For
Immediate Release
Media Contacts
Irena Mroz
HiSoftware
+1.603.578.1870
irena@hisoftware.com
University of
Maine Implements HiSoftware
Solutions to Comply with Web
Accessibility Standards
Solutions
provide fast and easy way to
identify, communicate and repair
accessibility issues
Nashua, NH – August 23, 2006 –
HiSoftware (www.hisoftware.com), a
leading provider of software,
services and managed operation
solutions that monitor and optimize
Web content, quality and regulatory
compliance, today announced that the
University of Maine (www.umaine.edu)
has successfully implemented
HiSoftware’s AccVerify, AccRepair
and Hi-Caption Studio solutions for
the development and ongoing
maintenance of accessibility
standards across the university’s
Web site. The University of Maine is
the state’s land-grant university
and sea-grant college, and is the
flagship institution of the
seven-campus University of Maine
System.
Alan Parks, coordinator of
dissemination and technology at the
University of Maine’s Center for
Community Inclusion and Disability
Studies (CCIDS), said, “Before using
HiSoftware’s solutions we did not
have a fast and easy way to test
pages for accessibility. With the
implementation of AccVerify and
AccRepair, we now have a tool that
provides us with consistent review
and analysis of our Web pages, as
well as a standard and
easy-to-understand format for
identifying any issues.”
After a thorough evaluation
process, the University of Maine
selected HiSoftware’s education
bundle, which includes AccVerify,
AccRepair and Hi-Caption Studio, to
address accessibility issues
mandated by the University System
and based on Section 508 guidelines
of the Rehabilitation Act. By using
HiSoftware’s solutions, the
University of Maine’s campus Web
office is able to help implement
full accessibility compliance in
hundreds of Web sites managed by
staff and faculty across all
departments.
Using AccVerify, reports can be
generated that easily identify
accessibility issues in a Web site.
The reports can then be posted on a
secure Web site for reference and
discussion by a Web development
committee or others involved in
ensuring accessibility compliance.
Problems such as missing ALT tags
behind images can be corrected
automatically using the AccRepair
module. AccRepair uses a library
that “learns” as repairs are made,
so corrections of the same error
need to be made only once. The
corrected information is stored in
the library to automatically repair
instances of the same issue
throughout the Web site. AccRepair
enabled the University to fix these
instances much quicker than if they
had to be done manually. For
example, a site with 100 pages
missing ALT tags could be fixed in
about 20 minutes using AccRepair.
HiSoftware President and CEO,
Kurt A. Mueffelmann, said, “As more
and more educational institutions
are dealing with complaints and
lawsuits resulting from Web sites
that do not meet specific state and
government-mandated compliance
guidelines, the University of Maine
is committed to ensuring that its
Web site is accessible to everyone.
We are pleased to work with such a
well-respected educational
institution to help make it easier
for them to monitor and repair Web
content to provide the highest
standards in accessibility.”
About the
University of Maine
Located in Orono, The University
of Maine is the principal research
and graduate institution of the
State of Maine, and offers a
comprehensive program of
undergraduate and graduate study.
The University is one of seven
institutions in the University of
Maine System; each institution
complements and collaborates with
the others in the System to fulfill
the needs of public higher education
in the State of Maine. The
University of Maine has statewide
responsibility for those
educational, research, and public
service programs associated with its
designation as Maine's land-grant
university and sea-grant college.
About
HiSoftware
Founded in 1998,
HiSoftware is a leading provider of
software, services, and On-Demand
solutions that test, repair, monitor
and enforce Web content, quality,
and regulatory compliance. The
company’s solutions empower content
developers, Web site architects, and
executives to work collaboratively
to create and manage corporate Web
standards for accessibility,
privacy, security, search engine
optimization (SEO), site quality and
performance, branding, competitive
intelligence, and application
transaction testing (AppTest).
HiSoftware’s customers boast many of
the world’s largest public and
private sites including US and
international government agencies
and Global 2000 companies such as
ChevronTexaco, Oracle, Mercury
Interactive, and Microsoft. For more
information about HiSoftware visit
www.hisoftware.com.
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HiSoftware,
AccRepair, AccVerify and Hi-Caption
Studio are trademarks of Hiawatha
Island Software Inc. which may be
registered in certain jurisdictions.
All other brand/product names are
trademarks of their respective
holders.
