Scanning a section allows Institutions to assess the accessibility status of its files and pages. With this feature, Institutions can have an up-to-date accessibility score, thus, getting to know how content is performing. 

Every time a change is made in a section, a scan is helpful to:

  1. Review the content
  2. Identify accessibility issues 
  3. Provide an Accessibility score

For example, let's say an administrator adds a link to a section's content. Scanning the section verifies that any new changes performed since the last scan are accessible. In this specific example, it would verify if the link is broken.

There are two types of scans: Automatic and Manual.

Automatic scans are defined and configured during the onboarding process with institutions. Here, they decide if they want to enable this feature, as well as its frequency (daily or weekly, for instance). Manual scans are performed by the institution whenever they see fit, without the need of contacting support.  
 

Scan duration depends on the number of files and pages within a specific section.

How to perform a Manual Scan of a section

Follow these steps to start a section scan:

  1.  Within the Accessibility Report, select the Sections tab 
  2. Locate and select the section you want to scan
  3. Once in the specific section, select the Scan section button in the upper right corner
    Screenshot of the upper part of the Accessibility Report. The 'Scan section' button is located to the right side.
  4. The following banner appears, stating that the scan is in progress. Keep in mind you can continue to browse your Accessibility Report while this process runs in the background.
    Screenshot of the 'Scan in progress' banner which shows up when a scan is in progress. It reads: This section is being scanned and may take a while to complete. You can continue to browse while this process runs in the background. A 'Cancel scan' button is shown at the bottom of the banner.
  5. You can cancel the scan at any time. The following banner appears asking if you are sure you want to cancel the scan. Take into account that if you cancel, all progress will be lost.
    Screenshot of the 'Cancel scan' banner which shows up when cancelling a scan:. It reads: Are you sure you want to cancel this scan? This section is being scanned and may take a while to complete. If you cancel this scan, it means any progress made during this scan so far will be lost. A ‘Continue scan' and ‘Cancel scan' buttons are shown.
  6. Once the scan finishes the following banner appears stating that the scan is complete, and changes are now reflected in the report:
    Screenshot of the ‘Scan complete' banner which shows up when the scan of a section is complete. It reads: Scan complete Changes made in this section's pages are now reflected in the report. A 'Close' button shows up at the bottom.

Keep in mind that if a scan is running (either manual or automatic), new scans will only be available once the one in progress is complete.

Is it possible to trigger a scan while another one is in progress?

All Scan section buttons are inactive when a scan is in progress. Once the scan is complete, you can start a new scan. Bearing this in mind, it's not possible to have simultaneous scans. 

What happens if a scan has an error?

Even though it's not common, errors may occur whilst scanning sections. If this is the case, the following banner appears, stating that there was an internal error and that you should retry scanning the section. Keep in mind that if the error persists, it's necessary to contact support.

Screenshot when an error occurs while scanning a section. It reads: An internal error occurred. Please retry scanning or contact support if the issue persists.

To contact support, go to the Behind the Blackboard site and log in with your credentials. If you don't have credentials, you can request them from your Institution's Account Executive.