New federal Title II requirements for digital accessibility took effect in June 2024 and will apply to all digital course content beginning April 24, 2026. To help instructors prepare, later in November we’re adding Ally—an accessibility scanning tool we’ve licensed and integrated directly into CarmenCanvas.
Ally reviews the content in your courses, highlights accessibility issues, and offers clear, actionable guidance to help you make improvements. It can also automatically generate alternative formats for many materials, giving students more ways to access course content.
Later this month, you’ll see a new Ally navigation link and accessibility indicators in your Carmen courses. While no action is required for Autumn 2025, instructors should begin using Ally to evaluate and strengthen the accessibility of materials for Spring 2026 courses. Forums used for student or peer interaction must also meet accessibility requirements or be retired.
To make the most of Ally, we recommend building both your digital accessibility skills and your comfort with the tool:
- Explore Ohio State resources on accessible content design. Digital Accessibility Service offers two resources on the Teaching and Learning Resource Center: 7 Core Skills and Building Course Material for All Learners. These courses are great places to start.
- Register for training later this month. Using Ally to Improve Accessibility in Your Courses introduces Ally’s core features—reports, remediation guidance, and alternative student formats—and covers tool limitations and strategies for prioritizing your review.
When Spring 2026 courses open in CarmenCanvas, copy your content as you normally would, then use the Ally report to identify what needs adjustment. The report will update as you make changes, helping you track progress toward meeting accessibility requirements.
More information is available on the Digital Accessibility Services website, and additional guidance will be added as we learn more about how instructors are using Ally in their courses.