In a significant stride towards digital inclusivity, the University of Iowa is making remarkable headway in ensuring its digital assets are accessible to all. The university’s concerted efforts have led to substantial improvements across various applications and websites, addressing the needs of users with disabilities.
Facilities Management (FM) recently achieved full accessibility compliance for two of its widely used systems: FM@YourService, a platform for submitting campus work requests, and BuildUI, a central hub for managing capital projects. Key updates included enhanced form labeling, consistent navigation, and adherence to web accessibility standards, using tools like Google’s Lighthouse extension to bridge accessibility gaps. Parthosarathy Basu Roy Choudhury, a senior application developer in FM, remarked, “We improved color contrast, added descriptive labels, ensured keyboard navigability, and verified compatibility with screen readers.” The improvements are apparent in the enhanced usability for all users.
The FM team remains vigilant, committed to ongoing application reviews and developer education to uphold accessibility standards. Choudhury notes, “Our next focus is to maintain compliance by periodically reviewing these applications for any regressions, continuing accessibility awareness among developers, and extending these standards to other applications.”
Automated Monitoring Enhances Student Systems Accessibility
In parallel, Administrative Information Systems (AIS) is advancing accessibility within the university’s major academic applications, including MAUI and MyUI. Bill Evanson, director of Enterprise Student Systems, explains, “We developed a tool that captures accessibility issues in real time as campus users interact with our applications.” This approach has yielded impressive results, with MyUI fully remediated and MAUI, encompassing over 3,400 pages, 99% remediated. AIS’s data-driven approach has addressed accessibility issues in 97% of its portfolio.
As applications evolve, Evanson emphasizes the importance of adaptability, stating, “Applications are a moving target because new features are always being added, and we will continue to add new applications to our portfolio.” The automated monitoring system not only facilitates remediation of existing issues but ensures future accessibility.
Siteimprove’s Role in Website Accessibility
The university is also progressing in enhancing accessibility across its extensive website ecosystem. Utilizing Siteimprove, nearly 900 additional UI websites have been added since January 2025, totaling nearly 2,000 sites under regular accessibility scans. Michael O’Neill, director of web strategy, highlights the impact, “The growth in sites being scanned, along with the upward trend in average scores, tells us campus has increasing visibility into accessibility issues.”
Despite these advancements, the university acknowledges ongoing challenges, such as expanding the inventory of websites. One college recently uncovered 350 additional public-facing sites yet to be included in Siteimprove. O’Neill notes, “We know there are still pockets of websites flying under the radar.” The ADA Title II Compliance report in Siteimprove is emphasized as a crucial metric over average scores.
For those feeling daunted by the task, O’Neill advises starting with a conversation, directing them to the Accessible Iowa website for resources and support. “We want campus partners to use that door and let the task force help move them forward,” O’Neill concludes.
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