We are proud to announce that SMU has officially received its Letter of Digital Accessibility Conformance from Allyant (A360)—a major milestone! The letter not only reflects technical excellence but also reinforces our institutional commitment to cultivating an environment that is accessible and welcoming to all.
This certification confirms that the framework elements of www.smu.edu meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA. This includes the behind-the-scenes code for interactive elements, such as navigation menus that open and close, as well as the visual presentation and general navigation of those items. It also includes a manual review of the SMU home page and SMU Admissions page. Achieving both Level A and Level AA compliance is no small feat—it requires meticulous attention to detail, deep technical knowledge, and a sustained commitment to accessibility best practices.
This is a huge accomplishment for Beth Andresen, associate director of web development, whose leadership and collaboration with Allyant made it possible. It also marks a significant step forward for SMU as we continue to uphold our responsibilities under our Web Accessibility Policy. Thanks to Beth’s extraordinary work, intricate coding knowledge, and assistance from applications developer Michael Law, this was made possible. With significant hours of effort, Beth led the charge to make every click on the SMU website more accessible.
“I’m thrilled to have contributed to our code framework, ensuring it aligns with the latest guidelines. It’s rewarding to help make our platform more accessible for all website visitors,” shared Beth.
Her work ensures that users navigating with screen readers, keyboard-only input, or other assistive technologies can fully engage with SMU’s digital content. We are also grateful to the Academic Technology Committee for providing the funds used for this project.
What was originally expected to take years was accomplished much sooner—an outcome that speaks volumes about Beth’s dedication, expertise, and leadership. She will continue to run any new framework elements created for the website through the vendor while the contract is still active to ensure all back-end coding is correct. Likewise, many web editors on campus have access to our third-party scanning tool, DubBot, which can scan websites and identify certain issues on the SMU website at large.
Digital accessibility is more than a technical requirement—it’s a legal and ethical imperative. We are grateful for Beth’s efforts and those she worked with to achieve this. The certification supports SMU’s Web Accessibility Policy, ensuring that our digital presence reflects the same values of inclusion and access that guide our campus community.
