Best Blackboard Ally Alternatives for Source Remediation
Blackboard Ally generates alternative formats. It doesn't fix your source files. Here are 7 alternatives that actually remediate PDFs, PowerPoint, and LaTeX.
April 2026 Deadline: Only 5 months to WCAG 2.1 compliance
1. Aelira (AI-Powered Remediation) ← Best Overall
The only tool that generates working code fixes for your source files. Fix PDFs, PowerPoint, and LaTeX with AI.
Pros
- AI fixes source files (not just formats)
- LaTeX/MathML support (only tool)
- Bulk processing (1,000+ files)
- Privacy-first (self-hosted AI)
- Works across all LMS platforms
Cons
- LMS integration coming Q1 2026
- Newer vendor (less brand recognition)
- AI fixes require 10-20% review
2. YuJa Panorama (LMS Overlay)
Better multi-LMS support than Ally. Scans courses and identifies issues (but doesn't fix them).
Pros
- Works with Canvas, Blackboard, D2L
- Good reporting dashboard
- Integration with YuJa videos
Cons
- Scanning only (no fixes)
- No LaTeX support
- Enterprise pricing only
Pricing
$14,000 - $70,000/year
Enterprise contracts only
3. accessiBe (Website Overlay Widget)
Good for university websites. Not for document remediation or course content.
Pros
- Quick installation (1-line script)
- Good for marketing websites
- Accessibility statement generator
Cons
- Doesn't fix PDFs/PowerPoint/LaTeX
- Overlay widgets have legal risks
- Doesn't work in Canvas/Blackboard
Pricing
$690/year
Per website/domain
4. axe DevTools (Manual Testing Tool)
Best manual testing tool. No automation—you fix everything yourself.
Pros
- Most comprehensive testing
- Detailed violation reports
- Free browser extension available
- Industry standard tool
Cons
- No automatic fixes (manual only)
- Can't scan PDFs/PowerPoint
- Requires technical expertise
- Pro version is expensive
Pricing
Free - $14,000/year
Extension free, Pro version paid
5. Google Lighthouse (Free Website Auditing)
Free basic accessibility scanning. Only catches ~40% of issues.
Pros
- Completely free
- Built into Chrome DevTools
- Good for basic checks
Cons
- Misses 60% of WCAG violations
- No remediation features
- Can't scan documents
Pricing
Free
Included with Chrome
6. WAVE (WebAIM Accessibility Tool)
Better than Lighthouse for education-focused accessibility. Still manual fixes only.
Pros
- Developed by WebAIM (education focus)
- Visual feedback on page
- Good documentation/training
Cons
- No automatic remediation
- Can't scan PDFs/PowerPoint
- Limited bulk scanning
Pricing
Free
Browser extension + API available
7. Manual Remediation (Hire Staff)
The "old way." Hire 2-3 FTE accessibility specialists to remediate everything manually.
Pros
- Complete control over quality
- Custom workflows for your needs
- Deep institutional knowledge
Cons
- Extremely expensive ($280K+/year)
- Slow (months to remediate backlog)
- Hard to hire (tight labor market)
- Doesn't scale
Which Alternative Should You Choose?
Choose Aelira if you need...
- Source file remediation (not just alternative formats)
- LaTeX/MathML support for STEM courses
- Bulk processing of thousands of files
- AI-generated working code fixes
- Privacy-first architecture (self-hosted AI)
Choose YuJa Panorama if you need...
- Multi-LMS course scanning (Canvas + Blackboard + D2L)
- Established vendor with higher ed experience
- Integration with YuJa video platform
- Note: Scanning only (no remediation)
Hybrid Approach (Best Results)
Many universities use both Ally and Aelira:
- Blackboard Ally generates alternative formats (HTML, ePub, audio)
- Aelira remediates the source files (PDFs, PowerPoint, LaTeX)
- Result: Accessible source files and multiple accessible formats
Ready to Try Source Remediation?
Join 500+ universities evaluating Aelira for April 2026 compliance. Get a personalized demo and pricing quote.