Siteimprove

University websites are expected to comply with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). University of Iowa and SiteNow web contacts are advised to regularly review their Siteimprove results and address accessibility issues as part of a broader web accessibility strategy aimed at accessibility for all, including full conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA.

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About Siteimprove

Siteimprove is the University of Iowa’s enterprise tool for monitoring and improving website quality. It provides automated checks across multiple areas, including:

  • Accessibility
  • Search engine optimization (SEO)
  • Broken links
  • Content and style consistency

NOTE: Siteimprove scores alone are not a complete indicator of accessibility or compliance. University of Iowa web contacts should consider Siteimprove results in combination with manual testing and additional review to more fully evaluate accessibility and alignment with ADA requirements.

For questions regarding Siteimprove, or to enroll a University of Iowa website, please contact the University's Digital Accessibility Coordinator or the Office of Strategic Communication.

Understanding Your Siteimprove Score

The University of Iowa’s Digital Accessibility team recommends a Siteimprove accessibility score of 94 or higher as a practical benchmark for identifying and addressing accessibility issues. This recommendation is based on Siteimprove’s standard accessibility checks, which assess WCAG Level A and AA success criteria, along with WAI-ARIA requirements and accessibility-related best practices.

ADA Score

Siteimprove also provides an ADA score. This score reflects a subset of the standard accessibility checks and will therefore differ from the overall accessibility score. The ADA score can be useful for identifying higher-priority issues and supporting early testing efforts, but it represents only one view of a site’s accessibility. The recommended benchmark remains an overall accessibility score of 94 or higher in the standard accessibility category, with continued review and improvement throughout the website’s life cycle.

Siteimprove Accessibility Checks

Siteimprove's library of accessibility checks describes issues and potential issues in website accessibility. The checks are based on the Accessibility Conformance Testing format that provide guidelines for accessibility testing rules. Each accessibility check maps to one of three categories:

  • Best practices
  • WAI-ARIA Guidelines
  • Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, version 2.1 (WCAG 2.1)

The checks in the WCAG category cover all three WCAG levels: A, AA, and AAA. Each check is supported by documentation of the applicable rule. 

View A Guide to Siteimprove Accessibility Checks (opens in new window or tab)