[Faculty] New learning tool available to make your courses more inclusive

[Staten, Michael E - (statenm)]

Everyone,

This morning we received a note from the Disability Resource Center that they are enabling a new academic tool for students and faculty, effective in Summer Session One.  Please have a look at the message from the DRC below.

Best regards,

Mike



[The University of Arizona block 'A' logo.]
Michael E Staten
Bart Cardon Associate Dean, Academic Programs and Career Development
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

Forbes, 211
PO Box 210036 | Tucson, AZ 85721
Office: 520-621-1932 |
statenm at email.arizona.edu<mailto:statenm at email.arizona.edu>
www.mikestaten.com

facebook<https://facebook.com/uarizona> | twitter<https://twitter.com/uarizona> | instagram<https://www.instagram.com/uarizona> | linkedin<https://www.linkedin.com/school/the-university-of-arizona>



(From the Disability Resource Center)



Dear Instructors,



Beginning this Summer Session One, Ally, a new academic tool for students, will be enabled in D2L courses.



Ally easily transforms your course content into a format that meets your students' learning needs in a way that works for them such as:



  *   MP3 Audio - Learn by listening.
  *   HTML - Create a web version for mobile devices.
  *   Selectable Text PDF - Turn that scanned PDF into an interactive file (highlight and notes can be added).
  *   EPub - Read using an eReader or tablet.
  *   BeeLine Reader - Read faster by using color gradients.



Improving the universal design and accessibility of your course content will improve the learning experience for all students, including students with disabilities. Ally can generate "alternative formats" of your course files by selecting the dropdown icon (capital A with a down arrow) next to the file name. **Ally does not change anything in your course or affect your original course files.



[Ally Alternate Formats Icon: Capital A with a down arrow next to each course file.]



Also, Ally does not replace alternate formats as a disability-related accommodation. If a student needs textbooks or other academic materials converted due to disability-related reasons, please encourage them to connect with the Disability Resource Center<https://drc.arizona.edu/students/connect-drc>.



Coming Fall 2022 - Arizona Ally Initiative

To support the University of Arizona commitment for an inclusive student experience, a new initiative, Arizona Ally, is launching as a campus pilot where the Disability Resource Center (DRC) will turn on the Ally tool for two groups of instructors this fall 2022 semester:



  *   Group 1: DRC will reach out to identified courses with alternate format accommodation requests. Training and consultation will be offered to assist these instructors in learning about the power of Ally as a tool and implementing small design changes to create a more accessible and inclusive environment.



  *   Group 2: Instructors interested in Ally may request early access. Those who opt-in during the pilot can receive training and consultation on request. If you are interested in accessing Ally early, please complete DRC's Ally Request Form<https://forms.office.com/r/7rRzrURGxb>.



Find more information about Ally and our campus initiative on the Arizona Ally website<https://drc.arizona.edu/ArizonaAlly> or email AltFormats at arizona.edu<mailto:AltFormats at arizona.edu>.

Best,
Arizona Ally Team






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