Expanding wayfinding and accessibility features in the Illinois app

An aerial shot of the University of Illinois campus

The Illinois app, bearing the familiar bright orange Block I of our university, is a homegrown development* constantly maturing and adapting. One of the app’s most recent developments includes a multifunction map section and a map accessibility support feature thanks to a collaboration with Facilities & Services.

The Illinois app’s new wayfinding features can be viewed in version 6.1 released in February 2025. Vanessa Burgett, director of product design and user research with the Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative* shares that the Illinois app map functionality “is always evolving. The map unlocks endless possibilities for people to discover the many facets of our campus.” 

Burgett explains the new feature. “With version 6.1 released in February 2025, the Illinois app now displays floor plans and amenities thanks to a collaboration with Facilities & Services. App users can find everything from all-gender restrooms to a classroom on the second level of Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.” 

The Illinois app supports anybody trying to navigate campus—not just geographically. Students, faculty, staff, visitors or alumni can find upcoming campus events, stay up-to-date on Illinois athletics, listen to campus radio stations, and connect with campus groups and communities. Students can keep track of their course schedule and Canvas assignments, find contact information for others at the U of I, get notified about upcoming McKinley Health Center appointments, view dining hall menus and nutrition information and so much more.

The map feature

Released as its own section of the app in August 2022, the map feature provides navigational support that pinpoints locations of classes, university events, buildings, “Find a Therapist” and Champaign-Urbana’s Mass Transit District bus stops and schedules. Locate the map itself in the center of the bottom of the app screen footer, or use the map function integrated into other features, such as Events.

When you tap on an event of interest, tap on the address link to show where the event is, the best route to get there and potential bus schedules to get to that location. The map feature also shows up in the My Courses section of the app – if you’re enrolled in a course, your current courses are listed there; tapping the location of the course will automatically generate the fastest route on the map from your current location to your destination via walking, driving or bus. You can use the map through the MTD bus stop feature or, most popularly, discover the closest open dining hall to you, check the menu and get the fastest directions to your meal.

Map accessibility support

Recently, map added an optional ADA-compliant customization, which prompts the map to navigate to the nearest ADA-accessible door to buildings—helping all to access all corners of campus. 

To access this feature: 

  • Navigate to “Settings.”
  • Choose “Maps & Wayfinding” from the dropdown menu.
  • Toggle on “Navigate to ADA-accessible building entrances for My Courses” (see below).
Shows U of I App screenshot showing how to login and navigate to settings on the top right
Login and navigate to settings
Shows U of I App screenshot of how to navigate to Maps & Wayfinding and toggle the ADA-accessibility toggle on on the bottom
Maps & Wayfinging drop down and ADA-accessibililty toggled on

With this setting toggled on, when you tap on a location for a course, the Illinois app’s map will automatically route you to the nearest ADA-accessible entrance. Accessing navigation to the ADA entrances can be found in the My Courses section, as seen below. When following the below steps through My Courses, it will lead you to the map, which will automatically navigate you to the closest ADA-accessible entrance for classroom buildings.  

Shows a screenshot of the Illinois App for how to navigate to Sections, Academics, then "My Courses"
Navigate to "My Courses"
Shows a screenshot of the Illinois App of a list of example courses with locations. The location is circled, indicating you click on it there to get to the next page.
Tap on the location
Screenshot of the Illinois App showing that once you click on the location, an address will appear and you should click on it
Tap on the location address
Screenshot of the Illinois App shows that once you click on the address in the app, the Map automatically loads up the fastest route from your location to the location you tapped on
Map automatically opens and loads the fastest route to an ADA-accessible entrance

With Illinois app version 6.1 released in February 2025, locations of ADA entrances are also available through the Campus Buildings section of the Map. After tapping on a building, you can see a photo of the building and a list of specific amenities like ADA entrances and all-gender restrooms. After tapping on the Floor Plan and Amenities link, you can view the location of the ADA entrances as well as other amenities for each floor of that campus building.  

Screenshot of the Illinois App showing how to navigate to "Floor plans and Amenities" and to click on that
Navigate to "Floor Plans & Amenities"
Shows a screenshot of the Illinois App of what to do once you click on the building--you can click on a floor that you want to see the amenities of
Tap on a specific floor of a building
Once you click on a floor, a map will automatically load and show you all the amenities of the floor in the building you chose
See ADA entrances and other amenities on that floor along with your classroom #

While the map currently focuses on ADA entrance navigation and other specific amenities, the university’s larger list and map of ADA-accessible entrances are located online. This page displays many campus building’s accessible entrances and elevators, complete with street names for easy navigation.  

As the app is always growing, Vanessa Burgett explains that the app’s design team conducts Zoom interviews with students throughout the school year to learn more about how the app is working for them. Students can sign up to engage with the team by joining their email list or by contacting Vanessa at vburgett@illinois.edu.  

The wayfinding features in the Illinois app result from a collaboration of different units on campus: Office of the Provost, Facilities and Services, Technology Services, Student Affairs, Business IT and the Office of the Registrar. Together, they are supporting the university’s ongoing commitment to provide “universally accessible services and opportunities for everyone” to uphold campus’s efforts to ensure inclusive environments for all students. For more information about accessibility at Illinois, learn more about its inclusion efforts, or to report a barrier, visit Illinois’s central website.  



*The Illinois app is developed by a cross-campus team led by the Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative in the Office of the Provost. The Smart, Healthy Communities Initiative works to create digital tools that enable the smart, healthy communities of tomorrow.