In a digital age, accessibility is often framed in terms of how an organisation designs, builds and delivers online services. While that focus is important, accessibility is still too frequently treated as a final check, compliance exercise or something to retrofit once a product has already been built.
When accessibility is left until last, it becomes about fixing problems rather than preventing them. This limits creativity, can introduce unnecessary costs and, most importantly, risks excluding the very people services are intended to support. At Choice Support, we have taken a different approach. As an organisation supporting autistic people, people with learning disabilities and those with mental health needs, we believe accessibility is not an add on, it is the foundation.
This belief has shaped the development of our new brand and website, which was co-designed with the people we support to build in accessibility and representation from the outset. Accessibility is not simply about colours, fonts or layouts, it is about rethinking who we as an organisation are here for and what inclusive design unlocks in their lives.
Innovation should lead to improved outcomes, and that is why we have focused on designing online services that enable people to do more for themselves and make it easier to get things right first time. By designing and testing ideas alongside the people we work with, we ensure they reflect real life, not assumptions.
The starting point
The starting point was simple. When we spoke with colleagues, people we support and their families about how they felt about Choice Support as an organisation, there was a strong sense of pride. People talked about energy, belonging, innovation and a deep commitment to local communities.
But when we asked if our brand reflected that experience, the answer was very different. It was described as dated, unclear and not fully representative of what makes Choice Support distinctive. There was a clear disconnect between the reality of our work and how we presented ourselves to the outside world.
At the same time, we have developed a new strategy and values that are much more ambitious and rooted in people being in charge of their own lives. This is underpinned by our ‘One World’ principle – the belief that people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people with mental health needs should be living lives as anyone else: with homes of their own, relationships, jobs, connection and belonging in their communities. Our goal was to bring this to life with our new brand and website.
Co-design as principle
If our brand is about people being in control of their own lives, it would not be credible to design it without them. We brought together our Choice Support community to shape the brand through workshops, discussions and shared decision-making.
The people involved reflected the diversity of people Choice Support works alongside, including people with learning disabilities, autistic people and people with mental health needs. Crucially, their input was not treated as a consultation at the end of the process, it has been, and will continue to be, embedded at every stage of our brand, strategy and website development.
Our discussions have challenged many of the assumptions often found in the sector. There was a strong rejection of dependency-focused imagery, and a strong preference for showing independence, agency and real life.
One insight that stayed with us was a comment about an image of someone playing basketball. ‘He’s the focus, but he’s got people cheering him on. That’s good support to me.’ That observation shaped our thinking that support should be present but in the background, with individuals as the focus of their own story.
We also heard that people want to come away thinking ‘My life is empowered by me.’ Our new brand reflects that sense of independence, rather than framing people primarily through the lens of being supported. At the same time, it was clear that inclusion, accessibility and lived experience should not be softened or sentimentalised and people want authenticity, not idealised or simplified representations of their lives.
Co-designing accessible products also brings wider organisational benefits. At Choice Support, it supports our digital-first way of working which makes it easier to deliver great support every time. That means simple tools that help people get out and about, stay in touch and feel safe, so digital support becomes part of everyday life. This focus on ‘everyday technology for everyday life’ is central to our new brand and strategy.
Designing in accessibility
Our co-design process recognised that accessibility is rarely considered at the start of the design process. More often, adjustments are layered onto a finished product and there is a one-size-fits-all look and feel to accessible brands and websites. This has contributed to a trend across the sector where accessible brands can feel uniform and indistinguishable. Instead, we embedded accessibility from day one by making deliberate design choices alongside the people we support at every stage.
We adopted a high-contrast colour palette that meets AAA Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, typography was chosen for clarity and consistency, and layouts emphasised space and simplicity, reducing visual overload. Language was another critical area: in a sector often dominated by jargon, we took a different approach by using plain, everyday language that reflects a conversation around the kitchen table.
Just as importantly, we made decisions about what not to do. We avoided overstimulating graphics and rejected design tropes that can feel patronising or overly simplistic, including childish illustrations that do not reflect the reality of adult lives.
Our co-design process also challenged the conventional, purple-coded inclusion branding, but affirmed an important balance, that while the brand should be confident and recognisable, it should also create a sense of calm. The result is a brand that is not only accessible, but also distinct, pushing back against the idea that accessibility requires uniformity.
The final product and learnings
Our co-design process has shown there is an opportunity for all organisations to move beyond surface level commitments and reconsider how accessibility is approached. Designing accessible services is not just a technical challenge, it is a cultural one that requires an organisation to shift from designing for people to designing with them, and to do so from the very beginning.
Accessible and inclusive design is not simply about fonts and colours; it is about making intentional choices that reflect the needs and preferences of the people you support. For Choice Support, that means showing people as capable, independent and in charge of their lives and reflecting real environments.
For all organisations, fully accessible products should be non-negotiable. It is not about striving to be the best at the fundamentals or differentiation from other organisations, it is about meeting a consistent standard in every design and branding decision made. We have a collective responsibility to raise expectations around accessibility by sharing learning and supporting progress across the sector as a whole, rather than treating it as a competitive advantage.
Looking ahead
Our new brand is now being rolled out, with a full launch planned for later in the year. We are proud to have done this work alongside the people we support, building in accessibility and representation from day one. But this is not an endpoint; if accessibility is truly a foundation, it must continue to evolve through ongoing engagement, iteration and learning.
We hope our approach at Choice Support demonstrates that accessible design is not a constraint to be managed, but an opportunity. More than that, we hope it encourages other organisations to move beyond compliance and take a more ambitious view, where accessibility shapes not just how services look, but how they work, and who they work for.
How has your organisation approached accessibility in the development of its branding and online presence? Comment on this feature or join the conversation to share your thoughts.
Sarah Wight is Chief Quality, Impact and Engagement Officer at Choice Support.
Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: @Choice-Support