The User Experience Blog for Website Architecture Planning - Page 15

University of Wisconsin

The University of Wisconsin as a whole is one of the largest systems in the higher education institution in the United States, as it serves about 180,000 students every year, and employs more than 39,000 staff across the globe. The University of Wisconsin System is made up of 13 4 year universities, 13 freshman/sophomore college campuses, and UW extensions all over the state. When considered altogether, these institutions are a huge economic, educational, and cultural resource for not only Wisconsin, but for the United States and the World as well. The mission of UW is to develop resources for humans, discover and distribute knowledge, to spread knowledge and application beyond the boundaries of campus, and to stimulate and serve society by developing students that are in the position to learn.

The UW administration works to develop specific plans and to analyze advances in teaching and learning regarding new technologies and demographic trends. They admin also acquires and manages many resources that are needed to advance the public higher education within Wisconsin. It also ensures the best use of all resources to build trust with students, donors, taxpayers, and others who fund the institution. UW also facilitates many effective partnerships with various public and private educational systems, businesses, and students in order to create a shared solution for all emerging challenges. The system also interprets and applies laws, business practices, and regulations that govern the system in order to provide consistent guidance and oversight for all of the institutions.

Syracuse University

Syracuse is a private research university that offers incredible academics, distinctive subject matter, and an indisputable spirit. The incredible campus sits in the heart of New York State with nearly 150 years of history. The university is made for those students who are looking for the quintessential college experience. Syracuse is proudly selective, and takes pride in selecting the students that are committed to dreaming big. The extent of the university is a testament to the strengths that it has—it was established in 1870, has over 200 majors and 100 minors, educates about 15,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduates, and has a quarter of a million alumni spanning 160 countries.

Syracuse University hops to be a preeminent and inclusive research university that is focused on research to prepare engaged scholars, leaders, and citizens so that they may participate in this changing global society. The university ensures the success of its students by: promoting a culture of innovation and discovery, balancing a liberal arts education with professional studies, fostering a diverse and inclusive community for opportunity and learning, maintaining a love for the location and history of the campus as a place for access, innovation, engagement, and impact. Syracuse University has the ability to attract and engage the world's best scholars, but it is simultaneously small enough to be able to support a personalized yet academically rigorous experience for students, faculty, and staff. It university encourages experiential learning, global study, creativity, interdisciplinary scholarship, and entrepreneurial endeavors so that students may get the most of their experience.

School of Visual Arts

The School of Visual Arts has stood as a leader within the realm of educating artists, designers, and creative professionals for almost 7 decades. It is made up of a faculty that are known distinguished working professionals, a dynamic curriculum, and much emphasis on critical thinking. This school is a catalyst for social responsibility and innovation. It is made up of over 6,000 students at the Manhattan campus and about 35,000 alumni spread across 100 countries. School of Visual Arts is also representative of the most influential artistic communities across the globe. The mission of this institution is to educate future generations of designers, artists, and creative professionals. The core values are: freedom of expression, diversity, integrity, and accessibility. Students have the freedom to take reasonable risks, while being valued for their differences. The institution as well as the students in attendance are expected to take responsibility for all things while attending, and students can reasonably expect that they will be treated with mutual respect and cooperation—as the school recognizes that communication is what makes up a working community.

The School of Visual Arts has stood as a leader within the realm of educating artists, designers, and creative professionals for almost 7 decades. It is made up of a faculty that are known distinguished working professionals, a dynamic curriculum, and much emphasis on critical thinking. This school is a catalyst for social responsibility and innovation. It is made up of over 6,000 students at the Manhattan campus and about 35,000 alumni spread across 100 countries. School of Visual Arts is also representative of the most influential artistic communities across the globe. The mission of this institution is to educate future generations of designers, artists, and creative professionals. The core values are: freedom of expression, diversity, integrity, and accessibility. Students have the freedom to take reasonable risks, while being valued for their differences. The institution as well as the students in attendance are expected to take responsibility for all things while attending, and students can reasonably expect that they will be treated with mutual respect and cooperation—as the school recognizes that communication is what makes up a working community.

Pratt School of Information and Library Science

The school of information leads back to 1890, with history rooted in the excellence and innovation of library and information sciences education. Pratt prides itself on fostering a student-centered environment. This environment will allow students to participate in a vibrant academic community- fostered by face to face learning and teaching within classrooms that are home to some of the most advanced technology available. The students groups on campus work to enrich the lives of students with workshops, guest lectures, site visits, tours, and networking events that can expand a professional network. The full time faculty are recognized researchers and scholars in the field of information, spanning numerous careers. The part time faculty is representative of NYC's most notable practitioners as well as recognized leaders within their own areas of expertise.

This institution allows students to foster deep connections to NYC's diverse professional communities, as Pratt has the only School of Information within NYC. The location is convenient, and provides students with great opportunities to connect with the sprawling information community and subsequently obtain professional positions within NYC's most prominent cultural institutions, media companies, nonprofits, and other organizations that are within the quickly expanding information and technology niches. Pratt works closely with many institutions within NYC like MoMA, Metropolitan Museum, New York Public Library, and Brooklyn Museum, allowing for students to have the opportunity to work on a wide variety of hands on projects, and this also allows the students to choose the internship site that best fits with their own personal and academic experiences and career goals.

Each country across the world has a set of standards and regulations regarding fair technology use within their country. As technology begins to integrate itself more and more into our daily lives, it’s reasonable to expect accommodations to me made for those with disabilities. Giving all members of society equal access affords everyone a higher quality of life. The United States uses a set of guidelines known as Section 508, which incorporates many elements of WCAG 1.0. The international standard for technology disability compatibility is WCAG 2.0. Read on below to learn more about what WCAG 2.0 and Section 508 incorporate and see what countries are leading the way with progress.

International Leaders

The majority of countries throughout the world only require government agencies and related organizations to adhere to compliance measures. The United States, Canada, European Union and India are some of the flagship nations to note that follow this policy. It’s important to note that many private sector companies and charities pursue their own measures to make their sites compatible for all. There are immense benefits to doing so, and a company that takes proactive steps to reach all citizens is sure to be favored over a competitor. Section 508, WCAG 1.0, and WCAG 2.0 address compatibility from numerous directions. Every inch of a site is considered, including the graphics, documents, forms and HTML coding. Accommodations vary based off of the website itself, but typically offer different visual viewing options or text to speech features. Currently, Norway and Australia are the only two countries that require all commercial websites to be within the set guidelines.

America’s Impending Refresh

Those who follow Section 508 and track updates from the US Access Board are aware of the problems with the current system. Section 508 has not received a formal update in almost ten years, and the lack of updates have left many with disabilities at a disadvantage. Disability advocates and industry tech leaders have spoken out in regards to the embarrassing situation and updates are expected to be released in 2016. While any predictions made now on as to what the refresh will include are pure speculation, it’s expected to incorporate WCAG 2.0 standards.

Dyno Mapper for US Compatibility Checking

Agencies and organizations within the US have a legal obligation to comply with the set Section 508 guidelines. Section 508 compliance guidelines are simple in nature, but it’s in a company’s best interest to also incorporate the highly regarded WCAG 2.0 standards. Trying to cross-check your site manually to the standards and make changes can be a time-consuming process. Take advantage of our compatibility check software can do for your website. Within moments, your site will be checked, and your webmasters will be presented with concrete changes to make for improving compatibility. Customer service is at the heart of our company, and we encourage you to reach out with any questions you have.