SUU's Web Accessibility Ranks Among the Top 1.5%
Published: May 15, 2023 | Author: Kierstin Holloway | Read Time: 2 minutes
The Web Services team at Southern Utah University has recently been recognized by multiple organizations for their outstanding work in providing top-ranked accessibility to students through the University's website.
In a recent accessibility report released by WebAIM, SUU was ranked among the top 1.5% of 1 million website homepages.
“Web accessibility can be difficult, especially when we’re expected to add more complexity and interactive elements to pages,” said Mark Whittaker, senior web developer at SUU. “Being in the top 1.5% of a million is the result of a culture of caring that I'm proud to share with my team. This team prioritizes accessibility because it’s just the right thing to do, not just to satisfy laws or regulations.”
Being able to obtain information on the SUU website is critical for current and aspiring students who need access to important information like program options, degree requirements and campus resources.
In addition to being rated for exemplary accessibility, SUU was also awarded as the most creative use of Cascade CMS at the 2023 Cassie Awards.
“We’ve been using Cascade CMS since 2012, ” said Jill Whitaker, director of web services at SUU. “We built out a program finder and that has been one of the most recognizable functions that we’ve put on the website. It is a unique use of Cascade and we have been receiving a lot of buzz about it.”
“We love SUU’s program finder and the fact that the team puts it front and center on the homepage where it belongs; the search results page is also really well done,” said Kat Liendgens, CEO of Hannon Hill, the makers of Cascade CMS. “SUU clearly puts a lot of thought into both the implementation and the user experience.”
The Web Services department directs, maintains and develops all of the content on the suu.edu website with the goal of providing all parties with the assistance they need to create an exceptional educational experience.
Tags: Staff Web Services Digital Accessibility Accolades