Blackboard Ally has introduced a new feature that makes it easier for educators to add alternative text (alt text) to images in PDF documents. These descriptions help people who use screen readers understand what the images show.
Released in October 2026 and highlighted in Blackboard’s November update, the feature allows educators to add image descriptions directly through Ally’s accessibility feedback tool, without needing to open the original PDF in another program.
Users can write their own descriptions or use Ally’s artificial intelligence (AI) assistant to generate suggested alt text. The AI feature must first be enabled by an administrator.
Importantly, the suggested descriptions are not automatically added to documents. Educators must review and approve the text before saving it.
The feature is available through Ally integrations with learning platforms including Blackboard, Canvas, Moodle and D2L Brightspace.
For universities and other education providers, the update could make it easier to identify and address missing image descriptions in learning materials.
Although AI-generated descriptions still require human review, the new tool provides another way for educators to improve the accessibility of digital documents.
To find out more, read Blackboard Ally’s release notes about adding alternative text to images in PDFs.