Web accessibility efforts bring screen reader compatibility to the visually impaired

Web accessibility at ASU is a crucial practice of the university’s commitment to inclusivity, defined by those we serve. UTO is always looking for ways to improve the means by which our community is able to interact with university sites, tools and software. To that end, a recent development has made an everyday portal for ASU staff even more accessible.

Through My ASU, every ASU employee uses a time feature to report hours worked and personal time. It’s an everyday tool, something crucial to the operations of the university. And now, it is compatible with screen readers, software that “allow blind or visually impaired users to read the text that is displayed on the computer screen with a speech synthesizer or braille display” (American Foundation for the Blind).

By changing a setting in user preferences, the time reporting feature utilizes these screen readers. “This is a significant improvement over the previous version,” said Adero C.E. Allison, Assistant Director at Student Accessibility and Inclusive Learning Services, who works with individuals who need to access employee systems using screen readers.

“The new time reporting dashboard has been a much more accessible site than the old one,” said Cedric Green, Program Coordinator for Alternative Media for ASU Student Accessibility, and an employee who uses screen readers. Green explained that the screen reader now speaks the day and date of entry, which keeps the user informed of where they are on the screen. “I have two student employees who use a screen reader in our quality assurance area, both of whom can enter their time independently for the first time during their employment with the university,” he said.

“Accessibility efforts at the university do matter and enhance the abilities of students, staff and faculty using assistive technology to learn and complete work assignments,” concluded Green. What may seem like a small addition to just one aspect of university operations is a key example of the web accessibility efforts that define ASU by who we include, not who we exclude.