McMaster Assistive Technology: Website

McMaster Assistive Technology (AccessATCanada) is an AGE-WELL NCE funded research project with the objectives to examine how assistive technologies are accessed by Canadians to identify funding and service gaps and to explore ethical issues on equity of access to assistive technology. AccessATCanada approached Cubicle Fugitive to assist with the redesign and development of a new website that is professional, intuitive, and user-friendly.

With the initial client directives and site structure, the inspiration for the design was taken from both the McMaster Health Forum website and McMaster University’s brand identity: Brighter World. The Brighter World brand story fueled by McMaster’s unique approach to collaboration reflects the positive impact that their researchers continue to have on the world. The combination of circular graphics and duotone images were used to renew the look and feel in a fun and approachable way.

The main focus of the website is to provide an easy to use database of government and charity programs that offer assistive technology funding and services in Canada.

The main focus of the website is to provide an easy to use database of government and charity programs that offer assistive technology funding and services in Canada. The homepage allows visitors to find a program through various methods including jurisdiction, assistive technology types, a keyword search, or by using an interactive map. Once a type is selected, the user is then redirected to the programs page which automatically filters the programs based on their search query. From here the user can further filter their results by age and eligibility.

AccessATCanada would not be possible without the collaboration of McMaster Health Forum, the University of Toronto, and March of Dimes, as well as the team involved in taking the lead on this funded research project. In addition to the programs page, Cubicle Fugitive also developed a team database that features each member’s biography, their organization, and any related activities or outputs that highlight their involvement and their dedicated research related to assistive technology.

Built upon an enterprise-ready content management system (CMS), the CMS is easy to maintain internally which encourages regular updates and maintenance.