A participatory website supporting families with disabled children

The Turin-based non-profit organisation Area, which supports families with disabled children, just launched its new website, developed with the intensive support of Experientia.

The site, named Di.To (Disabilità a Torino), offers information and orientation to families of children with disabilities aged from 0-10 years.

Experientia played a key role in the project, investigating key values and researching information needs of all stakeholders (families of children with disabilities, social services, etc.), developing the information architecture, guiding the design process and supporting the implementation.

Area is a regional volunteer association that has been active in the Piedmont region in the field of disability for more than twenty-five years. The DiTo website is based on the successful printed guide of the same name, by Che Fare [“What to do?”], Area’s counselling service.

The website offers access to realistic information with no costs or queues, and is interactive, visually attractive and simple to use, with a Turin focus. As well as filling informational and support roles, the website has a participatory nature. In the Sogni segni e disegni [“Dreams, signs and designs”] section, collaborations with famous authors and artists offer families a creative space to read and design with their children. The Community section offers a mediated and facilitated space for families to exchange ideas, experiences and objects.