Stanford Web Services and the Office of Digital Accessibility Team Up for a More Accessible Stanford Sites

With more than 1,700 Stanford Sites, it’s clear folks love the university’s centrally managed web publishing platform. What’s not to love when the community has access to a content management system that enables website customization to fit various content needs? And now, thanks to the teamwork of Stanford Web Services (SWS) and the Office of Digital Accessibility, Stanford Sites is more accessible than ever before.

An accessible release

Stanford Sites continuously receives new updates and releases to offer design flexibility, integration with Stanford systems, and substantial functionality through Drupal. Always striving towards improvement, SWS and the Office of Digital Accessibility recently collaborated to identify a pattern of accessibility issues within Stanford Sites. 

The most recent Stanford Sites release contains notable changes to the heading hierarchy to make it easier for editors to create accessible content. It addresses Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level A heading hierarchy issues by giving site editors the tools to control the heading structure created through Headline fields on Banners, Cards, Lists, and Teaser Paragraphs.

UIT’s commitment 

This collaboration between SWS and the Office of Digital Accessibility further highlights UIT’s commitment to continuous improvement and accessibility for all — accessible websites, apps, and digital tools promote inclusivity, and provide equal opportunities for everyone to engage with online information and services. Web accessibility not only eliminates barriers to the web experience for people with disabilities but also enhances the overall user experience. 

We’re here to help

In addition to highlighting the newest Stanford Sites release, we want to remind the community that SWS and the Office of Digital Accessibility are resources available to you. Whether you need guidance on web design and development, help remediating issues with your website or application, or assistance creating accessible electronic content, we’re here to help. 

Additional resources

• Learn more about Stanford Sites.
• Explore the Stanford Web Services website.
• Check out the Office of Digital Accessibility website.
• Have questions about digital accessibility? Sign up for accessibility during office hours or join the accessibility Slack channel (#cop-accessibility).