Web Initiatives & Updates

Purchase College is committed to removing barriers and making content accessible to all visitors.

On December 21, 2023, the Federal Government released a memorandum to the Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies on its expectations for digital accessibility. Although the memorandum is directed at federal agencies, Purchase College is already in compliance with the following guidelines and continues to move forward.

Buy Accessible Products and Services
Design and Develop Accessible Digital Experiences
Create, Communicate, and Deliver Accessible Content
Evaluate, Monitor, Collect Feedback, and Remediate for Accessibility
Cultivate A Positive Culture of Digital Accessibility

Memorandum: Strengthening Digital Accessibility and the Management of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act

Press Release: OMB Releases Digital Accessibility Guidance to Ensure All Americans Have Ability to Access Critical Government Resources

Visit the Accessibility Initiatives & Updates page for other noteworthy legal updates.

In 2020 when state resources were restricted due to COVID-19, Purchase College secured funds to address structural changes to the Purchase College website and devoted human capital to removing barriers and improving accessibility. This project was a major endeavor and completed in early November 2020.

In 2021 and 2022 accessibility upgrades continued. Large projects included a LiveWhale CMS upgrade and an engagement with the vendor to overhaul image galleries to bring them into compliance with WCAG 2.1 Accessibility Guidelines.

In 2023 Purchase College upgraded the LiveWhale CMS twice to improve functionality and accessibility and engaged with the vendor on a project to create descriptive text for raw urls imported with the Athletics calendar feed. Also, the compliance rate for the annual accessibility training for CMS editors that publish content hit 99%.

Plans for 2024 include a mini site refresh, which is already underway and expected to launch in Fall 2024. This refresh of the home page and top level templates will include structural updates to improve accessibility. All development now complies with WCAG 2.2 Accessibility Guidelines.

Currently, the Accessibility Committee, Campus Technology Services, and Communications and Creative Services work together to identify goals and initiatives for the website and related entities. Purchase College is also in communication with the CMS vendor on accessibility barriers and concerns.

Current for 2024 and Beyond

Update code on home page and top level templates to improve accessibility with mini site refresh.
Continue to add accessible pathways, parking lots, and new building to interactive campus map as they become available.
Explore ‘accessible’ Way Finding technology for campus.
Ongoing updates to templates and widgets to best address the needs of those with disabilities as well as identify content that presents barriers.

Completed in 2024

Updated CMS to LiveWhale 2.15.1 in April, which included various accessibility updates. One noteworthy improvement is how form errors are communicated to those using screen reading technology - an issue that Purchase College reported.
Added a language translator to website.
Contracted with vendor to create Instagram feeds that are modern and accessible.
Fixed template and widget structure to improve the experience of those using screen reading technology.

Completed in 2023

Updated CMS to LiveWhale 2.10.5 in September to improve functionality and accessibility. Update included a noteworthy enhancement with form validation for those using screen reading technology.
Created new style in LiveWhale CMS to mimic styling of an h3 header without it acting as a header.
Completed project with CMS vendor to create descriptive text for raw urls imported with the Athletics calendar feed.
Updated CMS to LiveWhale 2.9.2 in April to improve functionality and accessibility. Update included the separation of alt tag field and caption field for images, leading to a better experience for those using screen reading software.
Developed Guide to Creating Accessible Graphics.
Secured and disseminated accessibility training modules, curated by the Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights, to all faculty and staff. 99% compliance rate for CMS editors that publish content.

Completed in 2022

Configured events on LiveWhale calendar to auto-populate the required statement to request an accommodation.
Updated purchase.edu site breadcrumb.
Engaged with CMS vendor to improve design, functionality and accessibility with image galleries and create a new tile gallery to showcase images.
Created and disseminated the accessibility training module to all faculty and staff.
Planned accessibility theme and training for Faculty Obligation Week. Subsequently, launched same training to staff at start of Fall semester.
Completed project with CMS vendor to make bus schedules accessible on mobile.
Updated CMS to LiveWhale 2.5.0 in December to improve functionality and accessibility.

Completed in 2021

Published Event Accessibility Guidelines.
Published Social Media Accessibility Guidelines.
Restyled events on calendar to show border on hover so a physical change, and not color alone, indicates that the event boxes are linked.
Improved social media icon accessibility with physical change of border on hover.
Upgraded CMS to LiveWhale 1.71 and resolved accessibility issues as it related to Purchase’s templates, widgets, and content.
Completed a project with the CMS vendor to improve accessibility with image galleries.
Developed a self-serve portal for Annual LiveWhale CMS Review training.

Completed in 2020

Home Page, Dual Image Layouts, and Custom Landing Pages
- Increased accessibility with imagery.
- Increased accessibility on mobile devices.
- Made off-screen content accessible.
- Addressed sequencing, tabbing, and visual focus (site-wide but most often experienced here).
Calendar
- Addressed links, dropdowns, and checkboxes.
- Addressed contrast issues, tiny text, and monthly calendar view.
Links
- Restyled links so a physical change, independent of color change, indicates links.
- Removed duplicate links or coded links so screen readers skip when text is adjacent to an image.
- Remediated ‘keep reading’ links and other non-descriptive links with rich copy for screen readers.
Tables
- Simplified complicated tables.
- Implemented a header row to further assist those utilizing screen reading software.
Pdfs
- Removed inaccessible pdfs from site.
Forms
- Made messaging for required fields dynamic.
Campus Map
- Added accessible parking and entrances.
Athletics Website
- Met with athletics web team to discuss accessibility standards for new website.
- Removed videos without closed captioning or captioned videos.

Challenges

Content editors continue to create accessibility errors.
Purchase College is dependent on external webmasters to correct errors for sites and forms created by vendors.
Funding is often lacking as structural issues and the need for new interfaces / apps are identified.
As a result of the aforementioned challenges, maintaining a barrier-free and accessible website is often a moving target.

Tactics to Resolve / Ongoing

Continue to educate content editors on CMS best practices through training and related workshops and communication.
Continue to work with CMS vendor on accessibility issues as new items are identified and as new versions of the CMS are released.
Contact CMS editors as issues are identified.
Remove CMS publishing access for those who have not attended the annual accessibility training.
Advise faculty, staff and students on accessible communication.
Generate accessibility reports and correct barriers.
Develop a formal procurement process for all goods and services (including vendor apps and interfaces) that includes a VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template) review.