DubBot is a cloud-based software that crawls websites and reports back on accessibility issues based on the Web Content and Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, levels A and AA, and quality assurance issues such as broken links and potential misspellings.
Request Access or Site Additions
The University has procured an enterprise license for all University websites and users through single sign-on. To request user access or to add websites to DubBot, email accessibility@pitt.edu.
Training, Tips, and Tricks
- Getting Started
All new users should watch the DubBot Platform Training video which demonstrates navigation and use of the DubBot dashboard.
- Accessibility and Best Practices
An important distinction in DubBot is the separation of Accessibility and Best Practices. Both of these sections deal with the accessibility of your website.
The “Accessibility” section focuses on the essential features for disabled users to interact with your website. These items in the Accessibility section are directly from the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 which we must comply with according to Title II of the American with Disabilities Act. The ”Best Practices” section focuses on errors that inhibit accessibility but are not quite as critical as the prior section.
Accessibility Section Best Practices Section - Checks for critical accessibility errors
- Criteria come directly from WCAG 2.1
- Will guide you toward legal compliance with Title II
- Checks for moderate accessibility errors
- Will improve the way your website interacts with assistive technology
- Policies
Most policies deal with stylistic guidelines or name changes within Pitt. These types of policies can be found in the “Web Governance” section. However, some enabled policies deal with accessibility issues, commonly misspelled words, or search engine optimization. In these instances, the policy has already been customized to show up in those respective sections. If you have questions about a policy, don’t hesitate to reach out.
- Custom Reports
Three custom reports have been created to aid University areas in identifying accessibility gaps.
The “Overall Accessibility Summary Report” includes both the Accessibility and Best Practices sections. This summary provides an overview of top issues found on your website with moderate detail.
The “Title II ADA Legal Accessibility Report” provides a detailed breakdown of each issue on your website that is inhibiting your compliance with WCAG 2.1, and therefore, Title II of the ADA. This report allows you to share the entire Accessibility section with non-DubBot users.
- The “Accessibility Best Practices Report” provides a detailed breakdown of each issue on your website that may be interfering with assistive technology user’s experiences. This report allows you to share the entire Best Practices section with non-DubBot users.
- File Scanning
PDFs that are housed on your website are centrally located in the Dashboard Overview. If you are looking for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, or Excel files, please follow the steps below.
- Under the “Quick Wins” section, select the drop-down menu for “Pages with…”
- Select “Pages with Informational Searches”
- Filter by selecting “Any Informational Search”
- Select your desired filter. Examples: Link to a Microsoft Excel file, Link to a Microsoft Document
If you are viewing a Page within DubBot, you can find these in the “Page Information” tab in the lefthand navigation menu. The icon is a lowercase “i” in a circle.
- DubBot Help Center
The DubBot Help Center provides a lot of valuable information including FAQs and updates on new features. If you're ever unsure of what a specific accessibility issue is, searching the issue description in the Help Center will provide articles that explain each thoroughly.
- Tech Support
DubBot Support can help you fix errors that you may be experiencing in the platform. DubBot Support is available via the Intercom Messenger button in bottom right corner of every screen on the DubBot platform. It's shown as a blue circle with a chat icon.