Siteimprove, the tool used at Cornell to check for web accessibility issues, will be updated to use Accessibility NextGen on August 27, 2021. Here are the most important changes:

• Set a new Site Target. Cornell requires WCAG conformance at level AA. This is the default site target. Users can also add the Best Practices categories. They are optional but strongly encouraged. Learn how to set a site target.  

• Potential Issues will replace the "Can't Fix" setting. Issues marked as "can't fix" will now be managed as potential issues. Learn why Siteimprove made this change and how to review potential issues.    

• NextGen will change how sites are scored. The update will cause the compliance scores for all university websites to change. Many websites will require some remediation to achieve WCAG AA compliance. Learn how the revised DCI score works.  

• Page sections will help check headers, footers, and other recurring page elements. One of the most sought-after new features is the ability to find issues in repeated content. Learn what page sections are and how they can help save time.

After the update, please check your websites’ compliance scores using the new Site Target tool and plan for remediation as needed. Set WCAG conformance to level AA. The Best Practices categories are optional but strongly encouraged. 

Learn more about Siteimprove Accessibility NextGen.