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ALTON - Challenge Unlimited, an Alton-based organization helping those with disabilities find employment and housing opportunities, recently launched their redesigned website at cuinc.org with an emphasis on accessibility.
Challenge Unlimited’s work to match employers with job candidates with disabilities is increasingly important as the unemployment rate for those with disabilities is about twice the rate of those without disabilities, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Stephanie Schrage with Challenge Unlimited said that’s just one of the many “wraparound services” they offer.
“From an employment standpoint, from a housing standpoint … is it just an independent living question?” Schrage said. “Employment is a piece of that, but we also offer skills training, we offer job placement, job coaching, housing, so we definitely are wraparound services.”
Schrage shared more about the organization and its revamped website on Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com. She said the new website is more accessible, coinciding with the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2024.
“It’s a big improvement, definitely,” Schrage said of the new site. “With accessibility being a big piece of why we wanted to get this site up-to-date, it just seemed really fitting.”
The website redesign focuses on ease of access, with easy-to-read text and multiple ways to get around to certain pages. A helpful blue “accessibility” button, which floats on the right side of each page, expands to reveal a variety of text size, contrast, and other accessibility options to make the site even more accessible for a wider range of people.
Brand-new to the site is a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) tab, which Schrage said was added after they received several contact forms featuring similar questions with simple answers; the process has been streamlined by making those answers accessible to all site visitors, and the Contact Us page is still available for any unanswered questions.
Challenge Unlimited’s new homepage also spotlights the impact the organization has made in its 60 years of operation. Headquartered in Alton, the organization now serves six states around the country with over 400 community partners and more than 1,000 employees served. Their list of clientele includes some prominent companies and organizations both locally and beyond, such as the Illinois Department of Transportation, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE), the U.S. Air Force, Army, and Navy, and many more.
Schrage explained that earlier this year, the Justice Department put new regulations in place to ensure web content and mobile applications are accessible to those with disabilities - but Challenge Unlimited has been ahead of the curve making their website compliant since January, which Schrage described as “a labor of love.”
While she noted people are often familiar with physical or architectural accessibility accommodations, until recently, there was much less thought given to the non-physical obstacles faced by those with disabilities navigating the internet.
“When people think about disabilities, they think about the architectural barriers and the physical barriers that are pretty common,” Schrage said. “What we don’t always think about [are] the communication barriers and the information barriers.”
Going forward, Schrage said she encourages the public to navigate the site for themselves and send any feedback they have either through the Contact Us page or by emailing her directly at sschrage@cuinc.org as they work to continue improving the site. You can also help support the organization continue its mission for another 60 years with a range of monthly donation options available through the site’s Donate page.
Visit www.cuinc.org to see the all-new Challenge Unlimited website and find out more from the full interview with Schrage at the top of this story or on Riverbender.com/video.
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