Niigata Seiryo Gakuen's Challenge for the Future: Web Accessibility Expands Learning Possibilities

2024/12/02

What prompted you to consider web accessibility compliance?

To my embarrassment, I wasn't familiar with the term 'web accessibility.' Even when looking at the initiatives of other companies, it seems that it is still not widely recognized.

However, I had the opportunity to learn about Kiva's Uniweb at an event, which led me to further investigate it. I realized that it is an important issue to create a website environment that is easy to read for everyone, regardless of age or handicap. Additionally, I believe that from the perspective of improving brand image, it can provide sufficient cost-effectiveness. Although some aspects are difficult to quantify, I decided to take action, believing accessibility initiatives would yield positive effects.

 

Have you considered addressing accessibility within your organization?

I hardly considered it. The reason was that it was difficult to determine where to start. There was also a concern that hiring a vendor would incur significant costs, and I felt it would be challenging to handle everything internally.

 

When introducing Uni-Web, did you compare and evaluate other accessibility tools?

In implementing Uniweb, we compared and considered other accessibility tools. During careful internal discussions, we focused on tools that could provide more comprehensive support, similar to Uniweb, rather than just simple checking tools.

Specifically, we selected two other tools as candidates and investigated their functions and features. We evaluated them particularly in terms of report accuracy, specificity, usability, and support system, and gathered opinions on each tool's strengths and characteristics. As a result, we concluded that Uniweb best met our needs.

 

Please tell us the reasons why you ultimately decided to implement Uniweb.

The main reason we ultimately decided to implement Uniweb was the provision of multifunctional and flexible settings. This matched the needs of our institution and was very appealing. Additionally, there were aspects of shared values between our institution's philosophy and Uniweb's direction, which was also a decisive factor.

The prompt and courteous response during the implementation was also impressive. We compared it with other tools, but Uniweb showed quick responses and addressed issues appropriately, which built our trust. Furthermore, they maintained a flexible attitude in responding to our requests and suggestions, which made us feel the potential for future collaboration.

Our institution has a vision called 'Social Innovation Square' and aims to create new value together, leveraging the strength of other companies. In that regard, we were convinced that Uniweb could be a partner to build the future together, which led us to decide to implement it.

 

Have there been any reactions within the school since implementing Uniweb?

Since implementing Uniweb, there have yet to be noticeable reactions within the institution; this stage is still in the future. However, I strongly feel the need to create an environment that is user-friendly for everyone, and I want to realize that.

In the future, I plan to set goals and indicators and establish a policy on how to proceed with accessibility initiatives. By spreading this policy within the institution, I believe we can gradually raise awareness of accessibility. I hope that this will lead to results in the long run.

 

Please tell us about the number of days and man-hours it took to implement Uniweb.

We were able to proceed with the implementation smoothly. Since we generally leave website management to the vendor, I don't know the exact man-hours, but as for us, there was hardly any complex work needed; we just needed to respond to simple instructions like 'please insert one line of code.'

I believe the actual work was completed in just a few minutes. The fact that we didn't need to communicate multiple times during the implementation and the clarity of the explanations allowed us to proceed without stress. I am very grateful for the smooth implementation in a short period, and I am satisfied with the ease and efficiency.

 

Do you have any future goals?

At our institution, we provide education in areas related to care, such as welfare, clinical psychology, and nursing. We believe it is essential to deepen our consideration for those in need by leveraging each professional's expertise. Additionally, we aim to provide learning opportunities to a diverse range of people through our vision of 'Social Innovation.'

Furthermore, we plan to establish correspondence courses primarily focused on online education at our junior college and high school by 2026 to offer learning opportunities to a more diverse range of individuals.

To achieve this, I believe it is crucial to improve web accessibility on our website, which is one of the touchpoints. Through enhancing web accessibility, I aim to create an environment where more individuals can gain learning opportunities.

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Niigata Seiryo Gakuen Educational Corporation

Corporate Office Planning Division, Kota Kobayashi

Career
In 2021, I joined Niigata Seiryo Gakuen, where I've been involved in public relations, open courses, supporting student extracurricular activities, and research support. Currently, I mainly support multiple reform teams aimed at realizing the '2040 Vision for the Future.' I'm also a member of the HR system reform team working on this project.

 

《Uni-Web Implementation Site》

It has been implemented on the official websites operated by Niigata Seiryo Gakuen Educational Corporation.

By clicking on the icon, an accessibility menu appears, allowing users to switch text-to-speech features and screen contrast with just one button.

• Niigata Seiryo Gakuen Official Site:https://niigataseiryo.jp/
• Niigata Seiryo University & Junior College Official Site:https://www.n-seiryo.ac.jp/
• Niigata Seiryo High School Official Site:https://www.seiryo-high.ed.jp/
• Niigata Seiryo Kindergarten (Certified Children's Garden) Official Site:https://www.n-seiryo.ac.jp/yochien/
• Niigata Seiryo University & Junior College Applicant Support Site:https://bluebirds.n-seiryo.ac.jp/

 

◾️Niigata Seiryo Gakuen Educational Corporation

Chairman: Akira Shinoda
Location: 1-5939 Suidocho, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture
URL :https://niigataseiryo.jp/

 

About Uniweb

UniWeb provides web accessibility features "on the day of deployment" by simply adding a single line of code to all web services.

In order to achieve equal website services for all, we want to put users in various situations, such as those with visual impairments or those who temporarily lose the use of their hands due to injury, in a position to understand correct information through various uses such as voice reading and contrast changes.

Site:https://hellouniweb.com