Recently completed: designing and building the Camden Meeting Predictable Needs Toolkit.
We were approached by the London Borough of Camden to design and develop their Meeting Predictable Needs School Age Toolkit. An online resource to serve a diverse audience: parents, carers, educators, and support professionals, many of whom rely on assistive technologies. Our brief was to create an online resource that was usable by everyone, meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA standard.
The Design Challenge
Designing for accessibility from the outset means rethinking some conventional UI patterns. We focused on:
- Creating a clear, logical heading structure that would make sense to screen reader users navigating the content
- Ensuring sufficient colour contrast whilst maintaining Camden’s brand identity
- Designing responsive layouts that worked across devices without compromising accessibility features
- Building navigation that was keyboard-friendly and clearly signposted
A priority challenge was balancing the client’s initial aspirations for WCAG 2.2 Level AAA compliance against practical implementation. Whilst AAA is admirable, it’s often unachievable for all content types. We worked collaboratively to identify where AAA enhancements could be implemented and where Level AA provided appropriate, compliant accessibility.
Development and Testing
The technical build required meticulous attention to semantic HTML structure, ARIA labels, and ensuring all interactive elements were accessible via keyboard navigation. We implemented responsive design principles that maintained accessibility across all breakpoints.
Testing was iterative and comprehensive. We worked with Camden to catch common issues like colour contrast and missing alt text, but the real work came from manual testing with screen readers. This revealed nuances that automated tools miss — such as headings that appeared correct visually but were announced awkwardly or out of sequence by assistive technology.
Working with Stakeholders
Close collaboration with Camden’s team was essential throughout the project. Their subject matter expertise and understanding of their users’ needs informed every design decision. We worked together to:
- Prioritise content hierarchy based on how families and professionals would actually use the toolkit
- Review and refine accessibility features based on the team’s feedback and testing
- Navigate the balance between regulatory compliance and practical usability
- Address specific technical challenges as they emerged during development
This collaborative approach meant we could make informed decisions quickly, ensuring the project stayed on track whilst maintaining the high accessibility standards required.
