Empowering an Accessible Website

From migration to optimisation, learn how we helped a Premier League club transform its digital presence with a Sitecore CMS powered solution.

A black and yellow graphic of a bookcase full of books, with four yellow hexagons superimposed over it. Black text in each of the hexagons reads "1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability", "1 in 10 adults have dyslexia", "2 million people in the UK have a vision impairment" and "97% of website homepages have accessibility faults".

CLIENTEmpowering an Accessible Website for a UK Based Disability Charity

SECTOR

REACHUnited Kingdom

Accessibility at the Heart of Web Development

At Cold Banana, we believe that every website should be accessible to all users. That’s why we design and build digital solutions that meet the highest accessibility standards, ensuring inclusivity is never an afterthought. For our client, a UK based charity dedicated to equality for disabled people, accessibility was a top priority.

The Challenge

Delivering our Client's New Website
In 2022, we delivered a new main website for our client, built with accessibility at its core. The website adhered to WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1, and BS 8878 best practice guidelines, achieving AA compliance. This ensures the site is accessible to users with a wide range of needs, from those with visual impairments to individuals with learning disabilities or mobility challenges. The project was a collaborative effort to spread our client's message: accessibility matters for everyone. With 97% of website homepages globally reported to have accessibility faults, we worked with our client to create a digital experience that set a new benchmark for inclusivity.

Why Accessibility Matters
To underline the importance of accessibility:

Roughly 1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability.
An estimated 1 in 10 adults have dyslexia.
Around 2 million people have vision impairments.
97% of website homepages have accessibility faults, with issues like missing alt text and low contrast making websites difficult to use for many

Our clients website was designed to tackle these challenges head-on, ensuring every user can easily access the resources and services they need.

Why Sitecore?
As a Sitecore Silver Partner, we have the expertise and understanding to leverage Sitecore’s full potential, optimising this powerful CMS for our clients unique needs, thereby ensuring it can serve as the foundation for accessible digital solutions.

Microsite Collaboration with a British Telecommunications Company

As part of our client's wider mission, we also developed a dedicated microsite in partnership with a British telecommunications company to support disabled people in finding employment.

Using our client's existing Sitecore CMS instance, we expanded their platform into a multisite setup. This approach allowed us to leverage the existing infrastructure and functionalities of their primary website, enabling a faster and more cost-effective development process.

Despite the condensed timeline, the microsite maintained AA-level accessibility compliance, reflecting our client's unwavering commitment to inclusivity. The new microsite provided a seamless user experience for its audience, amplifying the initiative’s impact.

Results and The Road Ahead

The new website and microsite represent the charity’s dedication to accessibility and inclusion. By combining thoughtful design with Sitecore’s robust CMS capabilities, we delivered platforms that empower our client to spread their message, engage their audience, and provide essential services.

Cold Banana continues to support our client as a trusted partner, ensuring their digital presence evolves with their goals. From maintaining accessibility standards to exploring new ways to engage audiences, we’re committed to helping this UK based disability charity to deliver on their mission: equality for disabled people.