally generates? 

  • The formats are: OCRed PDF, Tagged PDF, HTML, ePub, Electronic Braille, audio MP3, and BeeLine Reader.

    See Ally Alternative Formats for details. 

• How long do the alternative formats take to generate?

  • The first time you request a conversion, it may take a few minutes to generate. After that, it’s cached so the next time someone requests it, the file appears instantly. 

• Some of the documents in my class don't have alternative formats. Why is that? 

  • Not all documents can be converted (e.g., password protected content and videos). Also, your instructor may have turned off alternative formats for that particular content item. 

    Please note that not all documents or pages have the same alternative format options. 

Looking for more details and support?

See Ally’s student help page!