Partners HealthCare at Home, Spaulding redesign websites to be patient first
July 5, 2019
Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and Partners HealthCare at Home in April launched patient-accessible websites, designed for people with disabilities in mind.
Digital accessibility is a top priority for both Spaulding and Partners HealthCare at Home for patients to access the information they need.
The organizations teamed up with the Perkins School of the Blind consulting group, Perkins Access, to redesign the websites, identifying crucial areas someone with disabilities would need particular assistance with. They made changes to the websites to meet Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), such as the following:
- Color distinctions between the background and the font so content is easy to read
- Keyboard function which allows website users to easily navigate the pages without having to use a mouse
- Text describing pictures for patients who use screen readers
Spaulding conducted intense user testing with patients with physical and cognitive impairments to ensure the website is user friendly.
“As with the opening of the new Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Charlestown in 2013, we aimed to go beyond compliance and set a new standard for inclusive design,” said David Storto, President of Spaulding Rehabilitation Network and Partners Continuing Care.
“The patients we serve have a wide range of abilities, and it is imperative that everyone can access digital information on the care, research, education, and advocacy that is so central to what we do.”
