Accessibility at the heart of Sisu’s development
How is accessibility built into Sisu’s development? Discover how Funidata ensures the system works equally for students and higher education institutions.
At Funidata, accessibility is a core value and a key part of product development. Our goal is to ensure that both students and higher education institutions can use Sisu (SIS) smoothly and equally. In practice, this means that every new feature is designed and implemented to be accessible. We ensure that every new feature meets WCAG AA standards and complies with the Digital Services Act. Where possible, we also strive to consider AAA-level requirements, such as cognitive accessibility.
Accessibility is part of our ongoing, systematic development work. Over the years, we have made significant improvements to our old functionalities, and at the same time, we have built a new system that takes accessibility into account right from the design stage. This work is visible not only in the everyday lives of students and staff, but also in the fact that higher education institutions can rely on Sisu as a long-term and evolving system.
Practical improvements for students
In recent years, we have introduced several accessibility improvements that have also made Sisu easier to use. For example, the course registration process was completely redesigned and launched in the summer of 2023. In spring 2024, we redesigned the student front page together with students and an accessibility expert to ensure that the first contact with Sisu would be as clear as possible and take all users into account. In the same year, a more accessible calendar component for the study calendar and a redesigned main navigation were also released. In addition, Sisu notifications for students were made readable by screen readers, which significantly improves the usability of the system.
We have also developed views that are central to students' everyday lives. Accessibility improvements have already been implemented in stages in the Study Structure view, and several improvements have been made to the various tabs in the My Information view, with development work continuing. Minor corrections have been made to the Timing view, and a more extensive overhaul is currently underway.
Upcoming accessibility improvements
Our accessibility work will continue steadily in the coming years. At the end of 2025, a completely updated Study Structure view will be released, which, alongside the current study structure, will significantly address accessibility issues. At the same time, the Timeline view will undergo a technological overhaul, making it more accessible and technically modern. Accessibility improvements to the To-do list view will also be released during 2025.
In addition to these, we have several larger development projects on our to-do list, such as improving the accessibility of training path visualization and developing keyboard shortcuts. These require more extensive planning and will be carried out as part of our 2026 development roadmap.
Developing together with accessibility experts
Accessibility runs through our entire development process – it’s not limited to one team or a single stage, but the entire process from design to implementation and testing. We have systematically strengthened our expertise by training and familiarizing our software developers with accessible software development practices. In addition, we utilise external experts and accessibility audits to ensure that our assessments are as comprehensive and unbiased as possible.
By combining our in-house expertise with external specialists, we ensure that Sisu truly meets the needs of students and higher education institutions. Every new feature is designed to be accessible from the outset, and accessibility is always considered in testing before release.
Equal study opportunities for everyone
Accessibility helps us ensure equality in the everyday life of higher education. When students can manage matters related to their studies without obstacles, they have genuinely the same opportunities to progress in their studies as everyone else. This is also evident to higher education institutions, which can trust that the system used by their students supports inclusivity and smooth learning.