Case Study: Grand Valley State University achieves data-driven inclusive course accessibility with Anthology Ally

Grand Valley State University - Customer Case Study

Grand Valley State University faced the challenge of scaling digital accessibility and inclusive learning for nearly 25,000 students, growing online enrollments, and some 1,800 faculty while meeting ADA expectations. To address gaps in course file accessibility and build institutional capacity, Grand Valley State University adopted Anthology’s Ally to increase instructor awareness, build faculty skills in accessible content, and provide campus-level insight into accessibility issues.

Anthology’s Ally was rolled out in summer 2018 with targeted messaging, training, tip sheets, and integration with tools like Panopto for captioning; it was also added to new faculty orientation and required online-teaching training. The data-driven approach produced measurable impact: students downloaded over 6,800 alternative formats across 1,150 courses, instructors engaged Ally indicators 3,100 times in more than 1,200 courses, and 138 instructors fixed over 460 files—results Anthology’s reporting continues to inform outreach, increase workshop attendance, and drive further adoption.

Grand Valley State University

Hunter Bridwell

Grand Valley State University