From Ally to YuJa Panorama UIC’s New Accessibility Tool for Digital Content
Introduction
Creating accessible course content isn't just about compliance—it's about inclusion. With students learning in diverse ways and accessing materials on various devices, it's more important than ever for faculty to ensure their materials are usable by all learners. Enter YuJa Panorama, a powerful tool that helps faculty identify, fix, and improve the accessibility of course content, all within the LMS they're already using.
LTS will launch YuJa Panorama in Fall 2025, replacing Ally as UIC's primary accessibility tool for digital course content. This past spring, LTS invited faculty and staff from the IT Governance committees and instructional designers from various UIC colleges and departments to test and evaluate the platform. Most agreed that YuJa Panorama offers improved functionality and will better support UIC's accessibility goals than Ally.
What is YuJa Panorama?
YuJa Panorama is an accessibility platform that can stand alone or be integrated into learning management systems like Blackboard and Canvas. It works in the background to scan course materials for accessibility issues, offers real-time feedback, provides fixes in LMS for PDFs, documents, pages, and images, and even provides students with alternative formats—all automatically. With Panorama, faculty don’t need to be accessibility experts to make a meaningful impact. The tool offers a clear, user-friendly interface that helps identify issues and guides users through remediation.
Key Features of YuJa Panorama
YuJa Panorama offers several key features to enhance the accessibility of course content:
Automatic Scanning of Course Content:
When you upload a file—like a PDF, Word document, or PowerPoint presentation—Panorama automatically analyzes it for accessibility issues. It looks for missing or improper heading structure, missing alternative text on images, low contrast between text and background, and unreadable or untagged PDFs.
Instant Alternative Formats for Students:
Panorama empowers students by giving them control over how they consume content. With one click, they can download course files in alternative formats that better suit their needs, including audio (MP3), ePub (for e-readers), HTML (mobile-friendly), electronic Braille, and OCRed and tagged PDFs (screen reader-friendly). These formats benefit students with visual impairments, reading disabilities, or those who prefer audio-based learning.
Visual Accessibility Scores:
Each file is assigned an accessibility score, allowing for quick identification of areas needing improvement. The scoring system is color-coded for clarity: green for good accessibility, orange for needs improvement, and red for high-priority issues. Clicking on the score opens a detailed breakdown of what’s wrong and how to fix it.
Faculty Remediation Support:
YuJa Panorama doesn’t just tell you what’s wrong—it offers the opportunity to fix issues within the LMS. For each issue, you’ll receive a plain-language description of the problem, clear steps for correcting it (e.g., how to add headings or fix alt text), and in most cases, in-platform remediation tools that let you resolve problems directly. All revised documents are stored as separate versions in the YuJa Panorama cloud, ensuring you can always access the original.
How to Use YuJa Panorama in Your Teaching
Using YuJa Panorama is straightforward and integrates seamlessly into your existing workflow:
Upload Content as Usual:
No need to change your workflow. Upload files to your course the same way you always do.
Review the Accessibility Indicators:
Look for the accessibility icon or score next to each file. This is your cue to review and improve the file, if needed.
Make Improvements:
Use the feedback provided to fix accessibility issues. Then upload the revised version and see if your score improves.
Monitor Overall Course Accessibility:
Panorama gives you a course-level report summarizing how accessible your materials are overall. Use this to track your progress and prioritize the most urgent fixes.
Why This Matters
Beyond meeting legal standards (like ADA or Title II), accessible content improves the learning experience for everyone. Students using mobile devices, studying on the go, or managing learning challenges benefit from multiple ways to access course materials. YuJa Panorama helps faculty save time with automatic scanning and format generation, create more inclusive, student-centered courses, reduce last-minute accommodations, and feel confident about accessibility compliance.
Getting Started Tips
To get started with YuJa Panorama, consider the following tips:
- Start with the most-used materials in your course (e.g., syllabus, weekly slides).
- Use the “What to Fix First” section in the Panorama dashboard.
- Contact LTS or attend a training session for hands-on support.
Support and Training
To ensure a smooth rollout and successful adoption, LTS and YuJa will offer a variety of support resources, including workshops and webinars, quick guides and video tutorials, open lab sessions, and one-on-one consultations.
Final Thoughts
Accessibility isn’t a one-time task—it’s an ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion. Even small steps can make a big difference in ensuring all students have equitable access to course materials. YuJa Panorama makes that process easier and more scalable. To begin using YuJa Panorama, log in to your LMS and look for the accessibility icons next to your course files. Your students—and your future self—will thank you.