Description:

Everyone should be able to connect. Able to understand the story, able to share the laughter, able to enjoy the show. But for more than a million New Zealanders in the blind and hard-of-hearing communities, connecting can be a challenge.

Able is a not-for-profit organisation working towards a more inclusive Aotearoa, in which every person has equal access to the world of culture, information and entertainment. They are the leading provider of access services in New Zealand, providing subtitles, captions (CC) and audio description (AD) across the country's broadcasters so that every New Zealander can connect with the media world around them. This means inclusion for the 880,000+ Kiwis who are Deaf or hard-of-hearing, and for the 180,000+ who are blind or have low vision.

We partnered with Able to refresh and elevate their brand from a functional, pragmatic one, to one that connected more emotively to what they do. With a variety of audiences, from industry partners, CC/AD users and Government agencies to potential employees, our task was to create a brand that better communicated Able’s story, impact and capability in a fresh, contemporary and accessible way.

Exploring the intersection of design and accessibility was the key challenge and opportunity for this project. Where inclusion was the leading principle and not an afterthought.

Accessibility experts were consulted throughout to ensure that the website met WCAG 2.1 AAA requirements and was inclusive for all users, such as those using screen readers, screen magnifiers or keyboards only. Able’s services were brought to the fore by showing what they do, versus telling, with all video content showing captions and audio description by default. This was achieved via a purpose-built video player. While all accessibility settings can be fully controlled and customised to suit the user, for example reducing overall site motion.

The design is aligned to Able’s brand refresh, exploring the theme of connection using dynamic circles and a grid-based design to present engaging, purposeful content. We looked for creative opportunities to connect with and engage the user, such as unique ways of displaying impactful data, well-crafted stories and bespoke development. It was important to us to connect to the languages of Aotearoa, weaving Te Reo Māori appropriately throughout the site.

Able are a leading voice in the industry, advocating for accessible content every step of the way, turning content into the shared experience it was made to be, and creating a more inclusive Aotearoa. It was a pleasure to create a website that reflected their story.

E whakapono ana mātau kia ngākau tuwhera a Aotearoa.