Northern Expertise Wins Southern Contract

When Connexions, the young person’s support organisation, needed a website for teenagers with learning difficulties in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough area, it came to Newcastle to find the right expertise.

Indigo Multimedia, based in central Newcastle, was appointed to design and build an easily accessible and appealing website for young people with a range of learning disabilities.

Indigo has ten years experience producing websites and e-learning resources for young people, working on projects including The GERI (Gender Equality and Race Inclusion) Project aimed at improving career choices for young people, and www.purplepigeon.net a teenage advice site also for Connexions in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, voted ‘best young people friendly site’ by 16 panels of young people.

Lyn Boothman from Connexions explains,
“Reaching young people with learning disabilities is challenging. In addition to making the site as appealing as possible there are specific accessibility issues to be considered, for example creating a site which is simple to use and available to people with reading or comprehension difficulties.”

She continued, “We had worked with Indigo before on www.purplepigeon.net, our main website for young people, and knew they had the skills we needed, demonstrating specialist knowledge of areas including web accessibility and were open to working closely with us to share ideas and employ the most effective tactics to use on the site to engage visitors.”

The interactive website for Connexions provides the information 13 – 25 year olds with learning disabilities need to help them make informed choices and deal with everyday living. From advising on career and study options to money matters, relationships, individual rights and even free-time, the site at www.4us.org.uk is an easy, fun and comprehensive reference tool.

A fundamental requirement of the site was to meet the highest levels of accessibility required by the WAI (Web Accessibility Initiative) to ensure people with learning difficulties receive full access to information and resources. 

The completed site, which is now live, has a conformance level AAA, which is the highest level achievable.

Amongst the features which make the site available to people with learning difficulties is a speak text option, enabling the visitor to choose an animated ‘site pal’ - male or female – to accompany them through the site and speak the text aloud.

Dan Shepherd of Indigo Multimedia, who worked on the development of the site said,”We’re very proud of the final result and it’s great to see it being used by young people. The finished site is fully accessible providing the best access to vital information for young people whose needs are often ignored by web designers.  It’s fun and engaging with a personal and friendly appeal.”

www.4us.org.uk

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