The UK charity Whizz-Kidz, which supports young wheelchair users, has partnered with digital product agency Somo to launch a new accessible website.
Hoping to achieve a ‘best-in-class digital experience’, the charity’s expanded online offering will include more content, such as 30 new videos and 30 audio interviews with wheelchair users. The new ‘Discover’ section also includes podcasts, blogs and articles.
This suite of resources is just one of the initiatives in a pro-bono digital innovation partnership and long-term plan between Whizz-Kidz and Somo, which aims to increase and improve accessibility through digital platforms and products.
Whizz-Kidz’s goals with this venture are to address the impact of COVID-19 on support provision for young disabled people, empower young wheelchair users and meet their changing needs.
A new content management system has also ‘transformed’ the site, which has been given an AAA accessibility rating by following the guidelines at the Web Accessibility Initiative, making it a more engaging and inclusive platform for users.
Specific accessibility features include keyboard and speech recognition navigation and zoom-in functions, meaning as many people as possible can use the site.
Whizz-Kidz Director of Strategy and Innovation, Malcolm Tyndall, said: “As we celebrate our 30th anniversary and all that’s been achieved in that time, we wanted to bring a new look and feel to our website to reflect the changing needs of the young people and their families that we work with.
“It marks an exciting and pivotal time for Whizz-Kidz, as we embrace the opportunities that this digital uplift gives us in how we offer services, engage with our community and reach an even greater number of people who will benefit from the range of support we offer.”
Carl Uminski, COO at Somo, added: “We have seen first-hand the life-changing work it [Whizz-Kidz] does with young children, which is why we are so pleased to be supporting them in developing a strong and exciting digital experience.
“They understand the importance of digital innovation in both differentiating and improving experiences for users in their lives.
“The pandemic has been tough on charities but we hope that by providing a new digital experience for both donors and users, Whizz-Kidz can continue to build support for its work and create a space for young disabled people across the country to make them more empowered and help them feel more independent.”
As well as Somo’s pro-bono work, Whizz-Kidz’s digital expansion was also supported by the National Lottery Community Fund.
