Strive for 85: Live accessibility training sessions in January
In support of the University’s “Strive for 85” initiative to improve digital accessibility in course content, there are several live training sessions taking place in January, hosted by the Teaching Transformation & Development Academy.
Visit the full event page for information on other sessions hosted by TTaDA throughout the year. Past sessions are also available to watch on-demand.
Deque University
As a reminder, for a self-paced and self-selected approach, faculty and staff have access to Deque University’s library of courses and training modules. Those who have yet to log in to Deque can follow the step-by-step instructions provided by the Equal Opportunity & Title IX Office. Deque’s broad selection of courses and learning pathways offers information and best practices useful for all digital platforms and levels of expertise.
Further information and guidance on the topic of digital accessibility can be found on the Accessible UND page.
Upcoming digital accessibility events in January
Accessibility Virtual Office Hours
Thursday, Jan. 8, 1 – 2 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 12, 10:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Working on the accessibility of your digital resources for spring 2026 courses? Need additional support? Meet with TTaDA staff during the 2025 winter break to improve the accessibility of your digital course resources and course effectiveness! Virtual office hours will be held on Zoom starting in December and end at the beginning of the spring 2026 semester. These office hours are designed to be active; you should plan on sharing a digital course resource or two (e.g., a Microsoft Word document or a PowerPoint slide presentation) with TTaDA staff in Zoom.
Jan. 9: Blackboard Ultra: Ally – Course Accessibility (11 – 12 p.m.)
This session will demonstrate using Ally for Accessibility within a Blackboard Ultra course. How do you know if your Blackboard course materials are accessible? How do you fix it if they are not? Learn more about Blackboard Ally in Ultra to determine the accessibility of your content and tips for designing your content for all learners. Discussions will include effectively adding descriptions to images, creating accessible Word documents, as well as manipulating specific content in your course to strive toward accessibility for all. The second half of the workshop will include time for assistance in making documents accessible, so have your documents ready.
Jan. 13: Making Simple Images Accessible (1 – 2 p.m.)
First in a series of two sessions, this introductory workshop offers an overview of alternative text (alt-text) and its role in making images accessible to screen readers and assistive technology. Participants will learn the definition of alt-text and be introduced to best practices for creating effective alt-text, focusing on techniques for crafting clear, concise, and accurate descriptions. This session also includes a demonstration on adding alt-text to images in Blackboard Ultra and Microsoft Office.
Jan. 13: Blackboard Ultra Document Accessibility, Part 1 (2:30 – 3:30 p.m.)
Working on building Blackboard Ultra courses? Want to learn more about how to make your Blackboard Ultra Documents accessible? The Teaching, Transformation, and Development Academy (TTaDA) is here to help! In this first part of a two-part session, you’ll learn how to create a Blackboard Ultra Document and add content to it, including text, lists, links, attachments, images, tables, and video embeds. You’ll then learn how to start to make that content accessible by applying text styles to text and image descriptions to images.
Jan. 15: Blackboard Ultra Document Accessibility, Part 2 (2:30 – 3:30 p.m.)
Working on building Blackboard Ultra courses? Want to learn more about how to make your Blackboard Ultra Documents accessible? The Teaching, Transformation, and Development Academy (TTaDA) is here to help! In this second session, you’ll build on what you learned previously and learn how to make your lists, links, tables, and color accessible in Blackboard Ultra Documents. Important note: This session is the second part of the workshop on Blackboard Ultra Document accessibility. For optimal learning, make sure to take the first half of this session before enrolling in the second.
Jan. 26: Making Complex Images Accessible (1 – 2 p.m.)
Second in a series of two sessions, this workshop focuses on best practices for creating alt-text for complex images, such as charts, graphs, infographics, cartoons, etc. Participants will learn techniques for crafting detailed descriptions and see demonstrations in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint on how to integrate these long descriptions into their documents. Prerequisite: Must have attended the Making Simple Images Accessible workshop.