Dewis Cymru: championing inclusivity in health & wellbeing
Dewis Cymru is the national wellbeing resource directory for Wales. Their purpose is to support health and wellbeing in their community by sharing a wide range of local and national organisations and services.
To support their wide variety of users online, they added Browsealoud (now part of ReachDeck) to their website. This accessibility solution is helping them to create inclusive experiences for all users.
Outcomes
- Dewis Cymru decided to add our accessibility toolbar to their website
- The health & wellbeing directory is now better equipped to provide their diverse user-base with inclusive digital content
- Visitors with disabilities, reading difficulties or language barriers are now better equipped to access vital health information and resources
The background
Dewis Cymru is the national wellbeing resource directory for Wales. They aim to help people with their wellbeing by sharing information about a wide range of local and national organisations and services. By doing so, they provide individuals with choice and control over which services can best meet their needs.
Their website is owned and funded entirely by 22 local authorities and has been adopted as part of their local Information, Advice and Assistance (IAA) service (as part of the Social Services and Well-being Act).
The challenge
Dewis Cymru website attracts a wide variety of users from all walks of life. As well as being used by the public, the website is also used by organisations who call on the directory to signpost members of the public to local services. It’s a priority for the organisation that their website is inclusive of all visitors, as Jodie Phillips, Dewis Cymru Manager, explains:
The website is used by lots of people, from the public to professionals. As part of our commitment, we wanted to make Dewis Cymru as accessible as we can to all users.
The solution
Dewis Cymru took a very proactive approach in improving the accessibility of their website. As part of the process their efforts included user testing and expert audits.
Taking it to the next level, they sought a tool which would help provide their visitors with an inclusive experience. To help their digital content reach every visitor, the organisation added the Browsealoud toolbar (now part of the ReachDeck solution) to their website.
ReachDeck is an accessibility solution that adds speech, reading and translation support to your website. Its assistive features support people to self-serve online by empowering every visitor to interact with online content in a way which suits their needs. It’s particularly beneficial for individuals who have hidden disabilities, such as dyslexia or other reading difficulties.
The toolbar's accessibility features allow users to:
- Hear content read out loud
- Translate text into over 100 languages
- Increase the size of text with a text magnifier
- Reduce screen glare with a screen tint overlay
- Focus more easily with a reading pane function
- Remove distracting content with the ability to simplify a webpage
Lasting value
Since the addition of ReachDeck, Dewis Cymru have received a lot of positive feedback. Sharing her delight in being able to support their users online, Jodie Phillips said:
Users love the functionality, especially when we demo the website in meetings and at events. We always showcase the toolbar in these sessions.
The tool has also been used more widely than was first anticipated, highlighting its success within the organisation.
Jodie continues: "We have examples where some agencies and local authorities have used the functionality to translate the pages on the site into other languages e.g. Polish, and then print out details about particular schemes e.g. Blue Badge Schemes."
ReachDeck
As well as the accessibility toolbar, ReachDeck's features also include:
- The ReachDeck Auditor, which identifies accessibility errors across your website. It highlights WCAG compliance errors at Level A, AA and AAA. And identifies readability errors including the use of jargon words and long sentences
- The ReachDeck Editor, which helps to improve the quality and accessibility of written content. As you type, grammar, spelling and readability errors are identified. Helping organisations edit content in line with best practice
These features help organisations identify accessibility barriers quickly and at scale, while ensuring their content can be understood by everyone.
ReachDeck
Breaks down communication barriers. Improve the accessibility, readability and reach of your online content.