[Athen] Review of Handshake - Career Services Platform

[Bossley, Peter A.]

Cassandra,
If we do find as you suspect – that the software still has serious issues and hasn’t improved over the last year, then yes, a lengthy renewal would be a problem here.
Our likely course of action is that we will require the unit to make their accommodation much more robust to potentially include funding a support operation or remote assistance using Aira. If, over several years, we find that they aren’t fixing the problem at some point the unit will just get a denial. But we try not to do that lightly. Handshake does seem to be the only game in town with this kind of tool, at least from what I have heard and gathered.
All of that being said, there isn’t anything that handshake does that seems all that revolutionary, so it may end up that we build something ourselves if it comes right down to that.


From: Cassandra Tex <clt3 at humboldt.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 13, 2019 11:07 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu>
Cc: Bossley, Peter A. <bossley.5 at osu.edu>
Subject: RE: [Athen] Review of Handshake - Career Services Platform

HI Peter,
Thank you for the information.

Hypothetically speaking, when you are finished with the re-evaluation and continue to see very serious accessibility errors, will you renew with an Accommodation-based Exception again?  We did a very cursory review last year – the timing was rushed among other things.  We included language in the contract last year that has largely been ignored and meaningful progress toward fixing the few errors we did discover in our hurried-testing has not been made.

I’m at a loss as to how long we really *want to* and *should* work with this company…

My university wants to get into a 3-year contract with them, but after being ignored last year and finding numerous other accessibility errors in our more thorough testing this year, I’m recommending a one-year contract only.

I get the feeling from the requesting department that Handshake the only viable game in town, but I really do not know.

Thanks again!
Cassandra

From: Bossley, Peter A. [mailto:bossley.5 at osu.edu<mailto:bossley.5 at osu.edu>]
Sent: Sunday, May 12, 2019 5:05 PM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>
Cc: Cassandra L Tex <cassandra.tex at humboldt.edu<mailto:cassandra.tex at humboldt.edu>>
Subject: RE: [Athen] Review of Handshake - Career Services Platform

Cassandra,
Ohio State reviewed it last year prior to it being implemented. We found much the same, it had a number of serious problems. Currently the tool operates under an Accommodation-based Exception<https://accessibility.osu.edu/exceptions> on our campus.
It is currently up for review again, my team isn’t quite finished with the evaluation yet but once it is finished I would be happy to share the results.
Our review from last spring is attached.
Best,

[The Ohio State University]
Peter Bossley
Director, Digital Accessibility Center
ADA Coordinator's Office - Office of University Compliance and Integrity
Student Life Disability Services
950 Lincoln Tower, 1800 Cannon Dr, Columbus, OH 43210
614-688-3028 Office
bossley.5 at osu.edu<mailto:bossley.5 at osu.edu> accessibility.osu.edu<http://accessibility.osu.edu/>
________________________________



From: athen-list <athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list-bounces at mailman12.u.washington.edu>> On Behalf Of Cassandra L Tex
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2019 1:50 PM
To: ATHEN Listserv <athen-list at u.washington.edu<mailto:athen-list at u.washington.edu>>; Alt Media CCC Listserv <ALTMEDIA at listserv.cccnext.net<mailto:ALTMEDIA at listserv.cccnext.net>>
Subject: [Athen] Review of Handshake - Career Services Platform

Greetings All,
Sorry for the cross posting…

Wondering if anyone has recently reviewed Handshake – a Career Services platform that is “the college career network helping all students build a meaningful career – no matter where they go to school or who they know”.

Their VPAT is old (May 2017) and vague at best with their descriptions.  Explanations such as “strives to provide” and “works to ensure” compliance with WCAG 2.0 guidelines are rampant throughout this old and outdated VPAT.  Our Accessibility Review group is conducting manual testing on a sampling of pages for their Students, Career Services, and Employers applications.  We are finding some very serious and critical accessibility errors in our sampling.

I know Handshake is widely used across the country.  Universities such as: Stanford, Colorado State, Princeton, UC Berkeley, Brown, and Johns Hopkins to name just a few are noted on Handshake’s website.  My question….have any of your campuses reviewed Handshake prior to implementation?  What were the results of your reviews?

Very interested in results if your campus has reviewed Handshake – particularly if the review has been done recently.

Thanks in advance!
Cassandra Tex
Assistive Technology Specialist
Humboldt State University
tex at humboldt.edu<mailto:tex at humboldt.edu>
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