Agile is the Swiss umbrella organisation for mutual aid and self-representation organisations for people with disabilities. Agile aims to position themselves as one of the main actors in disability policy in Switzerland. However, the limited possibilities of their website did not allow them to achieve this goal. The digital presence did not meet current standards and especially did not meet the expectations of the organisation and the different target groups.
A simple solution tailored to specific needs
Who better than one of the pioneers of the agile approach in Switzerland to support Agile? Knowing that the challenges required less custom development, we opted for a simple and responsive solution based on WordPress. In terms of plugins, we relied on the Elementor Pro site building tool to have specific page templates and components, Oasis Workflow for a 4-eye validation process, and Civist to create online petitions. WordPress forms also allow easy integration into the CRM, as well as newsletter creation. In the end, we were able to implement the most pragmatic infrastructure and an adapted redesign in an agile manner.
New content for increased visibility and credibility
Particular emphasis was placed on content strategy to increase the visibility and credibility of agile.ch among essential target groups (people with disabilities and their relatives, politicians, administration, media etc.).
We started by defining the content strategy, which defines the goals Agile wants to achieve on this channel and those that users want to achieve. It also helps define the most impactful topics and messages. This phase also included the development of new formats and the elaboration of initial storytelling approaches. For Agile, it was essential not to have to rewrite all the content. Luckily, they had a large number of high-quality interviews in their printed magazine. We created templates to allow the team to transform these printed contents into blog formats. The focus was on content structuring and storytelling.
This strategic work also relied on a qualitative content audit. Through this analysis, we had a clear vision of the structure and quality of the current website, as well as hurdles discovered in user journeys. Our audit also included a comparison with competitors. This audit helped to better formulate improvement recommendations and clarify which parts of the current structure should be migrated to the new site. Our aim was not to start from scratch with the web content and to prioritize the optimization suggestions.
Once this audit and strategy were in place, we helped the Agile team work on their new content. During joint training sessions, we coached the team for French and German web writing. During these sessions, we addressed topics such as content processes and governance, and especially the reading experience for the user. Knowledge in this area is crucial to improve content accessibility, a topic even more essential for Agile. In the end, the goal for us as an agency is not to create content for our clients, but to enable subject specialists to create content themselves.
Accessibility as a core element
Wouldn't having a website that doesn't meet accessibility standards be the height of irony for an umbrella organisation whose requirements include barrier-free access? Accessibility was of course at the heart of transversal discussions on this new website, touching on development, design, and content, both in the frontend and backend.
Our accessibility specialists conducted several internal audits of the site before going live. This led to improvements before the launch, resulting in a good accessibility score. We followed best practices, particularly in terms of heading size, alternative texts for images, and simple language. Now that this level in accessibility is reached, it is about maintaining this good level for everyone in the long term.
As we mentioned before, barrier-free access also concerns the backend, so that users, regardless of their tools or skills, can publish content and maintain the website. This is precisely what WordPress offers, meeting the AA standard in this regard. We developed an accessible design with the right colour contrast, with the support of our designers.
The fight for equality and inclusion of people with disabilities is long and tough. But, as Sylvia Raemy, Agile's head of communication, emphasises: "The new website makes Agile credibly visible as a legitimate and strong voice of self-determined people with disabilities."